Six Ways to Upcycle Your Christmas Tree in the Garden

The holidays have ended, and it’s time to take down the Christmas tree. It’s had a good run, but now the needles are dropping, and it’s looking tired. What are you going to do with it? My first advice: don’t put it into the regular garbage that goes to the landfill. There are options, like leaving it by the curb. Many communities organize tree pick-up days in early January, during which tired Christmas trees are collected and mulched. Or, consider upcycling it in the garden!

The First Step To Upcycling Your Tree

Remove all the ornaments, lights, and tinsel; check to make sure nothing is hiding deep in the center of the tree that could be ingested by the bugs, birds, or critters that call the garden home. Now, you can make use of your old tree in one of the following ways:

Make a Bird Habitat

Believe it or not, old Christmas trees make great shelters for birds, such as chickadees and finches visiting the garden in winter. Even as they dry, the boughs will provide shelter and warmth.

Alternatively, you can make it into a grocery store for the birds. Prop it up near a bird feeder, another tree, or against a fence and decorate it with popcorn or pinecones. Even the needles, although drying and old, can provide a food source for wildlife.

Give The Garden a Blanket

Cut the boughs off the tree, and layer them over plants in your yard susceptible to cold weather and harsh winds. They keep soil moisture in and prevent soil erosion through the cold winter. As they degrade, they add nutrients to the soil, building resilience for plant roots.

Compost and Mulch

Any excellent compost needs a Christmas tree. You can add the parts of the tree you can’t use elsewhere to your compost pile.

Keep the tree on the patio with a bag or tarp underneath, and wait for the needles to fall. Collect them as mulch for acid-loving plants such as blueberries, azaleas, or rhododendrons.

Fish Habitat

If you have a pond in the garden, create a fish habitat. Sink the old tree into the water; the branches give fish a place to hide in case predators such as raccoons or otters come along.

Insect Hotel

Trim off the twigs and branches, tie them together, and hang the bundle from a bush for bugs to hide in. You can also pile the cut branches in the back corner of the garden for insects to find.

Garden Stakes

Plant the shedding tree in the garden; it won’t root, but as the branches lose their needles, it will become an excellent trellis for climbers such as clematis or sweet peas.

These are just a few ideas that will give the garden a post-Christmas treat.