These are five eco-friendly ways to dispose of your Christmas tree

As the holidays finish, gardening experts are advising Brits on the eco-friendly ways they can dispose of their Christmas tree. Experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have put together different ways to dispose of the tree that can also help our planet and put your tree to some other use. Christmas is finishing which means it’s time to pack up the stockings and lights for another year. However, taking down Christmas trees isn’t as easy and not everyone is aware of the variety of ways to get rid of them. That’s why the green-fingered experts at Gardening Express have put together a list of ways to help Brits dispose of their Christmas trees. Chris Bonnet from Gardening Express said: “It’s time to take down those trees and it’s interesting because there are actually a number of ways to get rid of Christmas trees that are eco-friendly and can also benefit your garden. “We encourage everyone to purchase real trees in the festive season because once you’re done with them, they can be correctly disposed of in a way that doesn’t damage our environment. “An artificial tree however will do damage. Obviously, it lasts you longer, but when you decide you want a new one, your old tree will be thrown into a landfill site to sit in for hundreds of years. “When disposing of a real tree, there are so many different things you can do with it. You can replant it, turn it into a wildlife habitat and even make use of the branches.” Eco-friendly ways to dispose of your Christmas tree: Recycle it Real Christmas trees can be recycled and there are a couple of ways to do this. You could either take it to your nearest recycling centre or call your local council to come and collect it. Not all councils still collect Christmas trees so it’s worth checking online to see if they still offer this service. If your council doesn't offer this service, try calling a local charity who would be more than happy to collect it. Turn it into a wildlife habitat If you want to help out your local wildlife you could always keep your tree and turn it into a safe spot. Chris Bonnett says “If you have the right tools it’s actually really simple. Just cut up the trunk and leaves into smaller parts and place them together on top of one another in a section of your garden.” Wildlife will find its way there and it will be a nice warm spot for them. Use the branches to protect garden beds The cold weather is set to stick around for a bit so you’ll be needing something to protect your plants. Cut off the branches of your Christmas tree and use them to create a frame around your garden beds and place some fabric over the top to protect them from the weather. Turn it into mulch Another way to put your tree to use is to chip it up and use it as mulch. Of course, you will only be able to do this if you have access to a woodchipper and know how to use it with the appropriate care. You can then use the mulch to keep the soil warm around your other plants. Replant it If your tree was only kept indoors for around 10 days or less, it’s still in good condition to replant. You’ll need a large space that gets sun but isn’t too exposed to wind and you should ensure that when planting, the hole is around double the size of the tree’s root ball. Chris also advises that the soil is well-drained and that you water it around once a week. You may find that it’ll root itself and begin growing again!