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- Ελληνικά
Environment Commissioner Dr. Maria Panayiotou and, on behalf of the Forestry Department, the Forestry Department's Press Spokesman Mr. George Constantinou and the Regional Forest Officer of Nicosia, Larnaca and Famagusta Mr. Loizos Constantinou, announced today in their statements to media representatives at the Forestry Department's Nursery in Athalassa, the launch of the sale of natural Christmas trees by the Forestry Department and the joint initiative of the Environment Commissioner's Office and the Forestry Department to promote the natural Christmas tree.
The launch of the sale of Christmas trees by the Department of Forests to the public on a nationwide basis was announced by a spokesperson for the Department of Forests, who said that the sale will take place Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. He stressed that the species to be sold come from sustainable forest management, through thinning to reduce competition among young trees that will form the future forest.
Dr Panagiotou in her statements said that the Office of the Environment Commissioner promotes awareness of the environmental impact of our every action and activity. "That is why it was decided jointly with the Department of Forests to start this year promoting the natural Christmas tree which has a much smaller carbon footprint, reduces the use of the artificial and plastic tree which at the end of its life will be a waste that we will have to manage. In contrast, the natural tree which is locally produced and is a native Cypriot tree, can be grown in our garden or on our terrace, and allows us to reuse it every year, offering us multiple benefits. As part of this effort, the Forestry Department will provide the public with useful tips on how every citizen can keep the tree in his/her pot for many years to come. Most citizens may not go ahead with this option when they do not know how to grow and maintain it in the pot," he said.
The Commissioner thanked the Forestry Department for this cooperation and also referred to the joint initiative of the Environment Commissioner's Office and the Larnaca Cultural Creation Foundation to hold creative workshops with recyclable materials aimed at children, during which children make Christmas decorations with recyclable materials. He stressed that there are so many options, and that we can all be creative with reusable materials we have at home, the first step, of course, being to choose a natural Christmas tree that has a low carbon footprint. "The ultimate goal is to reduce the use of plastic and further damage to the environment," he concluded. Constantinou welcomed the initiative of the Office of the Environment Commissioner to promote the natural Christmas tree, which, he said, apart from its environmental objectives of reducing plastic, has a social message as it helps the public to love the natural tree and, as a consequence, the forest itself. The Forestry Department has a variety of forest species that citizens can purchase and begin the effort to grow their own Christmas tree, such as pine, cypress, wild olive, carob and trembling ash, which can be potted and preserved for several years, he noted. 1. This point can be either inside or outside the house.
2. Inside the house, do not place the tree near heat sources (fireplace, radiators, heating, etc.)
3. Water according to the water needs of each plant.
4. Apply basic pruning during the winter season to give the desired shape. Less intensive pruning can be done throughout the year. We apply light fertilization during the winter season.
5. We often observe the foliage and in case we detect infestation by pathogenic organisms (insects, mites, fungi, etc.), we apply plant protection products after talking to an agronomist or other qualified person.
6. When moving the plant indoors or moving the plant from outdoors to indoors for the purpose of decorating it as a Christmas tree, maintain the orientation of the plant in its original location.
7. Every 2 or 3 years, we can remove the plant from the pot and apply light root pruning and replacement of the potting soil. Root pruning involves removing the roots that have become coiled due to the plant's long stay in the pot and thinning out the dense root system in order to renew it. This is done only during the winter period and mainly in broad-leaved species. The plant can be placed back in the same pot or a larger one.
8. Over time, when the plant shows signs of weakness and does not grow normally or does not recover with any support offered, then remove it from the pot and plant it in your yard or other area where it will remain permanently for the next few years."
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