Live or artificial Christmas tree: pros and cons. infographics

On the eve of the New Year, the question of which Christmas tree to choose is always acute, especially since you can find both live and artificial ones for every taste on sale. Both types of trees have both advantages and disadvantages. Once in a situation of such a choice, it is necessary to carefully study the characteristics of each option and only then decide which tree is better.

tree in the house

Traditionally, people celebrated the New Year and Christmas with a living forest beauty, and now many people prefer to buy just such. Advantages of a real Christmas tree:

the aroma of pine needles, which is not only very pleasant (and for many people the New Year holidays are associated only with it), but also useful: it disinfects the air in the apartment, calms the nerves, helps to treat respiratory diseases;
after the holidays they get rid of it, there is no need to look for a place to store it;
you can make a hair mask from needles, brew spruce buds with tea - the components of a live Christmas tree are very healthy.

On the other hand, buying a tree turns into numerous disadvantages:

the fragrance that pleases everyone does not last long;
even a small Christmas tree weighs quite a lot, it is difficult to deliver it home if it is bought far from it, there is no car and elevator;
needles crumble and clog the apartment;
a live Christmas tree is highly flammable, so you need to carefully select garlands for it and monitor their work;
limited sale: a small number of Christmas tree markets are opened, which work for a fairly short period, so there is a danger of not having time to buy a good tree;
the demand for live Christmas trees is the reason for their mass cutting down, which is inhumane in relation to these trees;
after the end of the holidays, the tree has to be thrown away, which is also inhumane;
recycling culture in our country is not developed.

To acquire or not a living tree, everyone decides for himself. And if you still intend to buy a real one, then it is important to learn how to choose such a Christmas tree correctly.

First of all, you need to purchase at the official Christmas tree bazaar. At unofficial points of sale, Christmas trees can be poached. The acquisition of wood there supports barbaric logging. It is best to buy Christmas trees grown under power lines. They still can not be tall, they are cut down. Trees grown in special nurseries are also suitable. A good option is Christmas trees cut down during the sanitary cleaning of the forest.

When buying a natural Christmas tree, you should pay attention to the following points:

the needles should be smooth and uniform, the needles should be rubbed;
when shaking, the needles and cones should not crumble much;
branches should be elastic and not break off easily;
the main parameters of a healthy tree: the trunk in girth is not less than 6 cm, the needles are uniform, the width is not more than the height, the branches of one tier grow at the same level, and the density is uniform.

New Year's dummy

When thinking about the question of whether to choose a live or artificial Christmas tree, people often lean towards the latter option. Indeed, the plastic symbol of the New Year has advantages over the present:

a wide choice: such Christmas trees come in different sizes, colors, one-piece and require assembly, they are also sold LED and already decorated with toys or sprinkled with artificial snow, they are easy to choose according to the space in the apartment and the interior;
an artificial Christmas tree does not need to be bought every year, it lasts for several years;
it does not require watering, needles do not crumble from it;
such a Christmas tree is convenient if there are small children in the house - they will not be able to prick themselves with needles, in an artificial tree they are usually soft;
well suited for those who are allergic to pine needles;
the demand for artificial Christmas trees allows to reduce the cutting down of living ones;
They start selling them earlier - in early December, and there are a lot of points of sale.

On the other hand, they also have serious disadvantages:

no New Year's smell of needles;
can be expensive;
if some branches or other parts are broken or missing, you will have to buy a new one;
Not all artificial Christmas trees are truly durable;
the Christmas tree can be difficult to assemble;
it can release toxic substances, especially for cheap Christmas trees, so it’s better to pay more, but buy a quality one;
the older the artificial Christmas tree, the more harmful substances are released from it, because they decompose over time;
there may be an allergy to plastic or other materials from which this tree is made;
when such a Christmas tree is thrown away, it decomposes for about 200 years, which causes great harm to the environment.

Choosing a good artificial Christmas tree is no easier than choosing a live one. To make it last for a long time, it is important to check it when buying:

pull the needles: it should straighten out if soft, and remain motionless if hard, but in no case crumble;
pay attention to the material: PVC is the most durable, but most often it turns out to be poisonous, so you should take more expensive options and ask for a quality certificate;
if the Christmas tree is folded, the kit should have instructions on how to assemble it;
you should definitely smell it: if this New Year's attribute smells like plastic or other chemical, you can’t take it.

It is worth remembering that the production of artificial Christmas trees is quite harmful to the environment, so you should buy this accessory once and for a long time.

Live tree care

For those who have chosen a real forest beauty, it is important to know how to care for her so that she retains her freshness and beauty for as long as possible. First of all, it is necessary to transport it correctly: tie it up and carry it upside down, holding it by the trunk. You need to bring it into the apartment forward with the base. Next, the tree must be untied and left for a day on a balcony or loggia.

Before installation, 2-3 cm must be sawn off from the tip of the trunk so that water flows freely inside. The saw cut should be even and neat, at a right angle. No more cuts can be made on the trunk. The Christmas tree can be installed in a cross, but it will be really good for it in a bucket of sand or in a special stand with a water tank. It is permissible to add a little liquid fertilizer to the sand (if you use it), the trunk should be immersed by 15-20 cm. Every day the guest must be watered. For greater freshness, you can spray the branches with a spray bottle.

This tree does not like when it is hot and dry around it. Therefore, you need to put the Christmas tree as far as possible from batteries and heaters. It is also better to hang small or LED garlands on it, from large bulbs the needles will overheat and dry faster.

When the holidays are over, it's time to get rid of the Christmas tree, it's better not to rush to throw it in the trash, but try to dispose of it somehow. If there is a cottage with a bathhouse, the tree can be cut into firewood. In large cities, there are recycling points, where organic fertilizers, means for disinfecting car tires, etc. are made from Christmas trees.

Caring for an artificial Christmas tree

In order for an inanimate tree to serve for many years, it also needs to be fully looked after. First of all, accuracy is needed during transportation and storage. So that the branches do not bend or break during transportation home, the tree must be carefully packed in a fairly large box. Caring for this item requires some effort:

so that the needles fluff better, it is recommended to hold the branches over a basin of hot water, the steam from which just makes them more magnificent;
from the Christmas tree it is periodically necessary to wipe the dust with a cloth or rinse the tree with a shower (if it is small, not LED, there are no metal parts, tinsel or sparkles in it), this procedure must be repeated with each assembly and disassembly;
if the Christmas tree is a team, you need to clean each element separately;
if rust has appeared on the metal parts, you need to clean it off, and then treat the tree with an anti-corrosion compound, sometimes it can also be used for prevention;
it is recommended to clean the LED tree from dust with a dry cloth or special napkins;
it is worth using special aerosols for artificial plants for cleaning;
you need to store the Christmas tree in a capacious box as far as possible from heating devices, to prevent moisture and direct sunlight from getting on it;
the box must be hermetically sealed so that the tree does not gather dust;
you need to lay it very carefully so as not to crush the branches.

In order for the artificial tree to look good, it is worth collecting it not just before the celebration of the New Year, but in advance, so that the frame and branches regain their shape, which they could lose from lying in the box for a long time.

For those who do not have enough natural smell, but an artificial Christmas tree seems more suitable, it is recommended to sprinkle it with coniferous flavor, then there will be a complete illusion of a real Christmas tree in the house.

No matter what kind of artificial or live Christmas tree you like, you should always buy a quality one at an official point of sale and take good care of it. Then the New Year will become a real holiday, a triumph of kindness and beauty!

The most important Christmas accessory is, of course, the Christmas tree. Environmentalists in unison say that the festive spruce should be artificial, and lovers of the "natural" argue that the New Year without a living spruce is not the New Year. The pros and cons of both variants of the holiday tree are in the Sputnik review.

Pros and cons of artificial spruce

Artificial spruces are increasingly replacing their "live" counterparts every year, becoming more popular for several reasons. Consider all sides of artificial firs.

The first and for some the most compelling reason to buy an artificial Christmas tree is durability. For such a tree you pay once and for many years. In addition, this choice is very practical: it is enough just to disassemble the spruce after the holidays and carefully pack it without damaging parts of the tree. Artificial spruce will not be pricked, it will last at least until March 8 and will not crumble with hundreds of needles that need to be taken literally from all the cracks. In recent years, the reason for buying an unnatural Christmas tree is a careful attitude to nature. Cutting down living trees causes severe damage - planted new plants do not keep up with cutting down.

However, this spruce has some disadvantages.

If you decide to purchase an artificial Christmas tree, remember that often such Christmas trees are made from low-quality plastic made from oil resources. In addition, artificial spruce, of course, does not smell, and therefore, of course, there will be no Christmas aroma in the apartment. Another not a minus, but an obstacle is the price. If you need to pay for a live spruce annually and a little, then you will have to pay for an artificial spruce once, but a rather large amount.

Pros and cons of living spruce

Nothing creates a festive atmosphere like an apartment filled with the smell of fresh pine needles! And this is the main plus of choosing a live spruce as a New Year's tree. Consider this and other pluses and, of course, the minuses of such a choice.

The smell emanating from a living spruce is not only a festive mood. Spruce emits a large amount of phytoncides, and then perfectly cleans the air from harmful bacteria. In addition, live spruce is a good source of bioenergy that removes negativity, irritation and fatigue.

As for the needles, it is very rich in mineral salts, essential oils, vitamin C and other useful components. There are many effective recipes not only from needles, but from green cones, buds, tar and even pollen.

Also, a live Christmas tree is inexpensive, on New Year's Eve 2018 you can buy a small Christmas tree in Minsk for about 10 rubles.

In addition to the obvious advantages, a living spruce in an apartment also has disadvantages.

The needles of a living Christmas tree crumble, the longer such a tree stands, the more dry needles you will find throughout the living space.

Also, of course, cutting down trees damages wildlife, but do not forget that spruces for sale are grown in specialized nurseries.

As far as allergies are cited as an argument "against" by adherents of a plastic Christmas tree, a live Christmas tree can cause a negative reaction in some people. However, an artificial Christmas tree, even packed and neatly hidden for the whole year, will certainly collect dust, which can also cause allergies.

Still, live or artificial - weigh all the pros, cons and decide for yourself.

A live Christmas tree for the New Year has been pleasing people for many centuries, traditionally decorating almost every home. It has become a kind of attribute, the absence of which gives the impression of ordinary everyday life. Today, artificial Christmas trees that are purchased for more than one year have become quite popular, so very often people are faced with the choice of which Christmas tree to buy, because any of the options has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of a live Christmas tree

When it is brought into the house, it already becomes somehow festively lively. This is mainly due to the spread of its natural coniferous smell. It is not only pleasant for perception, but also contains useful essential oils.

A very pleasant ritual is the New Year decoration of the Christmas tree - when all family members unite and create a good atmosphere. After the tree is taken out at the end of the holiday, there is no need to allocate space for its storage, which is also an advantage.

It is very important that a live Christmas tree has bactericidal properties: calming the nervous system, fighting tuberculosis bacillus, treating colds. If you scroll spruce needles through a meat grinder and add a few tablespoons of honey to this mass, you get an effective flu paste. It is used either to create compresses applied to the chest, or for inhalation. You can even make completely ecological mattresses from needles.

Women who love to take care of their appearance can make coniferous hair masks. It is enough to boil the needles for an hour, leave for about 20 minutes, add brandy and chicken protein - you get a decoction that treats hair from excessive dryness and brittleness.

Disadvantages of purchased natural spruce

The main disadvantage of a felled living tree is its fragility. After a very short time, the tree begins to turn yellow and lose its needles, leading to a mess on the floor. The speed of this process directly depends on the care of the tree. The conditions in which it is located are considered very important, namely, the immediate range of the heaters.

The essential oils contained in the needles can be both beneficial to the human body and bring significant harm to it. If, after bringing the Christmas tree into the house, one of the household members begins to itch the nose or eyes, there is a constant sneezing, it means that the needles cause an allergy in a person.

Natural spruce can also drive away the feeling of drowsiness, which is not very popular with families with small children. As a result, it should be placed away from the children's room, not letting the kids near the green beauty too often.

Unlike artificial specimens, live Christmas trees for the New Year have to be bought annually. This circumstance usually raises a question in the family: maybe to buy a tree for more than one year, only overpaying once ?!

Inga Mayakovskaya

Reading time: 8 minutes

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Soon, soon the New Year ... And it's time to decide - where exactly, with whom and, most importantly, how to celebrate this best holiday in the world. Regardless of the place of celebration, creating a New Year's atmosphere in the house is a paramount task. And the first thing to take care of is the Christmas tree, under which the main Grandfather of the country will store his numerous gifts.

Which Christmas tree is better - live, fragrant, or artificial and practical?

Christmas artificial trees - pros and cons

Of course, the aroma of living needles already creates in itself new Year mood . But more and more often today we buy artificial Christmas trees.

Artificial Christmas Trees - Benefits

A wide range of. Artificial Christmas trees differ in color (green, silver, white, etc.) in size and “fluffiness”, according to the type of fastening of branches with a trunk (collapsible, in different versions, and not collapsible), are divided into ordinary and LED (the last garland is not needed), differ in completeness - with or without tinsel and toys.
Life time. Artificial beauty will not have to be thrown away a week after the holiday - it will last from 5 to 10 years. The third plus follows from this - saving the family budget.
Ease of storage. The Christmas tree can be carefully disassembled and hidden on the mezzanine until the next holiday.
Ease of installation. No need to look for a bucket, fill it with sand or pour water - just stick all the branches into the trunk and set the Christmas tree on a stand.
No need to shake Christmas tree needles out of carpets until spring and drive away pets from the fragrant symbol of the new year.
Ecology. Buying an artificial Christmas tree, you keep a few alive (one for each year).
Fire safety. A live Christmas tree lights up instantly. Artificial (if it is of high quality) - created from fireproof materials.
You can buy a Christmas tree in early December(and "live" Christmas markets will open no earlier than December 20th).

Artificial Christmas tree - cons

No pine scent. You can solve the problem simply - buy a pair of spruce paws for a "flavor" or use aromatic oil.
Price. She will be quite tall for a solid fluffy Christmas tree. But if you divide the amount by several years, it will still turn out to be profitable.
In case of loss or damage to several parts-branches it will be impossible to collect a full-fledged beauty for the next holiday. Therefore, it is important to follow the rules for its storage and assembly / disassembly.
Toxicity of low-quality products. PVC, which is commonly used for Christmas trees, contains harmful lead compounds and releases phosgene when heated. Therefore, taking a Christmas tree on the principle of "cheaper" is unreasonable. Health is more expensive.

Live Christmas trees for the New Year - the advantages and disadvantages of a real Christmas tree

Anyone who cannot imagine the New Year without a live Christmas tree will say that its main advantage is freshness and incomparable smell of pine needles . That is why, even in the absence of funds for a Christmas tree, many people buy spruce branches - so that at least a small piece of this fairy tale is present.

In addition to the aroma, the advantages of a living green beauty include:

Creating a true New Year's atmosphere in the house.
Traditional, incredible Nice ritual of decorating the Christmas tree bringing family members closer together.
No problems with tree storage(there will be no extra boxes on the mezzanines).
Bactericidal properties and other properties. The coniferous smell calms the nervous system, fights against tubercle bacillus, and is used in the treatment of seasonal respiratory diseases.
From Christmas tree needles you can make an effective mask for hair or paste for cold compresses.