Before you opt for recycling your Christmas tree or shredding it for the compost heap stop and think again. You can easily turn your Christmas tree into a wildlife habitat outdoors and in so doing boost the biodiversity in your garden.
If you have a living Christmas tree you can simply shift it to the patio, decorate it with bird treats, and sit back and watch as they stop to perch and snack. If you want to help hedgehogs you can use a cut Christmas tree in a quiet corner of the garden to create the perfect habitat to keep them safe.
Turning your Christmas tree into a wildlife habitat that offers enjoyment for months instead of opting to recycle it or turn it into wood chips is a key way to make your garden more eco-friendly in winter too.
1. Turn your tree into a wildlife sanctuary
Take your real Christmas tree out into the garden for the birds to enjoy. Position it in a quiet spot near bird feeders, and they can use it for shelter and winter nesting as it creates an ideal natural habitat. Branches also offer a place for birds to perch, so are ideal for hanging bird feeders from to attract even more of them into your garden.
"You can also decorate the tree with bird food such as suet [like these suet fatballs from Robert Dyas], popcorn strings and sunflower heads to attract birds and provide them with a vital food source over winter," says Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture.
It's such an easy thing to do and will have a big impact on the environment by helping wildlife in your garden. You'll be surprised how many insects take up residence too.
Be sure to top up the water in the base regularly. The cooler outdoor temperatures should see your tree continue to look green and healthy for a good couple of months.
Richard Barker is an expert in horticulture and the commercial director at LBS Horticulture. He is keen to share his knowledge with both experienced and beginner gardeners, and prides himself in keeping up to date with the latest horticultural trends.
2. Create a bug hotel with the branches
Christmas tree branches can be trimmed and used to create a snug bug hotel. You will need a strong pair of secateurs, like these Premium Titanium Garden Secateurs from Amazon to cut the branches into smaller sections.
You might think it's too late as insects are already hibernating but they tend to wake up on milder winter days. So if you have a bug hotel ready and waiting for them in early January this is ideal for insects to explore on sunny days.
Try arranging the short Christmas tree stems around a bug hotel to create more of a wildlife habitat for insects to explore. This works well if you're hanging or wedging the bug hotel in a shrub and can pack in the stems around it.
Alternatively, stuff the snipped foliage into a receptacle like a section of spare drainpipe or half a broken terracotta pot. Or go large with a wooden pallet. Pack the stems in tightly to make a cosy space. Either position it in a quiet spot or secure smaller bug hotels in place on a garden fence or a tree.
3. Make a dead hedge to offer an eco habitat
If you're trying to decide between a fence or hedge in your garden, perhaps this idea might help your decision.
Another way to turn your Christmas tree Into a wildlife habitat is to use it to build a dead hedge. Despite the name, a dead hedge is a wonderful habitat that’s full of life and Christmas tree branches will add an interesting dimension for wildlife to explore. It's a mini-ecosystem that offers hiding places and nesting habitats for all sorts of creatures, as well as food for insects.
A dead hedge consists of woody cuttings woven between vertical stakes. Use straight lengths of Christmas tree branches to create two rows, then push woody prunings from the tree in between the stakes to fill the space.
Your dead hedge doesn't have to look neat and tidy, as twiggy parts that stick out make great perches for birds and insects. Over time weave in more branches, sticks and leaves to the pile to keep it topped up. Whenever you're pruning in the garden add fresh trimmings to your dead hedge to keep it interesting for wildlife.
4. Turn a quiet spot into a hedgehog haven
Every garden design has a forgotten space that can be turned into a wildlife corner where you simply let nature take its course. It could be the place where you have piled up cuttings and natural material from other plants, intending to chop them up for the recycling bin.
Instead leave them be and add your Christmas tree branches to the pile. In a quiet place like this, birds and bees can make nests in the nooks and crannies, and it's a way of clearing the garden without harming hibernating hedgehogs. It will also create a welcome space for beetles and spiders to explore.
Cut the branches off your old Christmas tree and layer them on top of each other in a criss-cross pattern to further enhance your wildlife corner by turning it into more of an activity space for wildlife. Cut the main trunk into chunkier logs you can leave on the ground.
While hibernating hedgehogs will already be tucked up safely this year, your new wildlife corner will provide a safe place for them to nest in autumn.
5. Let your tree gently decay into the soil
This is one of the easiest budget garden ideas if you're looking for ways to turn your Christmas tree into a wildlife habitat. Simply dump it in an out of the way corner of the garden, leave it alone, and let it decompose.
As the tree rots it will offer a wildlife habitat for birds, small animals and insects. The decaying branches and foliage will also feed the soil. If you want to speed things up you can cut the tree into sections and remove some of the branches. In a year or two there will be nothing left but the soil will be so much richer.
These simple garden ideas are a brilliant way to boost biodiversity in your outdoor space over the coming months, especially at a time when wildlife is in need of a helping hand during the colder winter days.
