How to choose a healthy and law-abiding fir tree for the New Year?

By the New Year in Russia, about 55 thousand New Year trees... These figures were cited by the head of Rosleskhoz Ivan Valentik at a press conference dedicated to the special operation "Yolochka", designed to protect spruce beauties from illegal logging. The head of the forestry department said that he is a supporter of a real Christmas tree with a pine scent.

- Personally, I am a supporter of a lively New Year tree. In general, the harvesting of spruce does not bring any damage. On the one hand, some of them are harvested in special nurseries, on the other - in the process of cleaning certain areas from trees, - explained the head of Rosleskhoz.

Ivan Valentik also urged Russians to make sure that the purchase and the Christmas tree market itself are legal when choosing trees before the New Year. "I am against illegal felling of spruce"- he clarified.

Indeed, few of us think at the sight of live fluffy Christmas trees installed for the New Year, how they were born, how they got stronger. Our usual idea that they themselves grew up in the forest would be far from the truth. They rose and strengthened on the plantations. How? Explaining. Everything here is like with small children: first, the nursery is a special nursery for seedlings, where the spruce grows by 12 cm in two years. which develops the root system of the little tree, its crown is tied and where it grows already up to half a meter in height. Two years later, it is transplanted to the plantation.

Such plantations are often arranged under power lines. The huge glades, along which the power transmission line is laid, do not stand idle. Foresters plant spruce trees in such territories with a specific purpose: so that they become the main decoration of the New Year holidays. Such spruce trees rise by 2-3 meters and do not interfere with the flow of current through the wires with their height. In addition, young trees absorb carbon dioxide, process it and release oxygen into the atmosphere that gives us life.

To make the Christmas tree beautiful and fluffy, when transplanting it, as a rule, long roots are cut off. Due to this, growth is reduced, which in turn reduces the distance between the branchy legs of the tree. Therefore, she turns out to be a lush, plump beauty. Spruce loves loose, loose soil, it feels best in it. And if the soil lacks vitamins and minerals necessary for its developing body, it takes them from the surrounding atmosphere.

When purchasing it, you need to keep in mind that the branches of a recently felled Christmas tree are elastic, it is not easy to break them off, while in a dry tree they break with a bang. A thin trunk can be one of the signs of tree disease. A healthy waist is at least 6 cm, and the coniferous outfit is bright green. If you rub the needles lightly, your fingers will become oily, fragrant. Didn't you feel the smell of the needles, and the needles are rare, thin and stunted? So the tree is frostbitten. Interestingly, the quality of the tree and the safety of the needles on it largely depend on the weather during felling. If the tree was cut down in frosty weather, it falls off faster, and the taken spruce will stand better and longer during the thaw.

Let's move on from the health of the ate to its law-abidingness. Unfortunately, on the eve of the New Year, there are frequent cases of unauthorized felling of New Year trees. Therefore, every year Rosleskhoz conducts a special operation "Yolochka" in the forests, when foresters, together with police officers, carry out raids, catch poachers and fine such violators.

If you want to honestly purchase Christmas trees for the New Year, then purchase them exclusively at Christmas tree markets. Last year, about three hundred such markets were officially organized on the territory of Moscow. They have legal direct deliveries from forestries, they have official documents. The most inquisitive buyers can ask for them and make sure.

In the capital, Christmas tree bazaars will start sales on December 20. Last year, the Christmas tree could be purchased at an average price of 200-250 rubles per running meter. The price at which the tree will be sold to the population in each region is formed in its own way and depends on the value of the breed, transport
costs and other factors. And remember, no artificial spruce, no matter how skillfully decorated, will give you an incredible lively coniferous smell of a real forest beauty, which brings with it a New Year's atmosphere and sets you in a joyful mood.

Remember that instead of one such tree that will decorate your home, you can always plant this and more than one, becoming a user of the service PosadiLes.ru... Volunteers of the ECA movement will plant trees paid by users of the service in the spring of 2017 in different regions of Russia. You can also present a New Year certificate to your friends and family, after the actual planting of trees, its owner will receive a report with a photo and GPS coordinates of the planting.

The main thing is to creatively and extraordinary approach the holiday! Happy New Year!

Author - Ivan Yakubov