During the first few weeks of the new year, you can drive down any neighborhood street lined Christmas trees waiting to be picked up and disposed of. Out in the rural areas you might attend a New Year’s Eve bonfire fueled by dried evergreens. Rather than discarding your tree as you would trash, put it to use on your ranch or farm.
Fish Bed
Making a fish bed is one of the all-time best uses for a Christmas tree. Select a farm pond that could use a little structure. It may require a pair of waders, but if you can, sink the tree about five feet off the shore where the water is just deep enough so that it’s somewhat hard to see the bottom. The depth plus the tree will give the fish a sense of security. Once the tree begins to hold fish, it’ll be a great spot for a youngster to learn.
Rather than toss it at the road, recycle Christmas tree on your ranch of farm.
Firewood
All dried evergreen trees make great firewood and kindling. The sweet aromatic smell will permeate through the house to retain the holiday smell we all love. A few things to be aware of is that cedar burns quickly, pops a lot and releases a lot of smoke because it’s such an oily wood. Make sure you have the screen up on your fireplace or door closed on the wood-burning stove. As long as you take these precautions, you really can’t go wrong with using leftover Christmas trees as firewood.
Erosion Control
Sometimes you can divert unwanted water drains by placing obstructions inside them. Short of filling them in with gravel and packing in the earth with a landscape box, square bales of straw hay are about the best alternative with evergreens a close second. Lay your tree down lengthwise at the beginning of the ditch. Over time this will hopefully disperse water evenly over the field rather than it having a concentrated drain.
Mulch
Mulchers are a lot less expensive today than ever before. If you’re one to put a fresh layer down every year in the flower beds, it may not be a bad investment. Or Christmas present for your spouse. Cedar chips will retain their nice, bright color for most of the year. Plus, each time you walk in the bed, it will smell of both flowers and cedar.
