Recycle Your Cavendish Christmas Tree

Trying to figure out what to do with your real Christmas tree now that the season is over? 

Real trees are biodegradable, which means that can be easily reused or recycled for mulch and other purposes. Never burn your Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Pines, firs and other evergreens have a high content of flammable turpentine oils.  Burning the tree may contribute to creosote buildup and risk a chimney fire.

According to Mary O’Brien of the Southern Windsor/Windham Solid Waste Management Christmas trees make excellent habitat for birds and other wildlife if left outside after the holidays. If you have land enough, leave your tree out to decay naturally over time. If you know anyone with goats, talk to them--goats love to eat Christmas trees!

 So after you've e moved the tinsel, lights and decorations consider the following:

• Take it to the Cavendish Transfer Station during normal business hours.

 • Cut it up for mulch in your garden or a neighbors. 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.

 • Save the a large base to support a large planter. Cut thin slabs off the trunk, sand them smooth, and apply a thin coat of polyurethane to keep the sap off tables and glassware.

 • Set it up for the birds. Spread small branches with margarine or peanut butter and dip in birdseed.

 • Even if you live on a small property, you can place your old Christmas tree at the edge of your yard. This makes a small wintertime wildlife habitat for rabbits, birds, and squirrels. Some may even build their nests in the pine boughs!

 • Cut up and save for an outdoor fire pit. Never use for indoor fires.

 • Make a sachet with the tree’s needles and store in various rooms in your house that could use a Christmas pick me up.

 • Large branches have a natural curve. Because of this, they can be stacked to save perennial flowers including, but not limited to, rose roots and berries. This will help protect these tender plants during this winter's icy storms! Can also use them for indoor plants.

 • Cut off boughs and lay them over perennial beds to protect them from snow and reduce frost heaving.