scooter
12-12-2003, 11:37 AM
FIRE PROOFING YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE
Hey everyone. I wanted to share this with you all as it's Christmas and almost all of us will have real trees (rednecks like us can't see our way clear to have a fake one). We all know that they can be a fire hazzard so this will really help in making your tree a safe ornament for the holidays. Read on and enjoy!
Oh and Merry Christmas To You All!! http://www.bowzone.ca/cgi-bin/albums/album12/alg.gif
This originates from a chemist at Dupont Labs in Wilmington, DEL. This will completely fireproof your live evergreen Christmas tree! Also included are a few tips on purchasing your tree.
First, I’ll list the ingredients you’ll need...and where to find them!
Karo Syrup.........……......... local supermarket
Epsom Salt............……..... local drug store
A can of ‘Boraxo’...….... .....local supermarket
Liquid Chlorine Bleach .…..local supermarket
Chelated Iron ............….....local nursery or plant shop
You’ll also need a 2 gallon bucket or a few 1 gallon milk jugs.
Before we get into making the solution, here are a few hints for choosing the freshest tree. Keep in mind that most trees are cut six to ten weeks before you see them on the lots. But, that’s only one problem. Most Christmas trees are sprayed with a green dye about 2 weeks before they are cut and shipped to the market. This dye is sprayed on ALL trees, the good, the bad and the ugly, making it hard for you to tell which is a healthy tree and which is not. However, all is not lost!
When you’re shopping for your tree, find and narrow your choices to a few trees that meet your needs for height and fullness. Then find the ‘bad’ side of each tree and try to snap a very small branch with your fingers. This should be done at the bottom of the tree since this is the first place water would be in short supply. If the branch snaps easily, know right away that the tissue is dead and will be the same for the rest of the tree. DO NOT BUY THIS TREE!!
If however, the branch doesn’t snap easily, it’s a good indication that the tissue is very much alive. But, don’t stop there. Snap the branch anyway and look at the woody tissue under the bark. If the color is white or pale green, then the tissue is alive and the tree is healthy. If the wood looks to be brown or close to it, that means the tissue is in the process of dying, in which case you DO NOT want to buy that tree. No matter what, ALWAYS BUY A TREE THAT HAS LIVE TISSUE, either white or pale green. This means that the homemade preservative we’re about to make will fireproof it!
Now that you’ve found a healthy tree, it’s time to fireproof it for use in your home!
1. Once you get home with your new tree, get a saw and IMMEDIATELY make a fresh cut at the base of the tree trunk. This is MANDATORY for any tree you’ve bought. Make your cut about an inch above the bottom of the trunk.
2. Next, you’ll need a place to store you’re tree for a few days before taking it into your home as it takes a few days for the preservative to fully saturate the tree. An ideal place would be the carport/garage or possibly a balcony for apartment dwellers.
3. Immediately after making your cut at the bottom of the tree, mix your homemade preservative as follows....
Into a large bucket, add HOT WATER from the kitchen tap. Add 2 gallons of water to the bucket then add the following ingredients:
... two cups of Karo syrup
... two ounces of liquid chlorine bleach
... two pinches of epsom salt
... one-half teaspoon of Boraxo
... one teaspoon of chelated iron (pronounced KEY-lated)
Stir these ingredients thoroughly in the bucket, then IMMEDIATELY stand the trunk of the tree in this solution. Leave the tree in the bucket for a day or two until you’re ready to take it indoors and decorate it!
4. After taking the tree indoors, make sure to put it in a stand with “well” at the bottom. Once the tree is secured in it’s final resting place, get the bucket containing your preservative and FILL THE WELL IN THE TREE STAND TO THE TOP.
5. Last but not least, EVERY DAY WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THE WELL OF THE TREE STAND MUST BE KEPT FILLED TO THE TOP WITH YOUR HOMEMADE PRESERVATIVE!
That’s all there is to it. If you follow these steps faithfully, you will have a completely FIREPROOFED Christmas Tree to enjoy throughout the holidays!
And, for those inquisitive minds, here’s an explanation of why and how it works.
The Karo syrup provides the SUGAR, and it is only in the presence of sugar that tremendous amounts of water will be taken up by the exposed tissue at the base of the trunk. Without the sugar, only the smallest amount of water will be absorbed. However, in the presence of sugar, you can expect more than one and one-half gallons of the solution to be absorbed by the tree during a 10 - 14 day period.
But there’s more. Thanks to the boron you have supplied (in the Boraxo), the water and sugar will be moved to every needle and branch of your tree. Remember, boron is what makes sugar move, not only in trees, but vegetables, fruits and even house plants.
Then, there’s the epsom salt and the chelated iron, Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, and magnesium (together with iron) are the center molecules in the process we know as chlorophyll production. By making the magnesium and iron available to the tree, you’re assuring yourself of green needles, even if the tree was not sprayed at the tree farm before being shipped to the market.
But what about the chlorine bleach? Chlorine stops a mold from forming when water and sugar stand for any period of time. Here, the chlorine stops the mold from forming in the bucket and the “well” of the tree stand where you preservative sits.
Finally, a little about the benefits from preserving your tree this way.
1. Your tree will be SOAKING WET with water. In fact, at least 800% more water than when the tree was growing in the forest ! This in turn prevents the tree from becoming a fire hazard.
2. No needles will drop, no matter what variety of evergreen you choose to display in your home. At the same time, the tree will give off a fragrance like that which you’ve sensed while walking through a forest of evergreens or strolling through the Christmas tree lot.
3. Finally, make the test yourself. When the holidays are over and the tree is taken down and moved outdoors, cut one of the branches off. Move away from the tree and try to light the branch with a match. IT WON’T BURN... guaranteed!!!
A little side note about disposing of your tree. If you have an outdoor garden of any size, be ecology conscious. Cut the branches from the tree and scatter them over the previously applied mulch in your rose, tulip and bulb garden or atop the mulch over your flower bed. A thick layer of these evergreen boughs is added protection for your plants over the winter.
So, take the time to fireproof your live evergreen tree this Christmas and enjoy a safe holiday!!!
Hey everyone. I wanted to share this with you all as it's Christmas and almost all of us will have real trees (rednecks like us can't see our way clear to have a fake one). We all know that they can be a fire hazzard so this will really help in making your tree a safe ornament for the holidays. Read on and enjoy!
Oh and Merry Christmas To You All!! http://www.bowzone.ca/cgi-bin/albums/album12/alg.gif
This originates from a chemist at Dupont Labs in Wilmington, DEL. This will completely fireproof your live evergreen Christmas tree! Also included are a few tips on purchasing your tree.
First, I’ll list the ingredients you’ll need...and where to find them!
Karo Syrup.........……......... local supermarket
Epsom Salt............……..... local drug store
A can of ‘Boraxo’...….... .....local supermarket
Liquid Chlorine Bleach .…..local supermarket
Chelated Iron ............….....local nursery or plant shop
You’ll also need a 2 gallon bucket or a few 1 gallon milk jugs.
Before we get into making the solution, here are a few hints for choosing the freshest tree. Keep in mind that most trees are cut six to ten weeks before you see them on the lots. But, that’s only one problem. Most Christmas trees are sprayed with a green dye about 2 weeks before they are cut and shipped to the market. This dye is sprayed on ALL trees, the good, the bad and the ugly, making it hard for you to tell which is a healthy tree and which is not. However, all is not lost!
When you’re shopping for your tree, find and narrow your choices to a few trees that meet your needs for height and fullness. Then find the ‘bad’ side of each tree and try to snap a very small branch with your fingers. This should be done at the bottom of the tree since this is the first place water would be in short supply. If the branch snaps easily, know right away that the tissue is dead and will be the same for the rest of the tree. DO NOT BUY THIS TREE!!
If however, the branch doesn’t snap easily, it’s a good indication that the tissue is very much alive. But, don’t stop there. Snap the branch anyway and look at the woody tissue under the bark. If the color is white or pale green, then the tissue is alive and the tree is healthy. If the wood looks to be brown or close to it, that means the tissue is in the process of dying, in which case you DO NOT want to buy that tree. No matter what, ALWAYS BUY A TREE THAT HAS LIVE TISSUE, either white or pale green. This means that the homemade preservative we’re about to make will fireproof it!
Now that you’ve found a healthy tree, it’s time to fireproof it for use in your home!
1. Once you get home with your new tree, get a saw and IMMEDIATELY make a fresh cut at the base of the tree trunk. This is MANDATORY for any tree you’ve bought. Make your cut about an inch above the bottom of the trunk.
2. Next, you’ll need a place to store you’re tree for a few days before taking it into your home as it takes a few days for the preservative to fully saturate the tree. An ideal place would be the carport/garage or possibly a balcony for apartment dwellers.
3. Immediately after making your cut at the bottom of the tree, mix your homemade preservative as follows....
Into a large bucket, add HOT WATER from the kitchen tap. Add 2 gallons of water to the bucket then add the following ingredients:
... two cups of Karo syrup
... two ounces of liquid chlorine bleach
... two pinches of epsom salt
... one-half teaspoon of Boraxo
... one teaspoon of chelated iron (pronounced KEY-lated)
Stir these ingredients thoroughly in the bucket, then IMMEDIATELY stand the trunk of the tree in this solution. Leave the tree in the bucket for a day or two until you’re ready to take it indoors and decorate it!
4. After taking the tree indoors, make sure to put it in a stand with “well” at the bottom. Once the tree is secured in it’s final resting place, get the bucket containing your preservative and FILL THE WELL IN THE TREE STAND TO THE TOP.
5. Last but not least, EVERY DAY WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THE WELL OF THE TREE STAND MUST BE KEPT FILLED TO THE TOP WITH YOUR HOMEMADE PRESERVATIVE!
That’s all there is to it. If you follow these steps faithfully, you will have a completely FIREPROOFED Christmas Tree to enjoy throughout the holidays!
And, for those inquisitive minds, here’s an explanation of why and how it works.
The Karo syrup provides the SUGAR, and it is only in the presence of sugar that tremendous amounts of water will be taken up by the exposed tissue at the base of the trunk. Without the sugar, only the smallest amount of water will be absorbed. However, in the presence of sugar, you can expect more than one and one-half gallons of the solution to be absorbed by the tree during a 10 - 14 day period.
But there’s more. Thanks to the boron you have supplied (in the Boraxo), the water and sugar will be moved to every needle and branch of your tree. Remember, boron is what makes sugar move, not only in trees, but vegetables, fruits and even house plants.
Then, there’s the epsom salt and the chelated iron, Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, and magnesium (together with iron) are the center molecules in the process we know as chlorophyll production. By making the magnesium and iron available to the tree, you’re assuring yourself of green needles, even if the tree was not sprayed at the tree farm before being shipped to the market.
But what about the chlorine bleach? Chlorine stops a mold from forming when water and sugar stand for any period of time. Here, the chlorine stops the mold from forming in the bucket and the “well” of the tree stand where you preservative sits.
Finally, a little about the benefits from preserving your tree this way.
1. Your tree will be SOAKING WET with water. In fact, at least 800% more water than when the tree was growing in the forest ! This in turn prevents the tree from becoming a fire hazard.
2. No needles will drop, no matter what variety of evergreen you choose to display in your home. At the same time, the tree will give off a fragrance like that which you’ve sensed while walking through a forest of evergreens or strolling through the Christmas tree lot.
3. Finally, make the test yourself. When the holidays are over and the tree is taken down and moved outdoors, cut one of the branches off. Move away from the tree and try to light the branch with a match. IT WON’T BURN... guaranteed!!!
A little side note about disposing of your tree. If you have an outdoor garden of any size, be ecology conscious. Cut the branches from the tree and scatter them over the previously applied mulch in your rose, tulip and bulb garden or atop the mulch over your flower bed. A thick layer of these evergreen boughs is added protection for your plants over the winter.
So, take the time to fireproof your live evergreen tree this Christmas and enjoy a safe holiday!!!