Bob King, director of our Agriculture and Life Sciences Institute, has good news for us: The quality of locally-grown evergreen trees for this holiday season is looking good.
Here Bob tells us the affect of the area’s extreme weather conditions from spring through fall on evergreen trees; its potential impact on next year’s crop; the kind of trees you can expect to find at area Christmas tree farms; and how to get the best one for your home.
“For the Rochester region, the quality is good with good availability in all shapes, sizes and types,” Bob says. But he warns that consumers should buy early this year because adequate size and popular varieties may be in short supply as this year’s dry weather reduced tree height on certain varieties, and drought conditions during previous years affected the quantity of mature trees for this season’s harvest.
“Overall, most varieties of mature trees will tend to be more compact and shorter in height since there was less growth due to low soil moisture conditions,” he says. Quality will vary depending on location, management practices and variety.
The area’s extreme weather conditions since the spring have had other impacts as well, Bob says. A late spring frost held back the growth on several varieties; drought during the summer yielded mixed and, at times, adverse growing conditions, especially for young trees; and lack of a significant frost in the fall encouraged retention of old growth needles on mature trees.
“Mature trees have deep roots and often are able to weather extreme conditions as we have experienced in our area. Also, the warm fall weather promoted good color and good harvest conditions for those trees,” says Bob. “But most Christmas tree operations did not experience a significant frost period, which means that many mature tree varieties, such as Douglas Fir, are retaining old growth needles that would normally would have dropped before cutting.
Consumers will want to ensure that trees have been shaken in order to drop old needles before being set up inside the house.”
While this season’s harvest is expected to produce good results, the impact of adverse weather conditions is expected to have an impact on local supply over the next five years. “Many growers that do not irrigate have reported significant losses of 5 to 75 percent in terms of replants,” Bob says.
Consumers should consider the following tips as they head out to buy their tree over the next several weeks (with sales the highest over the first two weekends of December).
· Consider what kind of evergreen tree you want– a fir, spruce , pine or potted perhaps? Local varieties include:
Firs such as Balsam, Fraser, Concolor and Douglas Fir are popular choices and have soft needles that hold their needles well and have excellent fragrance. Generally, the Concolor Fir with its whitish needles tends to be less of an allergen.
White, Blue and Norway Spruces also make good Christmas trees. Although not as fragrant as a fir tree, they have solid branches that can hold heavy ornaments. The Blue Spruce is popular and has a bluish color, but has sharp needles that can be distressing for decorating yet an ideal way to keep pets and small children from playing with the tree.
Often overlooked, pines such as Red, Scots and Austrian Pine also have solid branches and good fragrance. These pines tend to be less dense, which is ideal for large ornaments. The White Pine tends to have very soft branches and bend with heavy decorations, but it has a very soft look and illuminates quite well.
Potted Christmas trees tend to be popular among younger households and are live trees that should be planted outside after the holidays. Much smaller than a cut tree, the soil ball containing the root system will make for a much heavier tree to handle. Ideally, the tree should not be sheared like a cut tree since this will cause dense growth.
Most potted trees are planted in January when the ground is frozen. It is important to dig a hole when the ground is warmer. Ideally, the hole should be two to three times the diameter of the soil ball, and no deeper than the ball’s height. Keep the soil that is dug up in a garage or cellar to keep it from freezing. Before planting, the tree will need to be conditioned to the colder temperatures again, so store it in a cool place for a few weeks then move it outside.
· Before you leave your home– make sure the tree will fit. Measure the ceiling height to make sure the tree along with a tree topper will fit.
· Select a tree with a trunk that is straight and not split into two.
· Grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger and pull. Fresh trees have very few needles that will fall off, and the branches will be supple and spring back.
· Inspect the branches for any animal life, insect activity or other undesirable objects.
· Make sure to shake the tree so that old growth needles will drop before final selection.
· Pick up the tree. A heavy tree indicates abundant moisture and sap, and is not dried out. When the tree is dropped on its trunk, few needles should fall out.
· Have the tree wrapped. Wrapping helps with tying the tree to the roof or trunk of your vehicle and will help prevent on damage to walls and floors when moved into the house.
· Saw a one-inch slice off the trunk while at the tree lot or just before you bring the tree in the house. This opens up the vessels in the trunk for water to flow and will encourage needle retention. Immediately put the tree trunk in water before the newly opened vessels can close.
· Provide the tree with plenty of water while it is in the stand to prevent it from drying it out.
· Keep the tree from heat sources. Do not use candles or open flames near the tree and avoid combustible decorations.
· Make sure your lights are in good working order, and that your smoke detectors and fire extinguisher work properly.
Dianne E McConkey
College and Community Relations
11/28/2007 |