Christmas Lights: Should You Hang Them On Your Trees and Shrubs?
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The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving seem to be the traditional times to put up Christmas decorations. I spent parts of both days putting up lights, getting frustrated when half of a string did not work, took down the lights and added a new strand then found another half of a strand not working and had to repeat the same process once again. Sometimes I think it may be less frustrating to just buy new lights every year. It does look nice when it is all done, that is until half of a string goes out.
Someone once asked me if a tree can get damaged when the trunk and limbs are wrapped with strings of lights. The person thought that the heat generated by the lights could trick the tree into thinking that it was warm out and start the flow of sap within the tree. Some of the large bulbs do produce some heat, but it would probably take a lot of those lights to heat up the bark of a tree. Nowadays, most of the lights used are tiny or they are LED-type lights which produce very little heat. Simply put, don’t worry about the heat from the light bulbs damaging your trees or shrubs.
The biggest concern when adding lights to trees or shrubs is possibly damaging tender branches or knocking off next year’s buds that already have formed on the branches. This is not as much of a concern putting up the lights, but the possibility of damage increases when the strings of lights are removed.
Once the Christmas season is over, most people take down their decorations. If you live in the warmer parts of the country, you are usually not as concerned with outdoor temperatures, but if you live in the land of ice and snow, it can be bitterly cold in early January.
It is best to “reverse engineer” the process and start removing the last string that was placed in the tree. Avoid the temptation to yank the strings out of the trees or bushes. If you needed a ladder to put the lights up, you will most likely need a ladder to get them down.
Christmas lights make your house look festive and inviting for the holidays. Make sure that your trees and shrubs will still looks good next spring. Slow down and be careful, even if it is cold.
If you have questions about putting lights on your trees and shrubs this holiday season, contact your local Spring-Green for more information.