Christmas Tree Recycling

    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 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 or lakes. The sunken trees provide a place for small fish to hide. Snails and aquatic insects grow here also to provide food for the fish.
    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.

The Christmas Vampire

     Vampire movies and television shows are the rage these days. But is the idea of a ‘Christmas vampire’ carrying it a bit too far? Actually, not. There is a plant associated with Christmas that sucks the lifeblood (so to speak) from trees. This vampire is generally hidden from us until the leaves fall, then we see it.

    However, if two people meet in its presence, their hearts can beat faster. The custom associated with this vampire has awarded the first kiss to many young people - - - while standing under the mistletoe.

    Kissing-under-the-mistletoe is one of many folklore stories associated with mistletoe. Another story has it that Jesus was crucified on a cross of mistletoe wood. As punishment, the plant was banned from earth, thus growing in trees as a dwarfish plant. Mistletoe is still called Herbe de la Croix (wood of the cross) in parts of Brittany.

    Over 1300 species of mistletoe are found around the world. The unusual growth and feeding nature of mistletoe has set apart from other plants. Early Anglo-Saxons called them "mistl-tan" meaning "different twig."

     In many parts of the world, mistletoes are attributed with mystic and medicinal powers. Mistletoe was sacred to the Druids of northern Europe, the Ainos of Japan, and certain African tribes. Until the middle of the 19th century, European mistletoe was prominent in medicine and pharmacology. When growing on sacred willows in Japan, mistletoe was regarded as the cure for many diseases. In Malaysia, certain mistletoes were used as a muscle relaxant during childbirth, and to treat ringworm and snakebite.

    While mistletoes have different uses in different cultures, mistletoes cause a great deal of injury to forests, orchards, and ornamental plants. They are parasitic plants that extract water and nutrients from their tree hosts. The mistletoes impair growth, lower host plant vigor, reduce wood quality and quantity, reduce fruiting, and predispose trees to attack by insects and disease. In North America, wood losses due to this "vampire" are about 500 million cubic feet of lumber per year.

    On a positive note, in some areas of the country, collection of mistletoe is a cottage industry. Beginning in late November, mistletoe is collected, bagged, and sold for Christmas decorations. Some adventuresome people harvest mistletoe while hanging over the edge of the basket of a hot air balloon.

   Take time to enjoy this special holiday season and its traditions. Harvest some mistletoe to help a tree and maybe to entice a kiss from that special someone . . . but please, no biting.