Real Tree This Year? Put It In Your Backyard When You’re Done
A bunch of people I know went with a real Christmas tree this year. Thankfully we bought a fake one a few years ago so the real tree debate doesn't happen in our house. We simply drag out the box put it up, and then take it down, like we did last night, and put it back in the box until next year. If you are one of the many who opted for a real tree this year, you might be wondering what you should do with it now. Try putting it in your backyard this winter. You'll benefit some birds and animals this winter, and some mulch/new soil by next fall.
I saw this article from the Nature Conservancy in Canada this weekend and I wanted to share some of the benefits of putting your real tree in the backyard after you're all done with it this holiday season.
Dan Kraus with the Nature Conservancy of Canada explains in the article that "Evergreens offer a safe place for birds to rest while they visit your feeder," says Kraus. "Another benefit is that if you leave the tree in your garden over the summer, it will continue to provide habitat for wildlife and improve your soil as it decomposes." Kraus also added in the article that having the tree in your backyard also "provide[s] habitat, shelter wildflowers, hold moisture and help build the soil, mimicking what happens with dead trees and branches in a forest. Toads will seek shelter under the log, and insects, including pollinators such as carpenter bees, will burrow into the wood."
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