Owners of Live Christmas Trees Have Options for Disposal

People who use live Christmas trees during the are often faced with the challenge of what to do with their holiday centerpiece once the season is over.

Area Farm Management Specialist Alan Galloway says those with live trees have several options when it comes to disposing of their trees.

“If a person has woodland themselves, a Christmas tree can just be left out and taken out into the woods to decay,” Galloway says. “Of course, that also provides habitat for birds, rabbits, and squirrels to live and thrive in as well… And they may want to check with some groups in the area that may be doing some environmental programs that provide the opportunity for Christmas trees to be used for other purposes like wildlife habitat or things like that.”

Galloway says groups such as the Corps of Engineers have placed unwanted live trees in area lakes and ponds to help the local ecosystem.

“Before an individual did that on their own in a lake, they’d want to check with the Corps,” Galloway says. “But as far as their own pond, it does add a habitat system for the fish to live and thrive in so that is a possibility.”

Galloway says some county recycling centers that accept brush piles may be able to accept unwanted trees to turn into mulch.

“They definitely would want to be sure to get all of the ornaments and tinsel and things like that off of them,” Galloway says, “because that could obviously clog up the equipment that they use to create the mulch at those recycling centers.”

Galloway advises people not to use the trees as firewood for indoor fireplaces as dried pine trees can burn quickly and easily, potentially leading to a house fire.