Christmas Tree Take Down

Taking down the tree? Here are a few tips to get it out the door with less mess.

• Try this pro trick --Take a big garbage bag and put it around the top of the Christmas tree, then tie the bottom of the bag around the base. This will catch the pine needles when you flip over the tree and start heading towards the door.

• No bag? Use an old sheet to contain needles. First, place the sheet on the ground next to the tree. Remove any remaining water out of the tree stand with a turkey baster. Next, flip the entire tree, stand and all, sideways onto the sheet (trying to wrangle the tree out of the stand first will send needles flying). Once the tree is on the floor, tightly wrap the sheet around it, remove the stand, and carry it outside.

Keep in mind that here in San Diego, you can cut your tree to fit in your curbside collection (green) bit on your Clean Green recycling days. If you use your own containers for yard waste, you can leave your tree curbside for pick up on your regular Clean Green Recycle days. If your tree is taller than 4 feet, you will need to cut it in half.