I use bamboo poles for s'chach (yes, real bamboo poles). They're great, but I would like a little green up there, if I can get it. Some years we used branches from the tree that was growing over our sukkah (those branches needed to come down anyway), but they had bugs in them. Some years we used overgrown/passul aravos from our aravos bush, but those also will sometimes be buggy.
What plant can I buy for s'chach that will stay green the whole Sukkos, and not be buggy (or otherwise problematic, like leaves dropping down and stuff) ?
Best answers would be from personal experience.
Related questions: Which plants are most suitable for sukkah roofing? (= grow your own [not interested]) and What can I use for schach? (= general, I already know that)
Answer
Years ago, my shul used spruce branches. They are fairly large, smell great and certainly stay green. One catch, perhaps, is that there may be certain varieties that shed more than others, so make sure that what you get is extremely fresh. In my area, a few Succah supply stores sold bundles of spruce branches, and I think Home Depot had them, as well. Most nurseries or plant / gardening supply places (that carry plants, not just garden tools) should have spruce.
Other ideas I have seen: Cattails (I think that's what they're called) grow in abundance next to brooks and swamps. You may be able to cut those - check with your municipality. They are very tall, so depending on the size of your succah, you may not need that many.
Corn stalks are also terrific, whether green or somewhat dried. They're also very large / long and they're quite sturdy.
No comments:
Post a Comment