How can I reuse or recycle … tree branches?
We’ve had an email from Sam:
I’ve just cut down a tree in my backyard. I’ll compost the leafy bits but the branches would take far too long to rot. What can I do with them? I thought about getting one of those chipper things but they’re expensive so do you have any other suggestions?
You could maybe rent a wood shredder – and see if any friends or anyone else in the neighbourhood has stuff to chop up and would be willing to share the cost – but it might cost more than you’re willing to spend.
If there are some reasonably straight and not too thick branches, you could use them as plant supports in the garden or if they’re quite flexible, make them a trellis for plants to climb up.
Any other suggestions?
(Photo by Louchiere)
you can give them away for firewood on freecycle.org
People will come with their own instruments, cut it up and take it away.
Btw – leaves from the trees take long time to decompose – they don’t advise you to stick them in your normal compost bin. Instead- you can call your local council and ask them about recycling green waste. You can check it out on your council’s website as well.
In my area – they come and pick up garden waste free of charge, by appointment.
You could make some candle holders by drilling votive sized holes along the branch. Another good thing and more practical is to purchase or find some mushroom spawn and inoculate some logs. here is a link:
http://www.fungi.com/cultures/cultures.html
I built rustic fences on my allotment with tree branches I cut down.
You can pile them up and let the wild life live inside the newly formed brush pile.
I have seen some great cat trees made from sturdy branches. If the branch has other branches on it, you can put platforms for the kitties to sit on. Wrap some jute or carpet around the bottom to scratch on and put a sturdy base on the whole thing.
You could spray paint them with silver paint and string fairy lights on them to to use as light/decoration.
Try constructing a hedge hog house, a couple of the logs screwed to gether to make sides and a few straddled across the top for a roof with dried leaves inside for bedding, left under a hedge and forgoten about, and the hogs will soon move in, dosn’t have to be too large
Talk to your local art gallery, they might know of a wood sculptor in the area who might want to carve something from your tree branches.
Our local council demands £15 up front and a 3 week wait before picking up “extras”; yours might be rather saner.
Ask around – you may have a friend of a friend who’s into woodwork; a local school might find use for it; does anyone you know have a wood burning stove?; is it too early to contact local pubs, community centres, etc., about donating wood for a bonfire?; do any of your local pubs have real wood fires?
You could give a shot at making furniture. I plan to make a chair out of some white birch branches. Just search for “rustic furniture” and you can find some ideas.
My local zoo requests garden trimmings, including quite robust bits, for their animals to eat. Think about how much giraffes and elephants need to munch through in a day! Not sure if they can really eat branches, as such, but perhaps it’s worth enquiring at your local zoo.
Bejeweled branches:
http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2006/04/14/hdec5-101S_seg3_JeweledBranch_e.jpg
Old costume jewelry is glued onto a tree branch to make some spring bling artwork for the credenza.
Oh boy …. I love this. New art for my lawn!
I THINK THAT IS A GOOD THING TO RECYCLING TREES. THAT CAN SAVE TREE AND PEOLPE SHOULD USE LIL MONEY.
We had a massive snow storm here in Oregon a few weeks ago, that took down one of the trees in my backyard. I cut the trunk into 12 inch stumps, and used them as the ‘corner stones’ for my raised veggie garden.