Growing your own Christmas tree requires a multi-year commitment, moving from careful planning and species selection to years of dedicated shaping and maintenance. Unlike many other crops, Christmas trees demand patience and specific horticultural practices. The goal is to transform a small seedling into the dense, symmetrical centerpiece desired for the holiday season. This journey demands attention to detail at every stage.
Choosing Species and Preparing the Site
The success of a Christmas tree farm begins with selecting the right conifer species for the local environment. Popular choices like the Fraser Fir thrive in cooler climates and acidic, well-drained soils, often commanding a premium price due to their excellent needle retention and pleasant fragrance. Conversely, species like the Scotch Pine are more adaptable to a wider variety of soils and are known for their fast growth rate. The Balsam Fir demands moist soil and is sensitive to late spring frosts. Matching the tree’s natural requirements to your site’s conditions is the most important initial decision to avoid long-term failure.
Before planting, a thorough site assessment is necessary, starting with a soil analysis to determine pH and nutrient levels. Most conifers prefer a slightly acidic pH, and corrections using lime or sulfur should be made well in advance. Existing vegetation, especially perennial weeds, must be eradicated through mechanical cultivation or herbicide application, as they compete fiercely with young trees for moisture and nutrients. The planting site must have moderate to well-drained soil, as most species will not tolerate standing water or heavy clay that prevents root aeration.
Planting Seedlings and Ensuring Survival
Christmas trees are typically started using bare-root seedlings or transplants rather than seeds, which are too slow for an efficient growing cycle. Planting should occur in the early spring as soon as the soil is workable and before the buds break, which helps reduce transplant shock. The planting depth is crucial; the root collar—the junction where the stem meets the roots—must be set precisely at the soil surface. Planting too deep or too shallow can weaken or kill the young tree.
Proper spacing is necessary for long-term health and the ability to shape the trees later. Rows are typically spaced 5 to 8 feet apart, with similar distances between trees within the row. This spacing ensures adequate airflow, which helps prevent pest and disease issues as the trees mature. Following planting, firm the soil around the roots to eliminate air pockets and provide a thorough initial watering. Weekly watering should continue through the first year until the trees are fully established. Protecting the tender new growth from deer browsing is also necessary during this establishment phase.
Long-Term Maintenance and Shaping
Once established, the bulk of the grower’s work shifts to intensive, annual maintenance aimed at creating the dense, conical form consumers expect. This effort involves a continuous battle against competing vegetation, as weeds drastically reduce growth by monopolizing water and nutrients. Growers employ a combination of mechanical mowing between rows, targeted herbicide applications around the base of the trees, and sometimes the use of cover crops to manage ground cover. A regular scouting program is also necessary to manage insects and diseases, often using chemical or biological controls to keep the foliage healthy and marketable.
Shearing and Pruning
The most specialized aspect of care is shearing and pruning, which must be performed yearly to achieve the desired taper and density. Shearing generally begins two to four years after planting, depending on the species and growth rate. It is timed to coincide with the period when the new growth, or “candles,” are still soft but beginning to firm up, typically from late May to mid-July.
The terminal leader, which controls the tree’s height, is cut back to a length of 8 to 12 inches. This is often done with an angled cut just above a strong bud to promote a single, straight leader for the following year. Lateral branches are also sheared to maintain a conical shape with a typical taper of 50 to 60 percent, meaning the base is about half to two-thirds the height of the tree.
This clipping stimulates dormant buds to break, resulting in a denser tree with shorter needle growth. Butt pruning is another regular task, which involves removing the lowest whorls of branches to create a clean, branch-free handle at the base for securing the tree in a stand. Finally, soil nutrient levels are monitored periodically through testing, and specific fertilizer blends are applied only as needed to correct deficiencies, ensuring balanced growth and deep green needle color.
Determining Readiness and Harvesting
A Christmas tree is ready for harvest when it reaches the desired height and has achieved sufficient density and taper. This typically takes between 7 and 12 years, depending on the species and the size preference. Growers judge readiness by visually inspecting the tree’s overall shape and measuring its height to ensure it meets market standards. The harvest itself usually occurs after the first hard frosts in the late fall or early winter, which helps set the needles and improves post-cut retention.
The traditional harvesting method involves cutting the trunk flush with the ground, clearing the site for a new seedling to be planted in the spring. An alternative practice called “stump culture” involves cutting the tree just above the lowest whorl of branches. This technique allows one of the remaining lateral branches to be trained upward as a new leader, effectively utilizing the established root system. This produces a second, smaller tree years faster than planting a new seedling.