Sometimes people add aspirin or other preservatives to the water to extend the freshness of the tree. Most home recipe do not work, and commercial preservatives are not necessary. The use of a real Christmas tree is not over when the decorations come down. Real trees can be recycled into a number of different uses. Some people place the tree in the backyard and use it as a winter bird feeder .
Groups often collect tree to put in lakes as artificial reefs .
The trees also can be chipped and the chips used as organic mulch around shrubs and flowers. Pine mulch is an excellent mulch in South Dakota because the needles and wood chips help acidify the soil and provide a better growing environment for plants.