There's still life left in the old Christmas tree!

It's that time of year again when tired old Christmas trees are dropping their needles and need to be disposed of. Fortunately, there are some good alternatives to sending them to the landfill.

The easiest method of disposal is to cut off the branches with a saw and secateurs. The branches and trunk are then left in a heap in a quiet corner. This provides a great habitat for wildlife such as woodlice, centipedes, beetles and snails. Wrens and robins might be seen weaving their way through the pile for morsels.

The needles (and branches if you can chip them) are also good for mulching around plants. This will keep the weeds down and help to keep the frost at bay.

As a last resort, take the tree (and preferably neighbour's trees in the same journey) to a recycling centre for shredding and composting. Cutting off the branches makes them much easier to transport than a whole tree!