Even though the celebrations are coming to an end, we don’t have to completely say goodbye to our Christmas trees. There are numerous inventive, environmentally friendly uses for real trees for those of us who chose to use them.
Eye-opening statistics reveal that 250 tonnes of trees are disposed of after the holiday season, with six million Christmas trees being discarded annually. The good news is that there are many inventive ways to make your tree last longer, so you don’t have to throw it in the trash as soon as January arrives.
1. Cut off the branches, coat them in butter or margarine, and then roll them in bird seeds to create a bird feeder in your garden. In your garden, hang the branch using some brown string. Soon, you’ll notice a large number of tweeting birds visiting for a tasty treat.
2. Why not give your Christmas tree trunks a new purpose and upgrade your garden area with a creative touch? Simply cut the trunks into small circles and use them as an edge around your garden. If you’re feeling particularly crafty, you could even sand the trunks into tiny circles, polish them, and ingeniously use them as coasters.
3. Put the pine needles in small fabric bags to create fragrant sachets to hold on to the holiday scent just a little bit longer. By using any leftover fabrics from your home and sewing some velvet ribbon around the top to create a small tie, you can easily make these yourself. Once you’ve finished, just insert the pine needles and secure the lid. For a clean, wintery scent, we suggest putting them at the back of your dresser or drawers. Brilliant to gift to friends, too.
4. Make a wreath out of the branchesWreaths can be elegantly hung on your front door year-round, not just at Christmas. Making a wreath out of your tree’s branches is a great way to reuse it and use your creativity in January. Binding wire, scissors, extra flowers (if you want to add them), and craft foam are required to make the wreath durable.
5. Donate your Christmas treeSeveral Boy Scouts in your area gather actual Christmas trees as part of fundraising initiatives. Why not give yours to support those who are giving them another chance? Many councils provide special Christmas tree recycling services, so Marcus Jones, the local government minister, advises residents to research the programs available in their community before discarding their trees. MORE INFO.
6. Replant it in the gardenOne of the simplest things for us to do is to replant our trees outside, provided we have garden space. If you take good care of it, you might even be able to bring it inside for Christmas the following year. Replanting trees is a great way to help the environment at this time of year because millions of trees are discarded after each holiday season.
7. Use it as compost Add your Christmas tree needles to your compost pile to make the most of them. Because rubbery needles can take a while to degrade, use only a small amount. You can place the entire Christmas tree, along with the needles, in the compost, provided that you first cut it into manageable pieces.
8. Use it as a habitat for animals because the British winter can be difficult for them. If you’re unsure of what to do with your real Christmas tree after the celebrations, think about putting it in a protected area of the garden so that animals can make nests there. Although wild animals have many different strategies for surviving below-freezing temperatures, your old tree can help by adding more warmth.
9. Put your Christmas tree over your garden pond to provide shelter for pond life. This creative reuse will shield pond life from predators. Old trees are also great for frogs, toads, and newts because they offer them a damp haven away from the water while still being nearby.
Here are 16 uses for a dead Christmas tree: Firewood. Old trees make excellent firewood, as we’ve previously mentioned in our article on uses for dead trees in general. Fish habitat. Mulch. Make wood chips. City recycling. Pathways. Bird feeder. Dune restoration. Click to see full answer. What do you do with old Christmas trees, you might wonder? 10 Ways to Use Your Old Christmas Tree in the Garden Mulch it! Mulch made from Christmas trees is wonderful to use around the bases of garden trees or shrubs. Use it as compost. Use the tree as a stake. Use the branches. Replant it. Use as an animal habitat. Create a bird feeder. Turn it into potpourri. Second, you can definitely throw your Christmas tree in a dumpster if you want to. Make sure your dumpster rental allows for yard waste if you have a real tree. If you still have some joy to spread from your artificial tree, take a look at the recycling or repurposing options below. Not in the sense that it will be an option for a Christmas tree next year, but there are numerous uses or repurposes for a real Christmas tree that you should be aware of. But before you do anything, double check that the tree’s lights, decorations, and tinsel have all been removed. use Christmas trees as wildlife habitats. How should I care for a potted Christmas tree? Water it frequently Indoor potted trees will dry out more quickly than outdoor ones. To help stop water loss due to evaporation, water your plants every day and top-dress the soil with some reindeer moss or mulch (see illustration above). Pouring several trays of ice cubes on top of the soil to water your tree is one simple method. Source:
Making a decision about what to do with your Christmas tree is the most difficult task of all. Some people just drag the large item outside, scattering countless needles all over your home as they go, and place it on the curb for garbage trucks to pick up and add to the growing landfill. Something that was once decked out in tinsel and lights and brought so much joy and holiday cheer into your home has come to a sad end.
Use an old soup can to melt the wax or cut the top off a beer or soda can and fill it with wax before placing it on a hot grill. Another suggestion is to pick up the can while wearing a heavy work glove.
To make a batch of pine needle tea, simply add a few needles to a few cups of boiling water, turn off the heat, add some lemon slices, and let everything steep for about five minutes. But a more appetizing idea is to steep black tea as usual after adding about one part pine needle to five parts black tea. When making an IPA or an ale or a robust lager, consider steeping your grains in a few pine needles or adding needles with each hop addition.
Your old Christmas tree sheds thousands of dried pine needles, which can be a real pain to clean up but also a great source of fire. This is simple stuff here, people. All you need are:
Use the wood from this year’s Christmas tree for your fires next winter because wood makes the best firewood. It can be a pain to cut off every branch from the tree, but with a good, sharp hatchet, the limbing won’t take long. A robust Christmas tree should provide enough wood for at least one large fire, and possibly two, depending on the size and duration of your fires. Additionally, because of the sap content, the tree’s lower foot or so can be split into excellent fire-starting kindling.
Learn how to reuse and recycle tree parts long after Christmas has passed, from mulch to ground cover.
This means that when thick layers of leaves and tree bark are used as mulch, your garden plants are less likely to experience oxygen deprivation and rot. Additionally, the stiffness and shape of the pine needles help the mulch hold together during heavy downpours or strong winds.
To further protect plant roots from unforeseen temperature drops, cover winter garden beds with up to three or four inches of pine needles.
It’s clear that using these six suggestions to recycle your old Christmas tree will be good for your garden. And even though you might not always have access to a Christmas tree, you can always go online to our website to get any nutrients your plants might require after the holiday season and beyond.
In fact, if perennials are covered with evergreen branches, it might mean the difference between losing the plants and seeing them bloom in the spring.