Recycle Christmas Tree into Mulch

How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Nothing compares to the scent of a fresh Christmas tree. Which is why my family always had one growing up and why I continue to buy a fresh one each Christmas season. Now I’ve got a way to make my dollar, and the fresh scent, stretch a little further. Mulch!

I did it last year and I’ll do it again this year. It’s so easy to cut up your real tree and use the branches as mulch around the yard and the trunk as firewood!

After you’ve removed and stored your ornaments and twinkling lights, drag it outside and grab a pair of loppers.

I chopped all of the branches I could easily reach on one side before rotating the trunk and continuing the lopping.

Once all of the branches are cut, you can then use a chainsaw to cut the trunk into firewood-sized pieces.

Then I spread the branches in some of the natural areas in our backyard. You can leave them big or cut them up smaller depending on your preference. At first they are green and may look a little strange. But once they die and turn brown, you won’t even notice them there. Except for the subtle whiff of fir you’ll pick up every once in a while. Mmmm. I can still smell our tree from last year when I’m wandering around in the flower beds.

Come Spring you can cover the area with pine straw or your mulch of choice and the branches will only aid in moisture retention and weed control. You can never have too many layers of mulch!

We used the trunk pieces in our fire pit and it smelled delicious! Although I wouldn’t roast marshmallows while that’s burning. Love the smell of a Christmas tree, but not the taste!

Another option for recycling your Christmas tree is to sink it in your family’s pond to create a fishing reef…that’s what my dad does with my parents’ old trees each year. To each their own!

Can’t wait to turn this year’s tree into mulch once the Christmas season is over on January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany. I can smell it already! Ahh!

Thanks for Checking In! ~ Chelsea