Under new Covid-19 retail guidelines, Christmas trees will be available to buy through the regular retail channels, including garden centres and Christmas tree farms, from tomorrow (Tuesday, December 1), Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett has confirmed.
The minister of state also encouraged the purchase of a real Christmas tree to support the Irish sector.
She said:
It takes seven to 10 years of dedicated work by Irish growers to produce a good-quality Christmas tree.
“Over the years, the expertise of these growers has delivered increasingly high-quality Irish Christmas trees. This requires year-round dedication and significant investment, so our growers deserve our support.”
Irish Christmas tree types
The minister of state explained that there are different types of Irish grown Christmas trees:
“The Nordmann Fir (Abies Nordmanniana) is the most popular. It has glossy, rich green foliage and soft non-shed needles.
“If you’d like a bluer foliage the Noble Fir (Abies Procera / Abies Nobilis) is a popular choice non-shed needle choice.
The traditional Christmas tree is the Norway Spruce (Picea Abies). It has a lovely scent and make sure to place it in a water stand to avoid needle loss.
She added:
“The scent of a real Christmas tree heralds the start of Christmas for me and it is particularly important this Christmas that they are available through all the usual outlets.”
Supporting sustainable growers
Continuing, the minister said: “Support your local, sustainable growers in rural Ireland this year by choosing a real Irish Christmas tree. It is more environmentally friendly, has a lower carbon footprint than an artificial tree, and it is the natural choice.”
The quality improvement has also been facilitated by the Department’s Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector. “I encourage Christmas tree growers to consider applying for the 2021 Scheme,” concluded Minister Hackett.