Christmas tree – real or artificial what is best for Malta?

Growing up in Malta I remember looking at Christmas movies and dreaming about having a fresh Christmas tree near our fire place. Unfortunately we always had artificial Christmas trees and never the lovely big fresh Christmas trees.

Over the past year we have visited some Christmas tree growers and we are now supplying fresh Christmas trees to the local market and we thought it would be good to share some of the pros and cons with all of you. We hope this will help you to conclude that the best and most natural choice has and will always be a real tree at Christmas.

What are the Benefits of a Real Christmas Tree

Appearance and Fragrance

• Real Christmas trees look and smell natural. Trust me the smell of a fresh Christmas tree is incomparable.
• In contrast, artificial trees can look synthetic – in fact the first producers of artificial trees where toilet brush companies.

Safety

• Artificial Christmas trees are manufactured from harmful chemicals such as PVC. Not only is PVC dangerous to those working in manufacturing companies but it also continues to release dioxins over time. Leading to several health repercussions.

• Older artificial Christmas trees contain high levels of lead. Even though newer artificial trees contain less they can still sport lead levels that are a legitimate concern. Lead exposure can cause a lot of damage to our nervous system especially if you have kids or elderly or pregnant people in the home.
• Another major safety concern of artificial Christmas trees, is that they are very flammable. This is a concern especially if you have lights attached. Due to the amount of PVC in them the fumes are highly toxic.

Environmental Benefits

Buying a fresh Christmas tree is much better for the environment.

1. Fresh trees are completely biodegradable. This means that they can be recycled and composted. In fact this is something that we do on our farm too.
2. Real Christmas trees are a renewable resource. When a tree is harvested to be sold as a Christmas tree at least one tree will be planted instead of it.
3. Christmas tree plantations benefit the environment. It is estimated that a medium size Christmas tree plantation absorbs 900 tonnes of CO2.
4. Growing real Christmas trees provides jobs in rural areas, where employment can be hard to come by.

‘Real Christmas trees are a sustainable, renewable resource with a much smaller carbon footprint than artificial ones. Unfortunately in Malta we do not have home grown Christmas trees so they are transported from Italy by truck.

Overcoming the Drawbacks of Real Christmas trees

Dropped Needles

To minimise the number of needles that fall from your tree that require tidying up, choose a good quality Nordmann Fir tree and install your tree in the home no earlier than the first weekend in December.

Make sure you use a proper Christmas tree stand. Keep your tree away from heat sources and fire places.

Recycling your real Christmas tree

• Before disposing of your tree, consider whether you would like to plant it in your garden. we cannot guarantee they will survive but if well taken care of you do have a 35% chance of it surviving.
• Make sure you choose a suitable location for your tree before planting. Keep in mind that some Christmas trees can reach a height of 15-20 metres over 20 – 25 years. Virtually all trees like a sheltered area out of the wind whilst young but a spot with lots of sunlight is also key.

• If this is not an option, you can call your local council and ask for them to pick it up as bulky refuse.
• You can even use the foliage from your tree to make fragrance pillows to freshen drawers and closets around the home.

Pre order yours today. We will deliver and set it up for you (if you have an appropriate tree stand). Dont forget to follow us on Instagram.