The City of Great Bend is accepting used, live Christmas trees at the city’s compost site located south of town at 97 Southwest 5 Ave. The compost site is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“We are asking people to make sure their used trees are clean and that there is no remaining string or other decorations when they bring them to the compost site,” said 

Jason Cauley, assistant director of Public Works. “After the pile of trees reaches a certain level, they will be burned.” He noted that trees can be disposed of free of charge at the compost site.

In addition to disposing of live, used trees at the compost site, other alternatives include converting trees into mulch or using them in landscape projects.  

“There are several options to prolong the useful life of your Christmas tree,” said Alicia Boor, agriculture and natural resources agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District.

“An old Christmas tree can be used to benefit birds and the landscape by placing it in a corner of your deck and spreading some birdseed nearby, or tying it to a deciduous tree or post near a bird feeder,” she said. She added that the trees can also provide an escape benefit for birds when seeking refuge from cats and other birds of prey.
“The dense boughs also reduce the wind chill on a cold night,” she said.

Sinking used Christmas trees in ponds to create fish habitat is another viable option after the holidays, she said. “The tree serves as a little coral reef, in that the branches provide substrate for water plants to grow and cover for minnows and other forms of small aquatic life. Larger fish are drawn by the shade and the presence of prey.”

Tree removal tips

• When removing the tree from the home, the best way to avoid a mess removing a tree is to place it in a plastic tree bag (available at hardware stores). Pull the bag up around the tree, stand and all, and carry it outside to prevent the needles from making a mess on the floor.

If some needles do scatter inside, it is better to sweep them up; needles can clog vacuum cleaners.

Other ideas  

Those who don’t want to haul their Christmas trees to the Great Bend Compost Site can get creative. With a little imagination, a Christmas tree can be used after the holidays are over, notes Lowes.com. 

• Decorate — cut pieces of this year’s tree to use as ornaments on next year’s tree. Thin slices of the trunk create a blank canvas that can be decorated and then strung with a piece of ribbon.
• Birdhouse — stand a tree or a few of the larger branches in your yard as an organic feeder and sanctuary for birds. Place pinecones filled with peanut butter and birdseed in the branches along with strung popcorn and fresh orange slices. The birds will appreciate the food, and people can enjoy winter bird-watching.
• Coasters — cut and treat discs from the tree trunk to use as coasters.
• Mulch — chip up the trunk and branches to create mulch for a garden come spring. One can also place entire branches under trees and shrubs as temporary winter mulch.

Never burn a pine tree in your fireplace or stove. Evergreen trees contain high levels of flammable turpentine oils and may cause flare-ups and chimney fires.