Christmas is over and its time to get the house back to normal whatever that is. It usually doesnt involve a ten foot tree in the family room or pine roping on the banister railing. What exactly do you do with that the tree and decorative greenery anyway?
If you chose an artificial tree this Christmas you simply need to remove the ornaments, disassemble it and put it back in the convenient zip-up bag. Trust me, this is harder than it sounds and you will need patience and perseverance to get the job done. Asking a family member to sit on the bag can be helpful while you try to get it zipped. Be sure there are no small children or pets in the bag before you drag it back down to the basement or into the garage. For some reason small children and pets love getting inside the giant zipper bag that is home to your artificial Christmas tree for most of the year. Smaller artificial trees are usually not as difficult to handle. Storing your tree properly will insure it looks great for next Christmas so follow the manufacturers instructions. If your tree is too old to have manufacturers instructions then store it in a dry basement or garage, covered, is possible.
If you chose a live tree this year you need to place it in a sheltered area like an unheated garage or covered porch for several days to allow the tree to get used to outdoor temperatures. It is important you plant your tree as soon as possible after Christmas. It will not survive until spring. Live trees cannot be kept indoors very long but they are still worth the effort. Its been colder than usual this year and the ground is probably quite frozen where you live. Hopefully you dug a hole for your tree and stockpiled soil for backfill in October or November. If not, you are going to need heavy machinery. Remove containers, burlap or anything else that might be attached to your trees root ball. Place your tree in your prepared hole and water well. You can water it again when the weather is warmer. Your tree will remind you of Christmas past for years to come and provide needed habitat for wildlife.
If you chose a cut Christmas tree this year you have several options as to its disposal. Many communities offer tree recycling. The tree will be picked up and turned into mulch or composted by your municipality. If you are unsure whether your community offers such a service a few phone calls will have your questions answered. You can recycle the tree yourself simply by cutting your tree into small pieces and adding it to your compost pile. If you have a chipper-shredder this job will be that much easier. Trees can be sunk in ponds to give fish and other aquatic life a place of shelter and help prevent erosion. If the pond is not your own be sure you have permission to dispose of your tree this way. If you are considering burning your tree after Christmas please reconsider. Burning a Christmas tree, even outdoors is very, very dangerous. If you have lots of land you can simply lay your tree on its side in a sheltered area for wildlife to enjoy while it slowly decomposes on its own.
