Grow me the money — Eco-friendly buyback offer on Christmas trees

AN enterprising Christmas tree grower has come up with a cost-cutting, eco-friendly offer for customers who buy his festive firs — keep them watered and he’ll buy them back!

Landscaper Finbarr O’Mahony charges €35 for one of the seven-foot Avies Koreana trees in his garden centre — but if you keep it properly watered, he’ll buy it back from you for €10 in January.!

The trees, which originated in Asia and grow up to 30 feet, will then either be replanted at his West Cork Secret garden centre in Kilbrittain, or nurtured in their pots for re-sale the following Christmas.

“People can walk the field and pick out their own tree. We’ll scoop the tree out of the ground and put it, roots and all, into a pot. The buyer gets to keep it as long as they want.”

However, he warned, anyone who fails to water the tree loses out on the special sell-back option.

“We’re not taking back half-dead trees,!” he said.

“We came up with the idea as part of a campaign to promote green energy — this has no impact on the environment because the tree is still growing.”

So far, he says, he has sold more than 30 and around 10 buyers have agreed to sell their trees back to him in the new year.

“People say their children love the idea of having a living tree in the house. They like the idea of watering it and taking care of it — and then giving it back to us for €10 in January.”