What should you do with your tree?

By Anya Tikka
MILFORD — Since there’s no longer a recycling program in Pike County, what are residents to do with their natural Christmas trees once the season is over?

The Courier asked local officials and the Master Gardeners for tips, and got an array of suggestions:

Chuck it into the woods!
Chop it up for mulch!

And, for next year:
Get a live tree with roots!

“This is more of a problem when there are a lot of people,” said Dingman Township’s secretary/treasurer Karen Kleist. At her home, the tree is cut up and used for compost in the back of the property.

Most of Dingman Township, and Pike County, is wooded and sparsely populated, which makes "tree chucking" easier.

Sheila Salmon, Penn State Master Gardener Volunteer in Pike County, offered some useful tips:

Cut the trunk to make a teepee shape, then cover with the branches to form a shelter for birds.

Cut long boughs and use them to protect tender perennials from frost heaving

Use the branches to start a new compost pile. Compost needs some airflow at the bottom of the pile, and the branches can provide that.

Chop it into mulch, or cut the branches into three or four inches long pieces and use them between the rows of your vegetable garden or on paths.

Use the trunk as a border.
Keep the tree until spring, then use it as a trellis for peas or beans. A teepee shape will be an excellent support for climbers.

“Next year," Salmon suggested, "use a live tree and plant it in your yard.”

A Master Gardener from Monroe County, Pamela T. Hubbard, prefers natural Christmas trees. While artificial trees are hypoallergenic and not as messy, they’ll end up in landfills for many years to come, she said, while a real tree from a nearby farm adds to the local economy and supports the Christmas tree farmers. The trees also preserve wildlife habitats, reduce soil erosion, and purify the air.

Hubbard agrees with Salmon in recommending a live tree with roots.

“Choose a tree with pliable branches and buds present," she said. "Before the ground freezes, prepare a hole three times the width but the same depth as the root ball. Save the soil from the hole in a warm area covered with a tarp. Place the root ball in a plastic garbage bag and water it immediately, but be careful not to over-water. Store the tree outdoors in an area protected from sun and wind. Take the tree indoors a few days before Christmas. It should remain indoors for less than one week. Plant it outdoors, in the prepared hole, immediately after Christmas. Plant it with the root flare just above the existing soil line. Remove all burlap, twine and wire before back filling with the saved soil. When the ground freezes, apply two to three inches of mulch, keeping it away from the trunk. Keep the tree watered during winter thaws and the first summer.”

Natural trees that are cut should be thrown out as soon as they dry out, to avoid fire hazard, Salmon said. But don't burn it in your fireplace!

“Take your tree to a recycling center," she urged.

But, in Pike County, this isn't an option.