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Juho Aalto, a researcher at the University of Helsinki and Director of the Hyytiälä Forest Station, provides a fascinating insight into the world of Christmas trees. According to his research, a typical Christmas tree culled from the Finnish forest boasts around 200,000 needles. This figure is based on an average European spruce, often found in the underbrush of Finnish forests.
Aalto points out that cultivated spruces, due to their thicker stems, can have significantly more needles than their wild counterparts.
In some cases, a cultivated tree might carry up to 400,000 needles. The sheer volume of these tiny needles, each weighing about 0.005 grams, is enough to carpet the floor of an average Finnish bedroom.
This surprising number of needles means that households can find stray spruce needles well into the summer, long after the festive season has ended. Aalto’s revelation underscores the importance of proper Christmas tree care to prevent premature needle shedding. He advises a gradual thawing process for the tree, immediate trimming of an inch from the stem, consistent watering, and avoiding excessive heat to maintain the tree’s vibrancy throughout the holiday season.
Interestingly, the number of branches available for decoration on a Christmas tree also varies. A wild-grown spruce typically has around sixty branches, while a cultivated tree, due to pruning and growth restriction, might boast up to a hundred. These numbers, however, only account for significant branches and exclude smaller, twig-like offshoots.
Beyond the decorative aspect, Christmas trees play an ecological role. Aalto highlights the carbon storage capacity of these trees. A forest-grown spruce of Christmas tree size binds about one kilogram of carbon, potentially double in cultivated varieties. This carbon storage is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from a car driven for 25 to 50 kilometers. Additionally, the dry weight of a spruce is roughly double the weight of the carbon it contains, considering the significant water content in even small trees.
As Finland prepares to celebrate Christmas, approximately 1.4 million spruces will adorn homes across the country, each bringing a unique touch of nature, along with thousands of little critters, into Finnish households. This festive tradition, deeply rooted in Finnish culture, represents not only a cherished holiday symbol but also a reminder of the complex and vital relationships within our natural ecosystems.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
