Recycle Your Christmas Tree

According to one report I read, 33 million Christmas trees are used every year in the United States. What do we do with all of these trees after Christmas when they no longer have any use? The answer is simple: recycle. And I do not mean to simply put them in the garbage.

Almost all municipalities will pick up or have a place to discard Christmas trees. Hopefully they have a program to utilize rather than destroy the trees. If you live in the country, you will have to solve the problem yourself.

But before you begin the recycle process be sure to remove all lights and ornaments. However, if you used "natural" decorations, such as strung popcorn or cranberries leave them on the tree to provide food for birds and animals.

Here are some ways you can recycle your Christmas tree and keep it from going to overflowing landfills:

Make mulch - If you have a chipper, run the tree through it. The chips make great mulch and smell good while being chipped. You can also simply cut off the boughs and place them on the ground like a blanket to protect plants that are susceptible to wind or cold damage, plants that are marginally hardy in your area, and plants that might come up early and be nipped by a late spring frost, such as fall-planted pansies or flowering bulbs. Retain the trunk for a use I will tell you about later.

Save it for wildlife habitat - Move the tree in its stand outdoors for the winter or tie the tree to a post, where it can provide food and shelter for wild birds. Even better, put the tree near a bird feeder or hang bird treats from the tree.

The trees could be used as artificial fish attractors in ponds, lakes, or coastal areas. Be sure to tie a weight to the tree to keep it from floating and sink them in an area 4 – 10 feet deep. The sunken trees provide a place for small fish to hide. Snails and aquatic insects grow here also to provide food for the fish. When used along the coast, erosion is also reduced.

If you are in a hurry, a simple alternative way to dispose of holiday trees is to use them as wildlife cover in fields and forests. Besides birds, rabbits and other small animals could use them as shelter during winter months. The trees will eventually decay and be recycled naturally.

Turn it into a trellis – That trunk you saved after removing the branches can be set up in your garden as a trellis for peas, beans, or cucumbers. I guess you could even use it to make a “bottle tree.”

Reuse your tree any way you can. Remember it took 5 – 10 years or possibly more, depending on the species, to grow this tree. Do not waste all of Mother Nature’s time for a few weeks of your pleasure.