Shutterstock / SKatzenberger©Sadly, the festive season is over for another year. And that can only mean one thing: it’s time to dispose of your Christmas tree.
Taking down your tree isn’t always easy (for a variety of reasons!), but disposing of it can be much tougher.
But the green-fingered experts at Gardening Express are here to help.
“It’s time to take down those trees and it’s interesting because there are actually a number of ways to get rid of Christmas trees that are eco-friendly and can also benefit your garden,” Chris Bonnet from Gardening Express said:
“We encourage everyone to purchase real trees in the festive season because once you’re done with them, they can be correctly disposed of in a way that doesn’t damage our environment.
“An artificial tree however will do damage. Obviously, it lasts you longer, but when you decide you want a new one, your old tree will be thrown into a landfill site to sit in for hundreds of years.
“When disposing of a real tree, there are so many different things you can do with it. You can replant it, turn it into a wildlife habitat and even make use of the branches.”
Eco-friendly ways to dispose of your Christmas tree
Recycle it
Real Christmas trees can be recycled and there are a couple of ways to do this.
You could either take it to your nearest recycling centre or call your local council to come and collect it. Not all councils still collect Christmas trees so it’s worth checking online to see if they still offer this service.
If your council doesn’t offer this service, try calling a local charity who would be more than happy to collect it.
Turn it into a wildlife habitat
If you want to help out your local wildlife you could always keep your tree and turn it into a safe spot.
“If you have the right tools it’s actually really simple,” Chris says.
“Just cut up the trunk and leaves into smaller parts and place them together on top of one another in a section of your garden.”
Wildlife will find its way there and it will be a nice warm spot for them.
Use the branches to protect garden beds
The cold weather is set to stick around for a bit so you’ll be needing something to protect your plants.
Cut off the branches of your Christmas tree and use them to create a frame around your garden beds and place some fabric over the top to protect them from the weather.
Turn it into mulch
Another way to put your tree to use is to chip it up and use it as mulch.
Of course, you will only be able to do this if you have access to a woodchipper and know how to use it with the appropriate care.
You can then use the mulch to keep the soil warm around your other plants.
Replant it
If your tree was only kept indoors for around 10 days or less, it’s still in good condition to replant.
You’ll need a large space that gets sun but isn’t too exposed to wind. You should ensure that when planting, the hole is around double the size of the tree’s root ball.
Chris also advises that the soil is well-drained and that you water it around once a week.
You may find that it’ll root itself and begin growing again!
For more gardening hints and tips from “The People’s Friend”, click here.
Iain McDonald I am the Digital Content Editor at the “Friend”, making me responsible for managing the flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine’s website and social media channels.
