2016

This Year's Favourite Christmas Trees

There is just a moment left until Christmas. It is the time to put work aside and devote attention to your loved ones, experiencing the miracle and spending the holiday season together. At this time, one cannot do without the traditional green ball of needles - found in the forest, chosen at a fair, or growing in a pot. Any tree - regardless of its size and crown - is the most special and beautiful at its home. Clients of LVM Seeds and Plants holiday store "Meža lāde" (Forest Chest) located at JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM) Customer Centre in Riga, this year give preference to the high quality Christmas trees in pots grown in LVM nurseries, and in particular to the Latvian fir-tree variety "Dundanga".

As told by Agnese Kristapsone, shop assistant - consultant and employee of LVM Kalsnava Nursery, as Christmas is approaching, the customers' interest about Christmas trees and festive decorations made of natural materials is growing with each day. "Our clients are more interested in spruce-trees growing in a pot, rather than in chopped trees, which can last for a couple of weeks only. This year, the ordinary spruce varieties are the most popular, not like the previous year when people were mostly looking for blue spruces. It is difficult to say what affects their choice. Perhaps it is the saturated bright green hue of the spruce-trees that this year entices and enchants the buyers," says Agnese.

Small spruce-trees in pots, such as the Latvian fir variety "Dundanga" are the favourite Christmas trees this year. Not only they grow up to a height of three meters, but also have dense foliage. All they need is adequate growing conditions. These trees are chosen as a gift or decoration for a festive mood, to be put on a table or windowsill.

Taking care of the tree

The main precondition for the tree to feel good in the pot and grow healthy is to remember to take care of it. To handle it gently during the holiday season, as well as after it. LVM nurseries cultivate spruce seedlings with a stable and well-developed root system. "Bringing the Christmas tree home, it should not be taken into warm premises straight away; it should first be brought to some cooler spot. The spruce should not be kept indoors for more than 1-2 weeks; avoid placing it near heaters, as well as remember to spray the needles with water every other day," advises Agnese.

After the holidays, it is recommended to bring the tree outdoors, choosing a place where there is no direct sunlight. When the spruce-tree is taken out, it may be put into a snow-drift, together with the pot. If there is no snow, the pot should be dug into the ground. As the spring is approaching and the snow has melted, the tree should be watered occasionally.

“Spruce seedlings that are grown in LVM nurseries may be planted in the ground already in early spring, when the ground has thawed. Watering is also desirable in dry and hot summers, preferably in the evenings or early mornings. Be sure to follow that the soil does not dry up," says the nursery worker.

Spruce-trees can grow in a pot for up to two years; however, to be able to grow strong and beautiful, the root ball needs more space; therefore it is recommended to replant the tree in a field or in a larger pot.

The store "Meža lāde" at 1 Vaiņodes Street, Riga, will be open until 30 December on working days from 9 to 18.