Once the holidays are over, it’s time to take down your Christmas tree. If yours was fresh-cut, consider recycling it. Think of it as “re-gifting” it to Mother Earth. Doris Taylor, plant information specialist at The Morton Arboretum shares some simple ideas for giving fresh-cut Christmas trees new uses.

One of the best things you can do is to give it to the birds. “Winter birds appreciate the cover of a tree, especially if decorated with bird food ornaments,” said Taylor. Tie the tree to a stake or post to prevent it from blowing away in winter winds. Or lay the tree on its side and scatter birdseed around it. Just be sure to remove any Christmas decorations, especially tinsel, which can hurt birds if they eat them.

One caveat: Once birds get used to feeding at a spot, they will return to feed for the rest of the winter. If all the food runs out, replenish it or they will go hungry.

If you can’t make that commitment, give your tree to your flowerbeds. Cut up the branches and use them as winter mulch on perennial flowerbeds. “Place evergreen boughs on top of low growing plants for protection, especially in late winter, when freezing and thawing of the soil heaves shallow-rooted perennials out of the ground,” said Taylor.

Or you can pass it down to your peonies. In the spring, use large branches to stake your peonies. Then convert the trunk into a trellis for climbing vines or tomatoes.

Other branches can be dispensed to a winter display. Arrange them in a large container near your door, porch or some other focal point. Add other greenery and decorations, such as barberry, cones, dried grasses, berries and seedpods.

Here’s an idea for recycling multiple trees: Ask your neighbors for their Christmas trees and make temporary windbreaks to shield tender, broadleaf evergreens like rhododendrons or young, newly planted evergreens, suggested Taylor. This can work if there’s already a fence, stakes or post nearby that you can tie the trees to. If not, keep it in mind for next year and plan to install stakes next fall.

Another good choice is to send it to the chipper. Many towns have fresh-cut Christmas tree recycling programs where trees are chipped up to make mulch for parks or to give back to homeowners. Sometimes trees can be picked up curbside. Other towns have drop-off locations.

You can find by zip code a list of municipalities or facilities that recycle Christmas trees at www.christmastree.org. If you live in Chicago, you can drop off your tree at one of more than 20 locations. Visit the Streets and Sanitation page at www.cityofchicago.org or call 311 for a list of fresh-cut tree recycling locations.

Glad You Asked

Q. Can I burn my Christmas tree in my fireplace?
A. It’s a bad idea. Dried out Christmas trees burn too hot for home fireplaces. When burned, pine and fir trees produce highly flammable creosote, which can stick to the inside of the chimney and potentially cause a chimney fire. Plus, the high pitch content in bark and needles create intense heat that can send large sparks flying across the room or up the chimney to the roof.

A living Christmas tree is a live tree with its own roots still attached. The purpose is to have the tree for the holiday season then plant it outdoors. But it requires advance planning. Proper preparation and care of the tree are essential.

If you have ever done this, let us know. How did it work out for you? Any additional advice?

• In the fall, choose a suitable site in your landscape for the tree.
• Dig the planting hole in the fall before the ground freezes. Remove the soil and place it in an area where it will not freeze. Cover the hole and any remaining excavated soil with straw to prevent freezing.
• Select a balled and burlapped tree with a solid root ball. Keep in mind a smaller tree has a better chance of survival, is less expensive, and will be easier to handle.
• Keep the soil ball moist and store in a cool garage, porch or shed. Place straw or other insulating materials around the soil ball to prevent it from freezing.
• A few days before Christmas bring the balled and burlapped tree indoors, wrap the soil ball in plastic. Place the tree in a cool location; avoid sites near heat sources, such as a fireplace, registers, etc.
• The shorter the tree’s stay indoors, the better its chances of survival when planted outdoors. The maximum stay indoors should be 5 to 7 days. If the tree is kept indoors for a longer period, the buds may break dormancy, and dry indoor heat will cause needles to drop.
• Keep the soil ball moist throughout the tree’s stay indoors. Check the soil daily and water as needed.
• Shortly after Christmas, remove the tree from the house and place it in a cool location. (Don’t place the tree directly outdoors. The sharply colder temperatures outdoors may injure the tree.) A brief stay in a cool garage, shed, etc., allows the tree to become gradually acclimated to cooler temperatures. The soil ball should not be allowed to freeze during this period.
• On a relatively mild winter day, remove the straw from the planting area and plant the tree outdoors. Water well and mulch the area heavily to prevent the soil from freezing immediately.
• Continue to monitor the soil moisture for the rest of the growing season.

“As you begin this year to search for that perfect tree, look for signs of freshness that can help keep your tree attractive through the holidays,” said Taylor. Following are The Morton Arboretum’s tree-selection guidelines.

1. Time your tree purchase. A fresh tree can last up to three weeks in a home environment, according to Taylor. Then scout out the best location for the tree. Choose a place away from fireplaces, hot air vents, televisions, candles or other heat sources that can dry out the tree or cause needles to drop.

2. Pay attention to tree names. At the tree lot, names can give you clues about aroma, color and needle retention.

•    Scots pine trees have dark green foliage and stiff branches. These have excellent needle retention.

•    Eastern white pine trees usually have dense, medium-green foliage with fairly long needles. These trees typically retain their needles very well.

•    Douglas-firs have soft, flat, short green needles. When crushed they give a sweet camphor smell. Very good needle retention.

•    Balsam firs have dense, dark green foliage. They have a pretty pyramid shape, often with a spindly top. They have a pleasing evergreen scent. Very good needle retention.

•    White firs have soft, 2-inch long, blue-green foliage that curves outward and upward on branches. When crushed, needles give off a strong lemon scent. Very good needle retention.

•    White spruce trees have short, blunt, grayish, blue-green needles and a nice, natural cone shape. Some people may find their scent unpleasant. Poor needle retention.

•    Colorado spruce trees have gray-green to blue-green, 1-3″ needles that are stiff and prickly. Crushed needles emit a resin-like scent. The trees have a pleasing, symmetrical form. Poor needle retention.

3. Examine trees. Check for pliable, fragrant needles that are attached, says Taylor. Look for full, bushy branches that are strong enough to support ornaments. The cut end of the tree should be sticky with sap. Pound it onto the ground and watch for needles to fall off. If many do, try another tree.

4. Check to see if dye rubs off on your hands. “It’s not unusual to have a blue-green dye applied to the leaves with an anti-desiccant to help keep leaves pliable or to mask the color of leaves drying out,” says Taylor.

5. Prolong the tree’s “life.” Do this at home by making a fresh cut off the bottom of the trunk and immediately putting it in a bucket of water. A tree can “drink” up to a gallon of water a day, so check water levels often. The best research says to use plain water, according to Taylor. Aspirin or soft drinks don’t work to prolong freshness, and neither will flower fertilizer.

If you need to trim the branches for a better shape or to create more places for ornaments, consider laying the trimmings on your perennial or bulb flower beds as mulch.

Congratulations! Your power of observation and keen eye for details will help your tree stay attractive through the holidays.

Anyone with tree selection and care questions may contact the Arboretum Plant Clinic at 630-719-2424 or plantclinic@mortonarb.org. Services are free. And, of course, if you have tips to share with your Tree Talk community, post them!