Here are tips for post-holiday Christmas tree care and removal

Once Christmas is over, it’s time to put away the decorations and take down the tree. If you have a live tree, consider recycling it or using it in other ways. Before we talk options, let’s talk about how a tree should not be disposed of.  

Never Burn The Tree In The Fireplace 

As convenient and pleasant smelling as it may seem, do not burn the tree in the fireplace. You could burn your house down if you throw even a few pine branches into the fire. Dried-out evergreens burn like tinder. Pine tree needles go up in a flash. The pitch in the wood creates huge, fast-burning sparks, which can fly across a room or out of the chimney and onto the roof, setting your shingles or the neighbor’s house on fire. The fire from a Christmas tree burns so hotly that you will likely damage the firebox and the chimney. Also, the combination of needles and pitch causes flames, heat and smoke to pour out of a fireplace opening with no warning. 

Recycle The Tree 

Don’t toss the tree in the trash. Recycle it. 

City Recycling — Just about every municipality provides a Christmas tree recycling program. Contact your municipality to find out if they will pick up the tree or if you need to drop it off at a specific time and location.  

Nonprofit Pick-Up – There may be a nonprofit organization in your area that will pick up your tree. Some Boy Scout troops offer a pickup service for a small donation. 

Fish Habitats – Arizona Game & Fish tie cinderblocks to donated Christmas trees. The trees are dropped into areas of a lake that don’t naturally provide structural habitats for the fish. Within days fish will congregate and make a structural habitat. As time passes, algae will form on the tree, providing food for the fish and protecting them from predators. Keep an eye on azgfd.gov for more information about upcoming aquatic habitat projects at local lakes and potential drop off locations. 

Regardless of the process you go with, remove all ornaments, lights, garlands and tinsel before recycling.  

The National Christmas Tree Association offers additional recycling resources. 

Repurpose The Tree for the Garden 

Let your tree live on in another form in your garden. 

Replant It — Christmas trees can be replanted, providing you planned ahead and bought a rooted (ball and burlap or containerized) tree. In cold climates like Northern Arizona and the Mogollon Rim, the hole should have been dug in the late fall while the soil is still soft. Plant the tree into that hole immediately after Christmas. Living trees have a better survival rate in mild climates.  

Mulch — Cut long branches from your Christmas tree with loppers or pruners and lay them over perennials, especially those susceptible to frost heaving. A covering of evergreen branches could be the difference between losing a plant this winter and seeing it bloom again next year. Cut the thinner branches into little pieces and add them to the mulched paths between vegetable garden beds. 

Wood Chips — Chip the wood to fill garden paths, smother weeds and mulch flowerbeds.  

Stake Plants — Strip small branches of the needles and use the twigs to support indoor potted plants or stake seedlings. 

Yard Décor — Cut the trunk into two-inch discs and set them into the soil to edge flower beds or walkways. 

Compost Pile — A layer of thin branches makes a good base for a new compost pile. They allow for a bit of airflow at the bottom of the pile. Note that they break down slower than smaller organic materials. Trim the branches to fit in the bin and stack them four to six inches high. Add kitchen scraps and other compostables as usual. 

Bird Feeder — Make an outdoor bird feeding station or birdhouse. Secure the tree against a fence and add bird feeders and suet cages. 

More Ideas 

In-Home Fragrance — Enjoy the smell of evergreen after the tree is gone. Before disposing of the tree, remove the needles and put them in satchels or bowls of water for a whiff of fragrance. 

Crafts – There are countless arts and crafts projects that you can do with wood slices: coasters, trivets, place cards, ornaments, wall art, jewelry and more. Pinterest has hundreds of DIY projects. 

When doing Christmas tree wood crafts, trim all the boughs and cut the trunk into rounds of various thicknesses so you have options for use. Make sure the wood is dry, otherwise you will end up with sap all over your projects. If you’re making indoor projects, de-bug the wood to kill any insects still living in the wood. Place wood slices on a lined baking sheet in a 175°F oven for two to three hours. Then make your crafts.  

While taking down your tree (hopefully before spring arrives), think about Christmas 2023. If you want to replant the tree, make a note in your calendar to buy one ready for replanting and dig the hole in advance. 

Join Rosie on the House every Saturday morning from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. on KTAR News 92.3. If you’d like to send us questions or comments, email info@rosieonthehouse.com. Follow us on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook. For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert since 1988, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program. Call 888-767-4348 with questions & comments.