Dobbies’ Plant Buyer, Nigel Lawton outlines his tips on how you can repurpose your freshly cut Christmas tree once the festive season is over. Here’s what he said.

When it comes to fresh Christmas trees, Nigel recommends recycling these in your garden to help wildlife. He said: “Freshly cut Christmas trees can be repurposed in your garden to make shelter for insects and small animals like hedgehogs and birds during the colder months.

“Once you’ve taken the lights and baubles off your real Christmas tree, carefully take it outside – remembering to wear gloves to protect your hands. Then, starting from the top of the tree, use a good quality pair of secateurs to remove each branch, cutting as close as possible to the main trunk.

“Once you have removed the branches, you can stack them together to create wildlife sanctuaries for wildlife in your garden. Use four or five pieces layered on top of one another and place under large shrubs, trees or hedges. Do this throughout your garden until all the branches are used up. This will give insects and small animals a safe place to shelter from the cold winter weather.

“For the main trunk of the tree, use a pruning saw to cut it into 30cm lengths. These can then be stacked together to make mini log piles that are a great habitat for hedgehogs and birds.”

If you’ve got a pot-grown Christmas tree, Nigel says it will last for years to come if planted outside correctly. He said: “Pot-grown trees are a great value option as they can be planted in your garden after the festive period is over and brought back inside year after year.

“As a rule of thumb, you should dig a hole the same depth as your pot but at least twice as wide, and make sure to loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole. Carefully remove the tree from the grow pot, disturbing as little of the natural rootball as possible. Then, fill with a 50:50 mix of soil and a good quality multipurpose peat-free compost. Gently firm the tree in place and make sure it is regularly watered throughout the first year of establishment.”

For more gardening advice, visit www.dobbies.com.