Disposing of Christmas Trees in Metro DC Area

If you are looking for the best way to dispose of your Christmas tree, first consider some of these ideas for using your tree in your garden.

If none of those ideas appeal to you, there are different rules for tree disposal depending on where you live.

In Fairfax County, if your tree is less than 8 feet, you can put it out by the curb during the first two weeks of January for no additional cost. If your tree is larger than 8 feet, contact your trash hauler for collection details.

The Montgomery County solid waste website says: We will collect Christmas trees on your recycling day from Monday, December 27, 2010 through Friday, February 4, 2011. Please put your Christmas tree at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day.

For District residents, the DC.gov website says: Holiday trees and wreaths will be picked up curbside from January 3 to January 15. Remove all decorations and place the greenery in the treebox space in front of your home between Sunday, January 2, and Sunday, January 9. Please do not put the trees in plastic or cloth bags. Any trees not collected by January 15 should be set out with your trash to be picked up as space in the trash trucks allows over the following weeks.

Arlington Virginia tree pickup info: Christmas Tree Collection will be from January 3-14, 2011 on your regular refuse day. Since trees will be ground into wood mulch, please remove the tree stand, lights, and decorations. Please do not place the tree in a plastic bag. More Info

In Frederick, Md., residents can drop off their trees at the following drop off points starting Dec. 27 and ending on Jan. 31.

• Harry Grove Stadium in the Lower Lot
• Husky Park (Yard 2) - Highland Street
• Max Kehne Park - West 7th Street
• Taskers Chance Park - Key Parkway behind Westridge Shopping Center

Recycle your Christmas tree in the garden

If you are like my husband and me, you keep your Christmas tree around as long as possible. We keep ours up and decorated in the house at least until New Year's, but even after that, we try to use it up as much as we can around our yard.

When we first take it outside, we prop it up outside of my office window and hang treats for the birds and any other critters that dare to crawl out of their warm hiding places looking for a snack. We hang an assortment of items such as pieces of fruit, suet or pinecones filled with peanut butter and bird seed. Even just laying the tree outside in a protected part of the yard can provide shelter for some types of wintering wildlife, including rabbits.

Another use for a leftover Christmas tree is to trim off some of the branches and lay them in the garden as an extra layer of warmth against the cold winter temperatures.

One use that many gardeners never think of is to use their discarded tree as a snow fence to help conserve water in the spring.

This is such a clever idea that I wish I could take credit for it, but I actually read it online on a a website called Thrifty Fun.

The post, entitled Conserve Water with a Snow Fence, suggests that proper placement of your discarded Christmas tree can help you to redirect the springtime snow melt to help water your gardens.

If you live in an area with harsh winters, strong winds and steady snowfall can create a lot of drifting snow. Believe it or not, this presents you with a great opportunity to conserve water. By installing a snow fence, you can effectively capture snow and create drifts in areas where you need additional snow to melt in the spring. You can read the full article here.

When you are ready to dispose of your tree, there are different rules for curbside pickup, depending on where you live. Read Disposing of Christmas Trees in the Metro DC area for more information.

Think Twice before Choosing a Living Christmas Tree

I have a neighbor who has a couple of HUGE pine trees in his yard. They take up way too much of his yard and look completely out of place. But because of their size, it would be very costly to have them removed. They are the result of good intentions gone awry - living trees which were purchased for Christmas trees and then planted in his yard, without enough thought given to the size that the trees would some day reach.

Many gardeners like the idea of choosing a Christmas tree that can later be planted in their landscape. It seems so environmentally friendly and provides more bang for the buck by allowing you to enjoy the tree year after year rather than just tossing it away after the season.

But before you decide to choose a living tree, keep these things in mind:

1) Make sure you choose a tree which is appropriate for the area. Many living trees which are available through mail-order will not survive in northern climates. Virginia Pines, Eastern White Pines and several cypress and cedar species are suitable options for the Washington, DC metro area.

2) Decide where you will plant the tree. Virginia Pines and White pines can reach heights of up to 80'. Red Cedars can reach heights of 50'. This makes them impractical choices for many home landscapes. Another option would be to find a park or public area that would accept the tree as a donation after the season. If you know of any Arlington, Rockville, DC or other local organizations that would like a donated tree, please let us know by adding a comment at the end of this post.

3) Living trees are much heavier than cut trees. Whether they are in a pot or balled and burlapped, a living tree can weigh well over 100 pounds.

4) If you are going to plant the tree in your yard, you should dig the hole for the tree before the ground freezes. The hole should be 3 times the diameter of the root ball and as deep.

5) Living trees may be more likely to have bugs and other critters living in them. Check closely for insects and insect egg masses before bringing the tree indoors.

6) Ideally, trees should be slowly acclimated to the indoor climate. Gradually introduce your living tree from outside to inside over three or four days via the garage or enclosed porch. A tree that is dormant and exposed to immediate warmth will start to grow. Locate your tree in the coolest part of the room and away from heating ducts.

7) You should limit the time that you have a living tree indoors. Although cut trees can be kept indoors for three weeks or more, the shorter the time a living tree is kept indoors the better. A maximum of 7 to 10 days is recommened. The survival of a living tree is dependent on its winter hardiness. Keeping it indoors for too long will make it less winter hardy.

8) It is important that you water the plant regularly to keep the soil moist. This will add even more weight to the tree.

9) Christmas tree lights may put out heat which will damage the needles of the tree.

10) Planting a tree in winter will require extra care for its survival. Make sure you are ready for that commitment before you purchase the tree.

For more information:
Choose a locally grown Christmas Tree
Selecting and Caring for a Live Christmas Tree (pdf) - MD Cooperative Extension
Marylanders Plant Trees - Recommened tree list and planting suggestions
Care for Living Trees - Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association
Selection and Care of Christmas Trees - Virginia Cooperative Extension
How to Care for a Live Christmas Tree
Living Christmas Trees (Clemson University)

Choose a locally grown Christmas Tree

What would Christmas be without the tree? Through all the hustle and bustle and commercialism of the holiday season, there is still something almost magical about turning off the lights in the house and plugging in a newly decorated Christmas tree for the first time.

Most people would be hard pressed to explain why this simple act of bringing a tree indoors and covering it with decorations and lights can evoke such a sentimental response or why it is so important to their holiday celebration. And yet, for many people, the tradition of picking out the Christmas tree is one of the favorite activities that helps to turn Black Friday into Green Christmas Fun.

For some, Christmas tree shopping takes place in a department store parking lot or an empty field where hundreds of trees lie bundled and stacked, flattened from their long trip from another state. The tree is just another purchase picked up along with the groceries and dry-cleaning.

But for those who want to squeeze a little more sentiment into their holidays, the tradition of picking out the family tree begins on the farm – the Christmas tree farm, that is.

Environmental benefits of Real Christmas Trees:

from the National Christmas Tree Association Website 

While they're growing, Real Christmas Trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen. 

The farms that grow Christmas Trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic green belts. Often, Christmas Trees are grown on soil that doesn't support other crops. 

Real Christmas Trees Are Renewable (and recyclable). 

Real Christmas Trees are grown on farms just like any other crop. To ensure a constant supply, Christmas Tree growers plant one to three new seedlings for every tree they harvest. 

On the other hand, artificial trees are a petroleum-based product manufactured primarily in Chinese factories. The average family uses an artificial tree for only six to nine years before throwing it away, where it will remain in a landfill for centuries after disposal.

Visiting a choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm is like a trip back in time when families would trek to the woods to cut down their own growing tree. At a Christmas tree farm, the feeling is very much the same. Children can run and play among rows and rows of beautifully shaped living trees to help choose the one that will best fit into their family’s holiday plans. The whole experience is a fun family adventure that adds a little bit more excitement to the holiday plans.

Besides the pleasure of the experience itself, choosing a tree from a local choose-and-cut tree farm has several other advantages. For one, the trees are much fresher than a tree that is cut in another state and trucked to the area. This means the tree will last longer, lose fewer needles and be less of a fire hazard.

Being able to see the shape of the tree in its true standing position is another advantage to buying from a tree farm rather than buying a tied or wrapped cut tree.

Purchasing a locally grown DC area tree means less fuel is used in transportation. It also supports the farmers of the area and boosts local economy.

Where to find locally grown Christmas Trees:

Butler’s Orchard- 22200 Davis Mill Road • Germantown MD 20876 • Telephone – 301-972-3299 Beginning the day after Thanksgiving. Choose and Cut your own Christmas Tree from acres of carefully pruned Douglas Fir, Canaan Fir, and White Pine! 5' tall and up.  

Gaver Farm- 5501 Detrick Road, Mt. Airy, MD – 301-865-3515 Choose and Cut your own and Pre-Cut selection from over 50 acres of beautifully shaped trees!  

Homestead Farms- 15604 Sugarland Road, Poolesville, Maryland 20837 Cut your own Christmas tree! Saws provided.  

Naughty Pine Nursery - 18200 Elmer School Road, Dickerson, MD - 301-785-8622 Large selection of Christmas Trees

Middleburg Christmas Tree Farm- Route 630 (Unison Road) and Christmas Tree Lane, Middleburg, Virginia. (540) 554-8625

Snickers Gap Christmas Tree Farm - 34350 Williams Gap Road, Round Hill, VA 20141 - (540) 554-8323 Now in their 30th year, they are a family owned choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm located near Bluemont, Virginia.

Ticonderoga Farms- 26469 Ticonderoga Road , Chantilly, Virginia ph: 703.327.4424 Beautiful selection and many other activities to add to the fun

For more information, visit: National Christmas Tree Association Quick Facts

Maryland Christmas Tree Association
And these lists from the Christmas Tree Farm Network:
Maryland Christmas Tree Farms
Virginia Christmas Tree Farms

National Christmas Tree Association Members in Maryland
National Christmas Tree Association Members in Virginia

For a more complete list, visit the article on dc.about.com: Christmas Tree Farms in Maryland and Virginia