A real Christmas tree creates a Christmas atmosphere. But he is so fragrant and beautifulduring Christmas timeis, it dries up completely within a few weeks. After the holidays at the latest, the question arises: what to do with the old Christmas tree? We will explain to you how you can recycle, compost and dispose of the old Christmas tree.
Recycle the Christmas tree: reuse the needles and branches
Does the Christmas tree still have green needles? Then you can recycle them. Below we list several ideas for what you can use the needles for.
You can use pine or spruce needles, for exampleMake tea. Cut the dry needles into small pieces, add 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 star anise, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 teaspoon cardamom. Boil 250 ml of water and pour it over the tea mix. Let it steep for about 8 minutes.
Recycle the Christmas tree: make your own bath salts
The needles of spruce, fir and pine contain essential oils that have a relaxing andhave a detoxifying effect. You can use it to make a bath salt that is perfect for the winter time. You need the following ingredients:
- a handful of needles (cut into small pieces)
- 6 handfuls of Dead Sea bath salts
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 TL Sonnenblumenlecithin
- 20 drops of grapefruit oil
- 15 drops pine needle oil (optional)
Put the salt and needles in a blender or blender and chop them up. Add the liquid ingredients, stir together and pour the salt into a jam jar with an airtight seal. Place about a handful in a muslin bag, seal the bag and add it to the water.
By the way, you can also just fill the muslin bag with needles and then put it in your wardrobe or shoe cupboard. The needles will exude their scent for up to three weeks.
Recycle the Christmas tree: Recycle the branches of the Christmas tree
You can also use the branches in different ways. For example, you can arrange them in a bowl with fresh flowers, pillar candles and pine cones for a natural lookMake winter decorations.
The branches can also be easily made into coat hooks and doorknobs.
You can also put together a bird feeder using the branches. Trim the branches, brush them with butter, and roll them in bird seed. Hang them in the garden.
From the trunk you can get cool onesCoasters for cupsand make soup plates. For this purpose, you should saw off tree slices that are 3-4 cm thick. You can also drill holes in the trunk for LED tea lights.
By the way, the pine wood is very soft and is ideal for carving small and large garden figures. However, let the trunk dry thoroughly before carving it.
Composting Christmas tree scraps and other uses in the garden
They recycled as much of the Christmas tree as possible. Now the question is how to recycle the rest of the tree.
- You can use the large branches as frost protection for bulbous flowers.In Februaryand March the first spring flowers begin to emerge. Now you definitely need protection from frost and wind. Therefore, cover the flower bed with the branches as early as January.
- By the way, the branches in the flower bed fulfill another important function. They can repel certain pests such as snails. Pine branches are particularly suitable for this.
- Collect the fallen needles and use them as a natural fertilizer for plants that prefer acidic soil.
- You can process chopped material into mulch for the vegetable patch or evergreen hedge. However, since the fir greens influence the pH value of the soil, you should check beforehand whether the vegetables thrive in acidic soil. Most evergreen plants such as rhododendrons can cope with slightly acidic soil. You can therefore also distribute the mulch under the bushes.
- You can use the trunk to make firewood. This can be used, among other things, to light a campfire in the garden. You can then organize a small party for the family and, for example, grill marshmallows for the children.
- Alternatively, you can also use the trunk as fuel for the fireplace. In this case, you should let the wood dry first. This can take up to 6 months. The good news: The firewood will give off a pleasant scent while it dries.
- If you have a potted tree, you can plant it outside. To do this, first place it in an unheated room for two weeks. The winter garden or greenhouse is ideal. Only then can you put it on the terrace. At the end of March, when the ground is no longer frozen so deeply, you can transplant the tree. The choice of location plays a crucial role.
Disposing of the Christmas tree: What to do with the old Christmas tree?
You don't have a garden or a fireplace and you don't want to recycle the Christmas tree but simply dispose of it? Then you have several options:
- Find out whether the municipality has organized collection of the Christmas trees. In some cities there are specific collection points where residents can simply leave their Christmas trees. They are then picked up and transported to special recycling centers. However, this is only intended for cut trees.
- If you missed the appointment, you can take the tree by car to a recycling center and hand it in there.
- Alternatively, you can also find out whether there is a zoo or horse farm near you where you can give the conifer.
Before you get the old oneDispose of the Christmas tree, you should definitely decorate it. Especially if you give it away as food for wild animals, it is very important to remove the Christmas decorations, tinsel or packaging net.
There is also the option to recycle some parts of the Christmas tree and discard others. You can usually also throw chopped wood and smaller tree branches into the organic waste bin. To be on the safe side, however, ask your local authorities whether this is permitted in your city.
By the way, a new recycling trend has taken hold in England. Many forestries offer the opportunity to rent a Christmas tree. The tree is delivered in a pot and is allowed outside over the holidays. Next year the tree is dug up again, planted in a pot and delivered as a Christmas tree. After seven years the tree is too tall and then finds its new home in a forest.
After disposing of the Christmas tree, do you also want to throw away the accessories? Then a tip: never put the Christmas tree nets in the yellow onesThrow trash can. Because they can get caught in the sorting machines in the recycling center and cause damage. It would therefore be better to throw them away with household waste.
