Christmas is near and if you haven’t put up your tree yet, let me offer a little green advice: consider a living tree. Around my neighborhood, I have noticed several pine trees in pots. It is exciting to see that people have taken care of their living Christmas trees and will use them again this season.

Mid-City Nursery as well as Yard Birds and Home Depot carry a variety of beautiful trees. These living trees can stay indoors for about a week. There are several varieties of trees to choose from: Alberta Spruce, Colorado Spruce, Deodar Cedar, Austrian Black Pine, Scotch Pine, and the Giant Sequoia. They grow in natural conical shape and make excellent choices for a living Christmas tree.

Living Christmas trees require two quarts to one gallon of water every day. To protect the tree from drying out, it is best to place it in a cool area away from heater vents and use miniature lights. When the tree is ready to be taken outside, place it in a protected spot for 12 days to allow the tree to acclimate. You can leave your tree in its large pot so that you can use it next year after careful summer feeding and watering.
If you opt for a cut tree, you have three ways to recycle it.

First, let me remind you to water your cut tree because dried-out trees are a fire hazard. Keeping your tree watered will make your tree look better. Each year, trees come to VALCORE for recycling that have never received a drop of water as evidenced by the original wooden stands that are attached to the tree. Vallejo’s Treecycle program is in its sixteenth season. Six local nonprofit groups will be picking up trees on the first three Sundays in January. This year’s list includes the Cub Scout Pack 12, Cub Scout Pack 118, Boy Scout Troop 64, Boy Scout Troop 77, M.I.T. Academy-Color Guard, and Venture Crew 222.

The groups are requesting a $5 donation and ask that you remove the stand, tinsel, lights, and ornaments from your tree. Flocked trees are a big concern. Flocked trees are picked up by the groups listed above, but they are not recycled, they are put into the garbage. Flocked trees are disposed as waste because the material used to flock the trees may pose a health threat when the trees are chipped. I have called the companies that sell the flocking material and none have given me a straight answer about what is in their product. My advice is to never flock your tree.

Watch for flyers in your neighborhood and look for the Treecycle ad. Flyers will be available at VALCORE Recycling and City Hall. The drop-off Treecycle program begins on Monday, December 26 at VALCORE Recycling. We will accept trees Monday through Saturday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. until January 14. We are closed daily from 1p.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch.

Vallejo Garbage Service will accept Christmas trees at their 2021 Broadway site on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until January 7. Vallejo residents do not need a yard waste voucher for this service. For information, call 552-3110. Christmas trees will be collected with your curbside yard waste the week of December 26 and January 2. In order to be recycled, Christmas trees must be placed at the curb on your regular yard waste day. If the tree is over 6 feet, it must be cut in half. After January 6, you should place your tree inside your yard waste bin or tie it in bundles no larger than 18 inches by 36 inches for pick up on your assigned yard waste day.

Flocked trees are not accepted at the drop-off sites or for curbside pickup. Vallejo’s Recycling Coordinator Derek Crutchfield reports that with the help of the City’s Landscape Maintenance Division, Vallejo was able to divert over 1500 trees from the landfill last year. The chipped trees generated 40 tons of mulch which was used as landscape cover in the which was used as land covering in the Hunters Ranch and Borges Ave areas.

For Unincorporated Vallejo residents, Christmas trees will be collected with your yard waste the week of December 26th and January 2rd. Tree must be cut into 3 foot sections and bundled with twine and placed beside your yard waste container. Flocked trees are not accepted with yard waste. Please call Vacaville Sanitary Service at 678-4026 for more information.

In Benicia, the Boy Scouts will be picking up trees. Call 551-4520 or log on to www.beniciascouts.org for information. Drop-off sites are open on December 30, 31 and January 7,8 and include Benicia Community Park (near Matthew Turner School) and First Baptist Church on Southampton Road.

Curbside recyclers will pick up your unflocked trees in your yard waste cart. Branches must be 6 inches or less in diameter and 3 feet or less in length and the lid must. For information, call 747-0608.

Information for all Solano County cities can be found on the county recycling web site: www.recycle-guide.com. Happy New Year and thank you Vallejo for your continued support of our community-run recycling center.