Christmas greenery -- the holly boughs, wreaths and stately trees -- bring holiday warmth and fragrance to the home. If you pamper your boughs and trees during their festive stay in your home, not only can you enjoy safe and long-lasting holiday magic, but you can return those borrowed gifts to the original owners and inhabitants ... the overwintering birds. Throughout the long nights of January and February, when the icy winds howl along rooftops and eaves, many species of birds can feed, huddle for warmth and hide from predators in the green embrace of Christmas Past.
But ... first things first. Before you bestow your benevolence on the birds come Epiphany, you need to take steps to keep your evergreens jaunty -- and fire-safe -- while they're in your home.
Christmas Trees Future Bird Condominiums
Many Christmas cards feature happy little critters flitting about the base or branches of an evergreen tree. To approximate this fond image as closely as possible, it's important to pamper your tree throughout the holidays so that it retains its protective needles. Not only does this provide good habitat for wildlife later on, it prevents the tree from becoming a fire hazard while it's in your home. After all, you want to end up with a cover for critters rather than kindling for house fires.
First, the inside scoop.
"The key to tree longevity is to make sure that the tree you select is fresh. A prime source is a 'choose-and-cut' operation," says Dr. Craig McKinley, a Christmas tree expert at North Carolina State University. "You can also find fresh trees on retail lots. Ask when the tree was cut. Another key is to not purchase a tree too early in the season."
McKinley, who is also specialist in the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, says that trees cut after a few frosts have "hardened" for the winter and usually keep their freshness longer.
McKinley offers other tips on keeping your tree fresh and hazard-free:
"A good tree and fresh evergreens, when properly cared for, are actually quite difficult to set on fire," says McKinley. "However, you must take precautions to keep your tree in good condition and at a safe distance from a heat source."
Now Comes the Bird (And Fishes) Part ...
Sometimes, charity begins just outside your home. The week after New Years Day is a good time to bequest the birds ... and even furnish the fishes.
"Discarded Christmas trees and other evergreens can provide an extra shot of life before they're transformed into mulch or other by-products," says Dr. Peter Bromley, an Extension wildlife specialist at N.C. State. "Instead of putting your tree out on the curb for trash pickup or consigning it to the woodchipper right away, you might consider setting it up at the edge of your yard and hanging suet and seed rings in its branches. Just don't place [the tree] too far from existing ground cover, though. You don't want the birds exposed to a predator's grip when they move to feed."
Bromley suggests arranging the wreaths and holly at the base of the tree for added ground cover. Hanging suet balls, dried or fresh fruit and seed rings in the branches will give your tree new life with new "ornaments." This "second Christmas" will give the gift of nourishment and protection to birds who stay through the coldest part of the year.
When winter's over and the birds return to natural foraging, the mulch made from the exhausted trees will offer protection to tender new plants and fresh-turned soil come springtime.
Or, you can even "deep-six" the tree (after attaching heavy weights) into a pond or lake to provide protective cover for fish ... especially for the little fish that hatch each spring.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year -- again and again -- from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.