January gardening job can turn your Christmas tree into valuable soil protection
Christmas may be over, but gardening tasks continue through the winter - and shredding your tree might be one of the tasks to add to your list this month.
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Once the Christmas celebrations conclude and decorations are safely stored away, it's worth considering creative ways to repurpose your tree instead of simply sending it to the landfill.
Shredding the tree to create mulch is not only an environmentally friendly option, but it will also help protect your plants for the rest of the winter.
You can transform your retired Christmas tree into valuable woodchip mulch by running it through a shredder.
Pile the resulting chips at the back of a border, allowing them a few months to decompose before applying them as mulch around trees and shrubs.
In the likely case you don't own a shredder, consider renting one, seeking assistance from a neighbour, or reaching out to your local gardening club.
Read more: Top gardening jobs to do in January including pruning
Another (perhaps more viable option) would be to place the Christmas tree on the patio and allow it to remain there until the needles naturally fall off.
Once the needles have fallen, gather them and repurpose them as mulch for acid-loving plants, such as blueberries.
Explore our Plant Finder to identify suitable acid-loving plants for your garden.
Bare Christmas trees can also be planted in a garden border, allowing climbers, like sweet peas, to grow over it creating a unique and charming vertical element.
You can also repurpose the twiggy branches as plant supports by storing them in a dry place, using them during the summer months.
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Wildlife lovers can also cut the twigs into shorter lengths, tie them together in a bundle, and hang them in a bush to provide hiding spots for bugs.
Alternatively, chop the trunk into smaller pieces and stack them to construct a miniature refuge for wildlife.
To create insulation for tender plants, take the large branches from the Christmas tree and chop them into manageable pieces.
Lay these branches over plants on the soil surface to offer protection against frost until the weather gets warmer again.