Firewood

Before taking your Christmas tree to the recycling center this year, consider using it to create backyard habitat for birds. To attract birds, you must provide their three basic needs - food, water, and cover or shelter. Your old Christmas tree will provide excellent shelter for birds, providing protection from wind and predators. It can also serve as a feeding station, where you provide a buffet of food that our native birds love. 

Wood stoves and fireplaces are great for warming chilly hands and feet, but what are you to do with the resulting ashes? Many gardening books advise throwing these ashes in the garden.

Wood ash does have fertilizer value, the amount varying with the species of wood being used. Generally, wood ash contains less than 10 percent potash, 1 percent phosphate and trace amounts of micro-nutrients such as iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. Trace amounts of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium also may be present. Wood ash does not contain nitrogen.

Now is the time to get firewood ready for winter use. But the big woodpile that gives you such a feeling of snug security going into winter may also shelter rodents and insects, and may even provide them an opportunity to spend the cold season under your roof.