Hello,
I've been lurking for a while and have found some of the topics and tips
very interesting. and helpful.
I'm a bit bothered about Christmas trees - my smallholding is in north west
Essex and I have a Christmas tree plantation next door. The trees are
sprayed frequently with chemicals and next month they will go on sale as
locally grown organic trees. The unsuspecting public will be bringing these
indoors into their nice warm rooms to help celebrate the festive season. God
knows what chemicals they'll be bringing in too.
After what I've seen I'll be having an artificial tree this year!
I don't know if the trees will cause health problems but I'm not going to
take the chance. What do others think?
Carol

In article , Carol Knights
writes
Hello,
I've been lurking for a while and have found some of the topics and tips
very interesting. and helpful.
I'm a bit bothered about Christmas trees - my smallholding is in north west
Essex and I have a Christmas tree plantation next door. The trees are
sprayed frequently with chemicals and next month they will go on sale as
locally grown organic trees. The unsuspecting public will be bringing these
indoors into their nice warm rooms to help celebrate the festive season. God
knows what chemicals they'll be bringing in too.
After what I've seen I'll be having an artificial tree this year!
I don't know if the trees will cause health problems but I'm not going to
take the chance. What do others think?
Carol

The description 'organic' is protected by EU regulations. Any grower of
organic produce must hold a certification and use an approved organic
symbol when selling the produce. Frequent spraying with chemicals is not
permitted in organic growing and that applies to non-food produce for
the reasons you point out. If you could draw this matter to the
attention your local environmental authority, they will be interested.
--
Alan & Joan Gould, North Lincs.

"Carol Knights" wrote in message
...
Hello,
I've been lurking for a while and have found some of the topics and tips
very interesting. and helpful.
I'm a bit bothered about Christmas trees - my smallholding is in north
west
Essex and I have a Christmas tree plantation next door. The trees are
sprayed frequently with chemicals and next month they will go on sale as
locally grown organic trees. The unsuspecting public will be bringing
these
indoors into their nice warm rooms to help celebrate the festive season.
God
knows what chemicals they'll be bringing in too.
After what I've seen I'll be having an artificial tree this year!
I don't know if the trees will cause health problems but I'm not going to
take the chance. What do others think?
Carol


You worry too much, unless you plan to eat them.

BTW, as I understand it spraying and organic arent necessarily opposites, it
depends what you spray with. For example, if its a modern,selective chemical
that only kills the pest species its aimed at and is proven in trials to be
non-hazardous to people, its probably not allowed, whereas if its highly
toxic to many forms of life but has been used for a hundred years or more
(for example, bordeaux mixture) then its OK.

--
Tumbleweed

Remove my socks before replying (but no email reply necessary to newsgroups)

"The trees are sprayed frequently with chemicals and next month they will go
on sale as locally grown organic trees. "

Well if they are spraying with something like soap solution for aphids, then
they would have to spray weekly, where as if using a good organo-phosphorus
based spray then once every month or 2 would be enough.

Probably more risk from the lights on the artificial tree heating the
"Plastic" and giving off free radical polymers.
A good fresh tree with the cut end in water for all its time in the house
will be more beneficial, the humidity and the small amount of resin in the
air will be of benefit to your chest and help to make breathing easier.



--
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"david" wrote in message
...
"The trees are sprayed frequently with chemicals and next month they will
go
on sale as locally grown organic trees. "

Well if they are spraying with something like soap solution for aphids,
then
they would have to spray weekly, where as if using a good
organo-phosphorus
based spray then once every month or 2 would be enough.

Probably more risk from the lights on the artificial tree heating the
"Plastic" and giving off free radical polymers.
A good fresh tree with the cut end in water for all its time in the house
will be more beneficial, the humidity and the small amount of resin in the
air will be of benefit to your chest and help to make breathing easier.
--
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

I don't suppose you sell Christmas trees then, but I take your point about
the frequent spraying - I didn't know the trees were troubled by aphids -
but at this time of year? I though a fungicide more likely.
Carol