Photo by Kristine Tanne on Unsplash
What can you do with your real Christmas tree when it’s time to take it down? It did such a great job making your home feel merry, and it can still be useful after the holidays. We have some suggestions. But first, you have to get that tree out of the house. Use a turkey baster to remove all the water from the stand.
Now tackle the tree. We're not fans of using plastic bags to dispose of trees. A better alternative is to spread a sheet (preferable queen or king size) on the floor, lay the tree on it, pull up the sides to wrap it, and drag it out the door. If you have a very large tree, you can trim off some branches with a lopper to reduce the size and weight.
Warning: Tree needles can clog your vacuum, so sweep those foot-stabbers up with a broom.
Now that your tree is outside, what can you do with it? Here are some options.
Recycle it
Most communities do not let people throw trees in the trash, but many offer tree recycling. That’s an ideal option, because recycled trees are usually turned into mulch. But what if that’s not an option?
Protect perennial plants and shrubs
Lay cut branches over frozen garden beds or underneath bushes. This will help keep the ground frozen if a winter thaw occurs. Those thaws are usually followed by more freezing weather and this freeze-thaw-freeze cycle can heave plants out of the ground. Bonus: Needles will drop and decay, fertilizing the soil. Pine needles also make a great mulch.
Create a bird feeder/shelter
Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash
If you have the space, put the tree in an area that isn’t too windy. Put food out for the birds. They and other small animals can also take shelter within the tree branches.
The Arbor Day Foundation has these suggestions for homemade bird feeders that you can hang on the tree:
- Cover pine cones with peanut butter and bird seed. Hang with string.
- Cut oranges in half, remove the fruit, and fill with bird seed. Place them on branches or hang by cutting holes on either side of the half and attaching string to make a basket.
- Hang pieces of apples and pears.
- Make suet ornaments by mixing suet with seed and shaping it into bars on wax paper. Stick a partly opened paper clip through each bar and freeze till solid. Then hang.
Save the wood for outdoor fires
Evergreen trees are very sappy and should never be burned indoors. But you can burn them outside in a bonfire or fire pit.
Plant it
If your Christmas tree is a living, potted tree, plant it. Obviously, if you live in a region with freezing winter weather, you'll need to wait till the ground thaws. Follow these tree-mulching guidelines after planting.
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