Sending Your Christmas Tree to the Landfill? Maybe Think Again

What to buy, what to serve, which events to attend—December is typically full of decisions. Here's one more for you to contemplate: What are you going to do with your Christmas tree? According to the Nature Conservancy, some 10 million live Christmas trees end up in landfills every year. There, they are covered with soil, which results in anaerobic (oxygen-deprived) decomposition rather than the aerobic (oxygen-fueled) process by which they would break down in a natural setting, such as on the forest floor, writes Jessica Damiano at the AP. Anaerobic decomposition is not only very slow (a tree can take years to break down) but it also generates greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide, which may contaminate groundwater.

If you'd like to avoid this, you have options that not only will avoid harming the environment but may also help improve your garden, and all of them begin with removing ornaments, tinsel, or "flocking" (spray-on fake "snow") from the tree.

• Mulch: Remove the branches from the tree, then distribute them throughout your garden to insulate the soil and protect bulbs and perennial root crowns from heaving out of the ground during the freeze-thaw cycles of winter. In the spring, cut the brittle branches and stems into smaller pieces, leaving them in place to further decompose without interfering with the emerging springtime garden. Pine needles don't significantly lower soil pH, despite what you might have heard, so they will not imperil your plants.
• Firewood: Saw the trunk into segments, dry and cure them outdoors over the winter for six months, then use them as firewood.
• Wildlife havens: If you have a large pond, consider sinking your tree to create shelter for fish. They'll appreciate their new hiding place. Or leave the tree in its stand and set it out in the yard. Secure it, if necessary, to avoid tipping in strong winter winds. Then watch as nonmigratory birds make a home in it. A bird feeder hanging from a branch will help entice new residents even more. If that's not possible, just drag the whole thing outside and lay it down in an out-of-the-way corner of the yard to provide shelter for birds and other wildlife.
• Local programs: Some communities hold special tree collections after the holidays and use them to fortify sand dunes, counter erosion, or provide shelter for wildlife. Some municipalities chip collected trees and then supply the resulting mulch free of charge to homeowners. To find programs in your town, county, or state, call your local offices or search online.