What to Do With Your Christmas Tree After Christmas

First, take it down in time

How long a cut tree lasts indoors, how to tell it has dried out, and why a dry tree has to come out of the house are covered on Christmas tree care. If yours was a living tree in a pot, that page also covers holding it and planting it out by zone.

Strip it completely

University of Minnesota Extension says remove everything that will not compost — lights, tinsel, glitter and ornaments. University of Illinois Extension says the same: whatever you do with the tree next, take off all the ornaments and tinsel first.

Six ways to reuse it

1. Curbside pickup or a compost site. Minnesota lists curbside tree pickup, if your area has it, and dropping the tree at a local composting facility. Illinois’s Rhonda Ferree says to call your city about a pickup program, and notes that in Illinois trees are not allowed in landfills, so they cannot go out with the trash.
2. Mulch. Chipped, Illinois says a tree makes a mulch that helps reduce weeds, moderate soil temperature and retain moisture. Cut off, the evergreen branches and needles can cover perennials through the winter: Illinois’s Ken Johnson says they are light and will not pack down or suffocate the roots beneath. When to cut back perennials.
3. A windbreak for the bird feeder. Johnson stands the tree to the northwest of the feeders, where this time of year’s prevailing winds come from, which shelters feeding birds and keeps seed from blowing out of the feeder. Ferree says not to put it so close that it becomes a hiding place for cats.
4. An outdoor bird feeder. Anchor the tree to the ground with a steel fence post, Johnson says, then decorate it with strings of popcorn and cranberries, pinecones smeared with peanut butter and sunflower seeds, suet, or chopped fruit in a mesh bag. Ferree adds dry cereal, apple rings and orange slices.
5. A brush pile for wildlife. Near field borders and in woodland, with other brush, a tree gives wildlife cover (Johnson); Ferree lists small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Check local ordinances first, Johnson says, and Ferree says to do it only on land you own — never dump a tree along a field edge.
6. Cover for fish. Trees can be sunk in ponds as shelter for fish and other aquatic life. A single tree offers little, so Johnson groups three or four and sinks them upright, anchored with rocks or concrete blocks. If you have no pond, Ferree says to ask neighbors and friends who do.

Minnesota also suggests leaving the tree standing in the garden until spring as a trellis or simply something to look at. And Johnson suggests crafts: dried needles for potpourri, and the dried trunk cut into discs for coasters, trivets, bed edging or ornaments.

Never in the fireplace

University of Illinois Extension says never burn a Christmas tree in a fireplace or woodstove: it may contribute to creosote buildup and could cause a chimney fire. The branches and needles can start an outdoor fire, Johnson says, and the trunk can be used as fuel there.

Common mistakes

• Leaving tinsel or lights on. Minnesota and Illinois say strip it completely before any reuse.
• Putting it out with the trash. Ferree says Illinois landfills do not take trees; call your city about pickup.
• Burning it indoors. A chimney fire risk, Illinois says.
• Building a brush pile where it is not allowed, or dumping a tree on land that is not yours (Illinois).
• Setting the feeder tree too close, where cats can hide in it (Ferree).

Related

• Christmas tree care — keeping a cut tree fresh, and planting a living tree by zone
• Holiday plants and pets — what the sources say about the tree and other holiday plants