A View from the Potting Shed

On 2nd December, the Norwegian gifted Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree will be lit, with the Salvation Army singing carols beneath its boughs. Add a few snow fl akes and you have a perfect Christmas scene. But hold on, should we be chopping down trees for Christmas? The majority of real Christmas trees purchased in the UK are in fact grown as a horticultural crop, not felled from pre-existing forests.These real trees have a lower carbon footprint than artifi cial trees, which would need to be re-used for at least ten years to reduce their environmental impact.According to experts at the ‘Carbon Trust,’ how you dispose of your tree after Christmas is much more signifi cant than where it comes from. Landfi ll is bad because as the tree decomposes it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Chipping is much better, and many local authorities, including Lewes, now have arrangements for Christmas tree disposal through chipping. Of course the best solution is to have a living tree that can be re-used, but this can bring its own problems. I bought a potted Norway spruce a few years ago that is now too big and heavy to bring indoors, it really needs a Norwegian forest! Happy Christmas.

TOPI C OF THE MONT H PLANT A TREE P

WH AT TO DO JOBS TO DO IN DEC

✓ Plant a tree: October – March is planting season. Plant to the same depth as the p and stake to provide su ort ile the tree tablish itself. Mulch to keep soil moist . ✓ Plant Amaryllis bulbs in p s that are just big enough, leaving the top third the bulb posed. Keep warm and water sparingly until the ower stem starts to grow. ✓ Manure the veg pl , leaving one area unmanured for n year’s ro crops.

MEMBERS’ NOTICE BOARD

On behalf of the Seaford & District Horticultural Society our Chair Sara wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We hope to see you at the next social evening at St Luke’s,Walmer Road on Tuesday 25th January 2022. Trees are very much in the news at the moment, from the COP26 deforestation agreement, to ‘The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) – Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.’ Her Majesty has extensive acreage for tree planting, but choosing a tree for the average garden can be very tricky. This is defi nitely a question of ‘right tree, right place,’ otherwise you could have big problems in the future with shading and disgruntled neighbours.You must also consider the affects of a windy coastal climate, which could rule out trees with delicate foliage like acers. The RHS recommends the following trees for smaller gardens as they provide multi-seasonal interest: Acer griseum, Amelanchier lamarckii ‘Ballerina,’ Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia,’ Malus sylvestris (crab apple), Prunus Serrulata ‘Amanogawa,’ and Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock.’ However, it’s best to do some homework and seek advice from a nursery or garden centre in order to get the perfect match for your garden space. No space? Go to queensgreencanopy.org to gift a tree in Memoriam, in Celebration, or for Schools and Deprived Urban Areas across the UK. The National Trust also has a ‘Plant a Tree’ scheme.