Pine needle greenhouse cleaner

For the past few years we’ve bought our Christmas tree from a Christmas tree farm that grows them locally. The beauty of it is you choose your tree as it grows in the field - always a fun activity for an early December weekend, and a good way to be sure that the tree is still relatively fresh by the time you get it home. I’ve found freshly cut trees last much longer than the pre-cut ones you get in garden centres, especially if you get them in water straight away (just as you would with cut flowers).

Anyway, the needles on this year’s tree were still smelling gorgeously pine-y as we were cutting it up for disposal the other day, so I thought I’d try making my own pine disinfectant spray with them. It’s super simple - just a Kilner jar stuffed with the perkiest looking cuttings, topped up with white vinegar, and left to infuse. I’ll strain it in a couple of weeks and add some pine essential oil to mask the vinegary smell. Even still it might not be the most delicious smelling cleaner, so I’m thinking I’ll use it on the inside of the greenhouse. Should get rid of any cheeky little aphids overwintering in the corners.