To hate seeing half-dead Christmas trees dumped outside

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Inspired by another thread about xmas lights, one of the most depressing sights of the year IMO is when people leave their real xmas trees dumped in front of their houses in early January.

I get that they are (mostly) awaiting a booked collection from a charity etc, so I'm not suggesting that those people are doing anything wrong or should do anything different, but it always looks a bit sad, especially before 5 Jan. AIBU?

er, no? They’re going to be turned into wood chips and mulch and put back into the land. Think of it that way.

Oh I know that - it's just a stark contrast from all the pretty decorated trees last week.

What is really depressing is going to the tip and seeing all the artificial trees that people chuck out.

Where I live people seem to assume the council will collect them (they don't) so the trees frequently sit there until February (or even longer).

I get it, OP. I keep giving our tree sad looks, as it will be denuded of its finery today, but it will not go out the front, it will be in the back garden until we chop it up ready for the garden waste collection. I feel so sad for the poor tree that was a living, growing thing that I think we might have to go for artificial from now on. I feel like a murderer.

I feel so sad for the poor tree that was a living, growing thing that I think we might have to go for artificial from now on. I feel like a murderer.

I felt like that too but don’t want a fake one, so bought a potted tree and it’s just done its third Christmas.

YANBU. Even worse when you see a tree that still looks fine dumped outside on Boxing Day like I did!

Glad to see at least some people agree with me! This is not an anti-real trees thread, just saying it looks sad walking down the road seeing them all outside. For further context, my street is mostly small Victorian terraces.

Yep I feel this way too. Used to work at a garden centre and there were heaps of them outside in a sad pile in January 😭

We have always had fake. Used the same £9 tree for about 15 years, then got an upgrade, but still kept the faithful cheapy for a second room.

I always find that a bit sad too.

I have an artificial tree - a Balsam Hill - and it's still going strong 10 years later.

... And for many more years to continue!

Sadly another example of the 'throwaway society'

My council organises Christmas tree collection points dotted around the borough.
But still some lazy person dumps them anywhere.

I get it too, its such a harsh change from the twinkly lights and decorations of christmas.
I get that they're most likely being collected to make wood chips etc and it's all part of the circle of life and all that but it still feels a bit depressing.
I've just booked tickets to a concert in May to cheer myself up.

I get it, we had the loveliest tree this year, 9ft tall and a beautiful shape. We burn ours afterwards so it was especially sad really!

I’d presume they have a reason. I’ve got a friend who takes the decorations down on Christmas Day evening as her daughter was born on Boxing Day, and prefers them to be down. We don’t put ours up until after my sons birthday on the 22nd.

Although I do wonder why people with back gardens don’t put them out there until collection date; we always have.

I agree OP. TBH I also don’t like seeing discarded rotting pumpkins everywhere after Halloween.

Our tree is a fake pre lit one that used to belong to my late ILs.

We're going to have a go at a couple of these ideas this year https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/six-ways-to-recycle-your-christmas-tree/

We have had ours for 10 years, still going strong!

The issue with the pumpkins is that they attract vermin. Caught a one sitting inside the neighbour's through the day! They had left it out so long.

I feel exactly the same - it almost feels like they are sentient beings (I know this is ridiculous!), and even though every year my husband says they recycle them, it feels so selfish and wasteful to use them for literally 2-3 weeks and then bin them. We should find an alternative but I can't persuade him.

I was really sad to see my beautiful tree go this morning(collected by the local scouts) it’s really brought me a lot of joy this Christmas ❤️ And was the first real tree we’ve ever had! Our pre-lit Christmas trees will now stay in the loft, it’s a real tree for us every year 🎄

We could, yes, now that we have outside space to do that, we might give that a go.

Are you mad?

A tradition in this country since Victoria and Albert and in Germany for much longer isn’t an example of a throwaway society.

@SpecduckularlyQuackers - if you’re doing the “protect tender plants” type stuff recommended in the article, bear in mind the branches will shed all their needles onto the soil. Great for ericaceous loving plants, less so for everything else.

My MIL has an ericaceous bed in her garden so I'm planning on shredding the smaller branches and giving her the mulch. For the rest I'm torn between a wood stack habitat versus using the trunk for an annual climber later in the year!

Around here, small holders and farms ask for Christmas trees so that goats can play with them. Think that's lovely because something else gets enjoyment out of the old trees

Ours go in the quail aviary for them to play hide and seek among.