this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2025
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Do It Yourself

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I now live near a pine tree and don't know what to do with all of the pine cones. Decorations? Just burn them in a fire pit? Any ideas welcome.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Fire starters. We collect them all from our property ahead of winter too help with starting the fire.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 month ago

Twisted firestarter (hey, hey, hey)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Do they have to be open for this or is closed fine?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I only really collect the ones that look like they’ll burn, so I can’t really say.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month ago

The seeds from some kinds of pine are edible. e.g. pine nuts are used as an ingredient in pesto.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 month ago

Chuck them in an open fire then get out your paraglider for a quick ascent

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

JustInTheTrees on youtube has a good video about making pinecone syrup like that. Looks good!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago

We used to pretend they were hand grenades and huck them at eachother.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago

If you have access to a wood chipper or similar, they're great for mulch, and as substrate component for some orchids.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Depends on the type of pine tree. Lot of the uses mentioned by others are dependent on the type. If you can identify the type, I’d try searching it.

In addition to the uses some have mentioned, some have medicinally useful compounds that can be extracted by alcohol.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Use them to predict the weather! Their scales close when its humid (predicting rain) and open when its gonna be sunny.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

I'm pining for an answer to this question myself.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I think that pine trees find them useful for dispersing seeds :P

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Organic enemas?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I'm using them as Christmas tree decorations, but you can use them in multiple ways. You can hang them by a string, you can spray paint them and/or put them in a terrarium, etc.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Dip them in water and watch them close up tight.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Make a scented potpourri? Idk, I’ve never done that. But it seems easy to do!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Foot massage.