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Hopefully the Christmas rush is now over in your household and you are able to sit back and finally enjoy a few moments of relaxation. The Christmas greenery and flowers hopefully added beauty and a wonderful evergreen scent to the festive season. I am certainly not trying to rush the season, but within the next few days there are decisions to be made concerning the Christmas plants in your home. The first decision is how long should the Christmas tree stay. I could gladly leave Christmas trees up until New Years or beyond, but the first consideration is safety. Check the tree objectively and if the needles have dried, it is time to remove it. After removal, the next decision is what to do with that tree. On the list of don'ts are don't try and burn it in the fireplace. Dry needles are almost explosive in a fire and may cause serious damage to fireplaces, chimney flues, your home, and you. Don't send the tree to the landfill mixed with other garbage but recycle it instead. If you have homemade decorations such as strung popcorn or other edible materials that are no longer palatable, consider placing the tree in the back yard. Decorate it with bits of suet or other treats for the birds. Be sure to place a fresh pan of water near the tree as birds often have a problem getting enough water during the cold winter months. Another use for the branches of the Christmas tree are as mulches for flower beds. Cut the branches off of the tree. Turn the branches bottom side up so the natural bow will help hold snow off of fall planted flowers. Try using them as a covering on those open areas next to the foundation that are attractive to the neighborhood cats. Perhaps the cats will move elsewhere when confronted with sharp needles. If you, or a neighbor, have a shredder, use it to recycle Christmas trees. Shredded bark chips work well as mulch or as compost. Salt Lake City and many other cities participate in Christmas tree recycling campaigns. check with your city for disposal sites where you can drop the trees off to be recycled. Used trees are gathered and taken to the lanfills where they are ground into mulch and used to improve soils and control weeds. This is an important and attractive alternative (from a gardeners point of view) to filling up landfills with biodegradable materials. Larry A. Sagers Regional Horticulturist Utah State University Thanksgiving Point Office
