Peanut butter and a pine cone can turn live Christmas tree into a bird diner

Q: We want to say thanks for the information on how to tree-cycle our Christmas tree. We decided to place it in the backyard and “decorate” it for the birds. It is amazing how quickly we’ve had several birds come and enjoy the offerings. We did get a couple of smallish seed discs, but the branches are having a hard time supporting that weight. Any other suggestions for us so we can continue to enjoy these cheerful feathered creatures? — B.W., Albuquerque

A: The discs can be heavy, so you might consider cracking them into smaller pieces and using stouter embroidery floss thread wrapped around the pieces and hang them that way.

I reread another nifty idea that comes from my copy of “Down To Earth: A Gardener’s Guide to the Albuquerque Area,” that you coat pine cones with peanut butter and hang them in your bird tree. Tie a loop of the embroidery floss through the pine cone and then using a spatula, smear the peanut butter into the pine cone recesses. Next, if you’ve purchased any wild bird seed while getting the seed discs, pour some of it on a shallow saucer and roll the smeared pine cone around in the bird seed. The seed should stick into the peanut butter, making a very tasty treat for your feathered friends.

If you don’t use all the seed at once, you can set the saucer on the ground near the tree and the ground feeding birds, like doves and juncos, will find the tray a happy place to feed. Remember to incorporate a couple of saucers of water that you’ll thaw and refill as necessary, and you’ll be even more amazed by the numbers and types of birds you’ll attract.

It’s good to help these guys during the winter months while they have fewer food sources. Besides, encouraging birds will, to a certain extent, help to keep your grounds more pest free as the seasons go on. Enjoy and Happy New Year to you!

Happy Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.