We joyfully pick it out, bring it home, electrify it, and decorate the branches with meaningful ornaments. In its festive presence, gifts are exchanged and family memories are created. Once this magical symbol of the season completes its mission to make our holidays special, we unceremoniously drag it out to the curb where it becomes nothing more than a botanical carcass waiting for a garbage truck.
Sounds sad, but it doesn’t have to be. Every Christmas tree has an afterlife. We just need to help it make the transition. For one, it can become mulch for city parks and schools. (Look up Christmas tree disposal. Some areas will even pick the tree up from your curb.)
If you're ready for a little extra work, your Christmas tree can also become part of your garden. The needles are good mulch. They enhance the PH of your soil and offer good amendment for compacted ground. Shredded branches are great for composting. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will disintegrate into rich soil.
The beautiful thing about mulching and composting your Christmas tree around the garden is that every year, you can spread the happy memories of your holiday back into your soil. Imagine the joy of a garden enriched by the memories of past Christmas trees! It’s a wonderful way to grow happiness year after year.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree How lovely are thy branches! O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree How lovely are thy branches!
Your boughs so green in summertime, Stay bravely green in wintertime. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree How lovely are thy branches!
Mulching and composting a Christmas tree
This year, even once the holidays were over, our tree was still fresh and beautiful. But it'll go into our garden now and become something different.
The work of taking apart a Christmas tree is easier and more desirable if you have a garden. It begins with taking off all the branches. Once you have a clean trunk, you can use it for firewood or shred it into wood chips.
Most freshly cut trees that get plenty of water in their base can last up to 3 months inside the home. We kept ours well-watered, which is why after a month the needles didn't come off easily.
I piled the branches onto one of my compost areas. Once they become more dry, I'll separate the needles and shred the branches into separate bins.
The truth about plastic trees
Some people opt out of real Christmas trees and go for the plastic ones under the impression that it’s better for the environment. Problem is that an estimated 80% of plastic trees are imported from China. They’re not biodegradable and are often full of chemicals, which means they’re terrible for our landfills.
A little Christmas tree farm trivia
Sears Roebuck and Company created the first fake tree in 1883. But consumers found the idea of a real tree more appealing. Destruction of forests became a concern, which is why around 1901, Christmas trees became a crop in America.
Today, 25-30 million trees are sold every year in the U.S. For every tree cut down, 1-3 seedlings are planted in the spring. These seedlings take about 6-8 years to grow up before they're sold. Of the 47 states in the US that grow Christmas trees, one of the top producers is Oregon.
Parting thought
Don't forget to hug your Christmas tree good bye once you're ready to remove it from your home. It's just a nice thing to do.
Thank you, my fellow tree lover! I'm glad you enjoyed the article.
This made me a little sad. But I loved the idea. Great article. You should post on Nextdoor! I'll post on FB.