Nick Lott
2 min
Updated: Dec 30, 2020
source: photos & content This Old House
When the holidays are over, take down the tinsel, but don’t bag the tree. Here are 10 ways to dispose or recycle your Christmas tree.
Pine needles dry quickly and decompose slowly, making them an excellent moisture- and mold-free mulch for ground-covering crops, such as strawberries, to rest on.
Place your tree in its stand outdoors. Fill bird feeders and hang them from the boughs, or drape the tree with a swag of pinecones coated with peanut butter.
Cut off boughs and lay them over perennial beds to protect them from snow and reduce frost heaving.
If you live near a lake or have a pond, and your tree’s chemical-free, toss branches into the water to provide sheltering habitat for overwintering fish. (Get permission from town officials if needed.)
Saw the trunk into different lengths and use the pieces as flowerpot risers for a dramatic group display.
Cut thin slabs off the trunk, sand them smooth, and apply a thin coat of polyurethane to keep the sap off tables and glassware.
Rent a chipper (get a few neighbors together to split the cost) and feed the tree through it. Next spring, spread the wood chips under shrubs; they’ll suppress weeds and, as they decompose, add nutrients to the soil.
It’s fine to use a few of the quick-to-ignite branches to start an outdoor fire pit—but never in an indoor fireplace, where creosote build-up is a hazard.
Strip small branches and use the remaining twigs to support indoor potted plants or stake leggy seedlings.
Cut the trunk into 2-inch discs and set them into the soil to edge flower beds or walkways.