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Volunteer emergency services are again selling Christmas trees to raise much-needed funds. Here’s what you need to know:
Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade
Trees on sale behind the fire station until sold out.
Weekdays noon to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-6pm.
Trees from $45. For special orders (large trees up to around three metres tall) call Gaye Flewellyn on 027 459 9613.
Tree stands $45. Festoon lights: domestic $50, heavy duty $65. Christmas tree wrapping $5. Bay Christmas tree additives $2.50
Hato Hone St John Ambulance Wellsford
Sold at Wellsford Hammer Hardware until Christmas Eve.
Trees available during the store’s opening hours: weekdays 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 4pm, Sunday 9am to 2pm.
Standard trees $55. Large trees (three metres plus) $125. Tree stands $45.
Wellsford Hammer Hardware owner Mitch Martin says all money from the Christmas tree sales goes to St John so come on down and show your support.
Hato Hone St John Ambulance Mangawhai
Trees on sale at the station until sold out. Weekdays 3pm to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 1pm.
Standard tree $55. Pick-up only. Stands $40. Festoon lights: small $50, large $60.
Organiser David Prescott says the money goes towards the wellbeing of the volunteers who have to deal with some serious callouts – it might be a barbeque where they can talk and offer each other support. It also helps pay for different training events held offsite. Mangawhai Engineering and Marine was thanked for supplying a storage container for the trees.
Kaiwaka Cheese Shop is selling Christmas trees on behalf of Hato Hone St John Ambulance until sold out, 9am to 5pm, seven days a week at the store. Standard trees $45.
Christmas tree tips
Make a fresh cut of at least one to two inches from the bottom of the trunk before placing it in the water.
Water regularly.
Initial watering: place the tree in water immediately after making the fresh cut
Daily maintenance: refill the stand with clean water daily. A tree can absorb up to a gallon of water
Use the right stand: choose a stand that holds at least a litre of water, and keep the water topped up at all times. Avoid letting the water level drop below the base of the trunk, as this can cause the cut to seal and stop absorbing water
Avoid keeping your tree in a hot room or in a sunny spot.
Optional additives: while plain water will suffice, some people add tree preservatives or homemade solutions like sugar, aspirin and Epsom salts. Dissolve before adding to the water.
Thanks to the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade
