25 DECEMBER 2017 THECURRENTHUB.COM
Barriers to Soil Erosion. Ask Riverkeepers if they wish to turn old trees into soil erosion barriers on river banks and lake shorelines. They are great to use as beach stabilization to protect sand dunes and preserve beaches. Use dead trees as filters to manage delta sedimentation. Fish Feeders. Our Roswell property had a half-acre earthbottom pond, so I submerged our old Christmas tree in the deep end to make a fishy refuge and egg-laying habitat and feeding areas for the bream, catfish and bass living there. Bullfrog eggs too. Bird Feeders. After removing all ornaments, hooks and tinsel, prop the dead Christmas tree in a corner of the garden and use it as a bird feeder and sanctuary. Hang with suet feeders, fresh fruit such as orange slices, or popcorn garlands. Bottle Trees. Using sharp bypass loppers, clip branches off at about 6-8 inches out from the trunk, eliminating those that are not spaced evenly around the trunk. Anchor the tree in the ground. Impale longnecked bottles of different colors of glass on the branch-stubs for a downhome style garden ornament that looks well as the sunlight sifts down through the glass. Add a little protective cover. Cut off the green branches and lay them over Hydrangeas to protect next spring’s flower buds. Last resort: put the tree out on the curb. (Fingers crossed) the solid waste removal guys might take the tree away. Many areas collect trees during regular pickup schedules during the two weeks following Christmas, although there are often requirements for size, removing tinsel, ornaments, limitations on flocked trees, and so forth. Chop the tree into 3- or 4- foot sections for easier removal and put it into the green yard waste container. Living, rooted trees: Of course, next year, you might choose a rooted (container-grown or ball and burlapped) Christmas tree, and then plant it in your yard after Christmas to grow and thrive. Pre-dig the hole now, while the soil is still soft before
Use sharp bypass loppers to clip branches off 6–8 inches out from the trunk to make the base for a bottle tree. Photo: Takomabibelot/Flickr/Creative Commons
ground frost and plant the tree immediately after Christmas. Important: Never burn your Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Pines, firs and other evergreens have a high content of flammable turpentine oils. Burning the tree may contribute to creosote buildup and risk a chimney fire. ❍ Geri Laufer lives in Atlanta, where she, graphic designer husband David, and English Coonhound Lily are working on designing and installing a new landscape for their new old house.