The festive season is over, the decorations are packed away – what to do with your real Christmas tree? Here are a few tips of what to do with yours:
Recycling Real Christmas Trees
Recycle at your local centre
Take your real tree to your local Recycling Centre to recycle in the garden waste skip. Here the trees will be chipped or composted to be reused in the local area.
The Carbon Trust calculates that if a two-metre tree is recycled, rather than ending up in landfill, it will reduce your carbon footprint by 80%.
Recycle Now has a list of places you can recycle your Christmas tree, or check whether your local council has a special collection in January.
Re-plant it in your back garden
If you have a potted Christmas tree and have looked after it over the festive season, keeping the root ball well watered, you can now replant your tree in the garden or in a selected location.
If planting in the garden ensure you have a hole big enough to place the rootball without damaging it and The backfill. Finish by adding a layer of mulch and then water well. Your tree should thrive in your garden giving added shelter to the visiting wildlife.
Get Mulching
By stripping off the needles from branches you can mulch acid-loving plants like blueberries and rhododendrons. Simply place around the base of the plant and let nature do the rest. These acid-loving plants will love it!
Build a Bug Hotel
Use your tree trunk to create a multi-storey ‘bug hotel’ that’s full of all sorts of natural materials, providing hidey-holes for creatures galore! Safe hideaways can be hard for wildlife to find in some gardens, and what better use for your Christmas tree.
Build your bug hotel (also known as a wildlife hotel or stack) well and it could shelter anything from hedgehogs to toads, solitary bees to bumblebees, and ladybirds to woodlice.
Use the tree needles
Why not use the needles to give your front room a pine fresh smell by mixing it with some pot pourri?
If you search for a way to do it online, you can also make pine resin oil from the needles to go in soap, candles and lotions. This might get a bit messy though!
Or why not use the needles and make some pine needle tea – great for colds! If you are trying this however, make sure you’ve bought an organic or FSC-certified tree.
You can also use your Christmas tree needles in your compost. They’re acidic and so balance out alkaline, like wood ash.
Turn your tree into a bird sanctuary
Why not turn your tree into a bird sanctuary? Old trees can be used as bird feeders, just find a space in your garden for the birds to enjoy. You can hang fat balls and feeders from the branches, the birds can also use the tree as shelter.
You could also turn the tree into chippings to use in the garden or chop it into logs for your fire. (Don’t forget to let the logs dry out before using though)
Get crafty
Why not turn your tree into some wildlife art? The branches and trunk of your tree can be turned into rustic coasters, quirky Christmas decorations, or even tree art in the form of door signs or little plaques – great fun for kids! Saw or hand saw the trunk into ½ inch segments. Use sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges and unevenness. If you’re feeling really professional, use a wood stain or varnish to seal the wood.
Tree feeder, Needle tea, wood art Pics: pinterest