The cut greenery in your holiday decorations will dry out
sooner or later, of
course.
“But certain types of greenery stay fresh longer than
others,” said Dave
Moorhead, an Extension
Service forester with the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forest
Resources.
Remembering that fact isn’t just a decorating tip. It
could help save your house.
“Remember, all cut greenery is flammable when it’s dry,”
Moorhead said.
Moorhead ranked
the five most popular tree
types by how quickly greenery from them will dry out. Red
cedar will dry the fastest,
followed by spruce, Leyland cypress, Balsam fir and Fraser
fir.
Many people use the trimmings from their Christmas trees
for greenery in their home
decorations. Georgian
s’
favorite Christmas tree, the Leyland cypress, is
somewhere in the middle when it comes
to how quickly greenery from it will dry out.
Moorhead isn’t sure how to rank non-Christmas tree
greenery such as holly or magnolia.
“They would probably be around the better end of the scale,
though,” he said.
“Of course, the Christmas tree will stay fresh longer
than cut greenery, since
it’s in a stand full of water,” Moorhead said. “Be sure to
check the stand every
day. Add water as needed to keep the tree moist and less
prone to fire.”
Keeping cut greenery fresh is harder to do. Greenery
loses most of its water from the
multitude of needles, so sealing the cut end with wax does
little to slow drying.
“It certainly keeps the sap in the branch, protecting
your furnishings,” he
said. “But it won’t do much to keep moisture in the
leaves.”
To keep greenery as fresh as possible, Moorhead suggests
cutting it just before you use
it. Or keep it in a bucket of water until you put it up.
Then check the greenery in your
decorations daily for freshness.
|
Request the high-res image; |
| BENDING NEEDLES show this
branch is still fresh. If you try to bend the needles or branch and it breaks, it’s dry and a fire hazard –ÿ it’s time to replace the whole branch. Greenery dries out quickly in relatively dry, warm homes, so check cut greenery daily and replace it as needed. |
“Try bending the needles,” he said. “If they bend, it’s
fresh. If they
break or crumble, it’s time to replace the whole branch.”
Lightly misting the greenery with fresh water can help it
stay moist, too. But be
careful of getting water drops onto furniture, where it can
cause water stains.
No matter how fresh the greenery, keeping possible
ignition sources away from it is the
surest way to prevent fires.
“A lot of people like to use lit candles in their
decorations right along with
fresh greenery,” Moorhead said. If you choose to do that,
don’t leave the lit candles
alone for a minute. “You surely don’t want to have your
supper interrupted by candles
setting your living room decorations on fire.”
Other ignition sources may include lit fireplaces, space
heaters and damaged wiring on
electrical lights.
Greenery or wreaths bought from florists or specialty
stores have probably been treated
with flame retardants, Moorhead said.
“But flame retardants or flame-resistant sprays don’t
prevent fires
completely,” he said. “You have to keep a good eye on cut
greenery and get rid
of crumbly-dry pieces that can be a fire hazard no matter
what’s sprayed on them.”
