Christmas is over...but what to do with his old fir ?
He who was the king of the party, today he is all dry and all yellow.
Here I show you how to easily recycle your Christmas tree after the holidays.
Traditionally, we part with it at Epiphany.
But, there is no question of throwing it in the trash.
Oh yes ! A cut fir tree is "green waste". So we can give it a second life.
It was my nurseryman who reminded me how to do it. And I admit that it's really smart, practical and super simple.
Here are 10 tips for recycling your Christmas tree . Watch:
First of all, it should be remembered that it is forbidden to leave your waste on the public highway under penalty of a fine.
It is therefore not very wise to get rid of Son Beau Sapin on the sidewalk.
Prefer one of these tricks to recycle it.
If you have a garden, this is the easiest trick.
Cut the bagged tree into sections and put them on the compost heap.
The more it is cut into small pieces, the faster it will decompose.
But be careful, pine is an acid plant that can change the pH of your compost.
I therefore advise you not to put everything at once (especially if you had chosen a very large tree).
It is best to spread this recycling throughout the year.
To serve as mulch, fir can be crushed or shredded.
How? 'Or' What ? Thanks to a garden shredder like this one.
Due to its composition, fir is ideal for plants that like acid soils.
This is the case with heather, hydrangeas or rhododendrons.
But that's not all!
This mulch slows the regrowth of weeds, again, thanks to its acidity.
In addition, slugs and snails will no longer approach your plants.
Especially if you arrange the thorns around your seedlings in the vegetable garden.
Hey yes...it stings!
You can also use fir needles to mulch your plants to protect them from the cold.
Even if fir is not the most calorific wood...
...it can be used perfectly to put in the fireplace or in a wood stove.
Cut off the big branches from your Christmas tree first.
Then, remove the needles to make a good fire starter.
Finally, let the wood dry in a dry place.
We recommend letting it dry for at least 4 months before burning it.
If you don't have the patience to save the wood for next winter, use your dry fir branches for the barbecue.
Thus, the king of winter will also be at the party in the summer when you cook your grills.
It is a wood that catches fire easily:ideal for the barbecue!
If you have a smokehouse, pine is very fragrant.
It gives a very pleasant taste to your smoked meats or fish.
When your tree has lost its luster, just drop it off at the nearest recycling center.
It will go in the "green waste" section.
Most of the time, fir trees are crushed.
They are then used as mulch or ground cover for the next winter.
Municipalities use them a lot in beds to prevent the growth of weeds or to protect flowers from the cold.
In some municipalities there is an organized collection in mid-January.
For me, this collection is horse-drawn...yes, we're green all the way!
A cart pulled by two horses collects the fir trees that were placed the day before on the sidewalks.
What do we do next?
They are distributed to goatherds in the region:goats love dry fir trees. A nice gift, right?
They are also given to farmers who chop them roughly. They then spread the pieces to avoid mud in the farms.
Nothing is wasted!
Some garden centers offer a voucher if you buy and then bring the tree home.
It's a good way to buy a tree produced in France and recover a few euros after the holidays.
The Botanic garden centres, for example, offer this system.
This is very practical if you live in a big city like Paris, Lille or Strasbourg and the first recycling center is not next door.
Fir is a more or less fragrant plant depending on the variety.
The Nordmann has the advantage of not losing its thorns...but it is not very fragrant.
Spruce, on the other hand, smells very strong.
Collect the ends of the branches (those that are lighter) before the tree dries completely.
Then, put them in white vinegar to flavor it, for example.
In the same way, you can perfume a homemade detergent, a cleaning product or a hand soap.
It's natural...and it's free!
Sore feet after a long day?
Prepare yourself a foot bath with pine needles.
Put about 100g of needles in 3 liters of water and boil.
Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then let cool.
Finally, dip your feet in when the mixture has cooled slightly.
Enjoy this foot bath at least 15 minutes.
It is antibacterial and anti-bad odors.
If you have chosen an organic or Label Rouge tree, you can eat its thorns. Otherwise, it is to be avoided.
Why ? Because most non-organic trees have been boosted with chemical fertilizers a year before being cut. Yuck!
Take 5 or 6 young pine shoots from the least dry. Put them in a large cup and add boiling water to it. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes and enjoy.
You can add lemon and honey. It is an antibacterial and expectorant infusion.
