REBECCA McQuillan should be careful what she advises ("In praise of ...

nurturing your Christmas tree", The Herald, December 21). Not everyone has a nearby wood in which to transplant a discarded Christmas tree. The tree may well be an object of affection when in a pot but when planted out in a garden can eventually become a serious problem for a neighbour when it grows to 40ft high or more as the years go by, blocking out light, sterilising the ground beneath, blocking house gutters with falling needles, and with house foundations sometimes affected by intrusive roots.

Once Christmas is past, it is better to let the council uplift the tree for recycling into compost and help to stop the scourge of high trees in gardens.

H MacAnespie,

3 South Glassford Street,

Glasgow.