Iowa — Lots of Christmas trees will be taken down in the next few days. If you bought a real tree this year, horticulturist and extension educator John Fech says don’t just toss the tree to the curb, but find a way to repurpose it.
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If you’re crafty, trim the branches to make a fragrant sachet, wreath, or garland to enjoy in the weeks ahead. Laying small limbs over tender perennials provides them with some protection against fluctuating winter temperatures. He says a couple of layers of cut stems, applied in a criss-cross fashion, should offer adequate air penetration, yet keep them cool enough to reduce injury from warm and cold cycles. Fech says mulching is another option.
Another idea is to return the tree to the great outdoors for wildlife to use as shelter. He likes to call it tree-cycling.
If mulching the entire tree is too much work, just using the needles can be an effective mulch on perennial plants, in your garden, and to keep weeds in check.
