Celia Therapy

Three Eco Friendly Uses for Pruned Apple BranchesIn the early spring, gardeners will trim back their fruit trees to maintain the shape of the tree and to encourage fruit production. If however one of those trees is an apple, a gardener might be surprised to discover that those pruned apples branches need not be thrown out but can be
 recycled into something useful instead. If you have an armload of apple branches you don’t know what do with, one of these three ideas may work for you:Rabbit chew treatsDo you have a rabbit? If so, you’ve probably discovered that rabbits love to chew. Chew toys keep a rabbit engaged and stimulated while giving his teeth a workout. Apple twigs make fantastic chew treats for bunnies who love to nibble off the tender bark, then munch away on the inner core. Newly cut twigs that are pesticide free can be given directly to the rabbit to enjoy. If you have an abundance of apple twigs, these can be trimmed to size and allowed to dry for future use. We drill a small hole in the center of our dried apple twigs so the branches can be suspended from our rabbit’s treat hanger.Make your own apple wood chips for the barbecueApple wood chips can be added to the barbecue to give grilled meat and fish a rich, smokey-sweet flavor. While commercially prepared apple wood chips can run between $8-10 for a two pound bag, you can make your own BBQ wood chips out of all those apple tree prunings.Apple branches can be run through a wood chipper, or collected as the branches are being cut up with a chain saw. Smaller branches and twigs can even be chopped into bits with a small hatchet. The prepared apple wood chips should be soaked in water first before placing in the grill. This allows the smoky aroma of the apple chips to permeate the food instead of simply turning to ash.Bean and Pea frames