Organic Mulch Dye

Recycle Your Christmas

We all love our Christmas trees. Sometimes the hunt for the perfect specimen takes us into nature itself, trudging up the hills through rain or snow, where we can actually cut it down ourselves-a hands-on approach that’s both invigorating and rewarding.

Other times, our chase takes us across town to a converted tree lot next to a Burger King.

But when the holidays are over and you’ve removed the garland, lights, and ornaments, how do you dispose of your tree in a manner that’s also good for the environment?

By recycling it, of course.

Local city and town governments across the country offer services (probably free-of-charge) to dispose of your Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly way. The services assigned for tree pick-up can range from a city organization to a local Boy Scout troop, and the trees are often turned into mulch for a number of uses, like ground cover for neighborhood parks.

Learn about your area by visiting the web site Earth911.com, which helps locate recycling centers for everything from hazardous materials and paint to batteries and light bulbs-and, yes, even Christmas trees. Just enter your zip code for the services and locations available in your area.

Recycling isn’t just for Christmas trees, though. There are plenty of opportunities to make your holiday season more eco-friendly.

Gift wrapping: After the tsunami of holiday gifts is opened, the pile of once-used wrapping paper left could sadden even the jolliest of elves. Much of it can be recycled, but the glossy, dye-filled gift-wrapping cannot be reused and must be dumped in the traditional garbage.

Here are some suggestions that might help you feel better when wrapping gifts:

• Buy recycled wrapping paper. That way you know it’s OK to put in the good bin.
• Use newspaper. Are the Kings really that far back in the NBA standings? Put that sports section to good use by doubling it up as wrapping paper. Newspaper can also be composted when you’re done.
• Boxed in. From shoeboxes to those tiny cereal boxes, these are great gift receptacles.
• Save the wrapping paper. My mom did this for years while I was growing up. But even with a gaggle of eager grandchildren shredding through the paper from gift to gift, she hasn’t given up trying. What perseverance!
• Reusable bags. My wife and I have swapped out wrapping paper with our new tradition, the reusable bag. Our large stash of ChicoBags is perfect for birthdays and should be ideal for our Christmas cache, as well.

Holiday photo cards: Receiving a holiday photo card is a ritual that everyone likes. New faces, grown-up children and cute animals dressed up in fuzzy outfits help make a highly anticipated tradition. This year try something different by repurposing the holiday photo cards.

Use the photos from friends and loved ones this year for gifts for those same folks next year. Coasters, placemats, framed photo cards and calendars are just a few ideas.

With all of the pageantry and elements that go into Christmas, there are clear opportunities for easing up on Mother Nature.

Until next time, Happy Home Improving (and Merry Christmas)!

should I mulch my vegetable garden?

I live in new england. Growing a organic veg garden this summer. should I put down mulch to help with weed control and retain heat and moisture? If so, what should I use? i don’t want to use commercial bark much because of the added chemicals and dyes. What do you use?

With the exception of clear plastic (which warms the soil), mulch cools the soil but it does preserve moisture. Grass clippings and compost are a good organic mulch. They are relatively high in nitrogen, so they don’t need extra. Wood chips, bark, and leaves are good for mulch, but they tax the decomposition capacity of the soil. Vegetables will not get enough nitrogen as a result of too much organic material. Depending on the decomposition level, add enough nitrogen fertilizer to compensate for the added organic material. Forgive me if I don’t speak strictly organic language. I’m hybrid in my gardening techniques. I use the developments along with the experience of the ages.

I use grass clippings, peat moss,”Nutrimulch” (wood shavings and turkey manure), cow maunure, kitchen-waste compost, wood bark, and chips, depending on availability. I add NPK fertilizer to boost growth and decomposition of organic matter. I till vines and stalks into the soil as early as possible to provide food for microbes and earthworms. And I get big yields of delicious vegetables: peas, beans, carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, herbs of all sorts, flowers, potatoes, and squash. I used a little greenhouse (what I call a hoop house) to warm my garden this year, and in spite of snows and freezing temperatures, my peas are nearly ready to bloom.

Media Mulch XXIX – Planet Earth Gets Its Groove On

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Scotts Nature Scapes Color-Enhanced Mulch Deep Forest Brown – 2 Cubic Feet $7.22 Beautify and protect your landscape with the finest quality mulch. Natural forest products – no waste wood – come in a variety of color and textures. Scotts Mulch helps to maintain moisture, prevent weeds, and create a groomed landscape all year long. Naturally prevents weeds, Provides organic matter that helps condition the soil for better plants. This product is specifically formulated for use…