I'm not a huge fan of Christmas. At the risk of sounding like a Grinch, I admit that I take my time setting up the decorations and I rejoice when the moment finally arrives to clear the (cursed) tree from the living room.
Let me tell you, when it comes to the question “What to do with the tree after the holidays ?”, I have multiple answers:
1) Replant your Christmas tree
If you bought a large tree, in a root ball or container, with its roots, you can replant it in the garden. To maximise your chances, however, you should ensure that the room hasn’t been overheated and remember to water it.
The Norway Spruce (the one that smells nice but loses its needles) and the Nordmann Fir (the one that keeps its needles but has no scent) are both easy to grow. You’ll be making a green gesture by giving it a second life, as well as an economic gesture in favour of tree surgeons… in 20 years. Because, while these trees are quite cute, be aware that as adults, both of these conifers can easily reach over 30 metres in height. Understand me: if you repeat this gesture every year, in 10 years, you’ll have the beginnings of a forest. Welcome to the Vosges!
(In case you doubt my words, I invite you to check this page, which discusses the fate of spruce seeds given away in 1975 by the magazine Pif Gadget)
2) Keep your tree for next year
If you opted for a small tree (with roots), you can easily keep it in a large pot in the garden and bring it in next year. It will survive quite well for a few years, provided you spare it (like the larger trees) from the heat of the radiator, don’t prolong its stay indoors too long, and remember to water it (at home, but also in summer, outside).
3) Recycle your tree
If, like us, you buy a cut tree, the question of a second life doesn’t arise… in other words, since it’s time to recycle it. Some stores offer to exchange it (provided it comes from them) for a voucher. This is handy if you happen to need shelves! In Paris and many other municipalities, trees are collected to be shredded and then used as mulch.
Shredding Christmas trees - Source: Paris.fr
At our place, I take care of it. In my garden, the concept of green waste doesn’t exist: everything is a resource! Armed with a good pruning shear, I simply cut the branches into small pieces that I then spread, depending on the needs, at the base of the strawberries, small red fruits, or acidophilous plants like heather soil shrubs. This mulch is considered acidifying, but in the long term. Rest assured, it would only alter the pH of your soil if you overdo it (10 trees every year for 10 years…). So don’t hesitate to use it everywhere in the garden, it poses no risk, even for calcicolous plants.
So, all that’s left is the trunk. At our place, we let it dry for two years and then it goes into the stove. But you can also let your imagination run wild and transform it into a pencil holder, an insect shelter, or, cut into sections, create charming decorations... for Christmas! An elegant way to tie up loose ends, don’t you think?
Source: Ikea (pencil holder) and Designmom.com (Christmas decoration)
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