Life Cycle Of A Christmas Tree
What would Christmas be without a Christmas tree ? Most people don’t think about Christmas trees until November or December, when they go out to select that perfect tree for the family. However, Christmas tree production is a multi-million pound industry that requires year-round management efforts. Christmas trees occupy a unique niche, incorporating aspects of both agricultural production and forestry. Insect and disease pests can have major effects on tree growth, appearance and value. Managing these pests, along with weeds and even rodents, is a critical component of tree production.
Approximately 38 million natural Christmas trees are purchased each year by American consumers. These trees represent the annual harvest of an estimated 20,000 individual growers who annually plant, trim, protect and otherwise manage trees on roughly 500,000 acres of plantations. More than 15 different conifer species are grown for Christmas trees.
It is a serious industry, especially in Denmark, which is already the biggest exporter of Christmas trees and plans to double its production in the next decade. Every December, millions of trees are felled for no better reason than to look pretty for a fortnight or so, and then to be thrown on the fire. But in terms of the two millennia since the original Christmas celebration, the tradition of the Christmas tree is barely out of its infancy.
The first trees were used for seasonal decoration in the middle of the 19th Century, but it is only in the last 40 years or so that Christmas trees have become an essential part of Yuletide celebrations for the vast majority of families in Europe and North America. Count Grav Johan Scheel has a conifer plantation to the west of Copenhagen. His family has been growing Christmas trees commercially for more than four decades.
Effectiveness of insecticide or fungicide applications may be poor if sprays do not penetrate the dense outer canopy. On the other hand, shearing can remove much of the damage caused by shoot-boring insects, Pales weevil (Hylobius pales) and other pests. A good understanding of potential pest problems as well as consumer preferences should help growers develop suitable shearing practices.
In the past, Christmas tree plantations were sometimes established with little or no site preparation other than removal of competing woody vegetation. Survival and success of these plantation were mixed. Where site preparation was minimal, pines were easier to produce than spruces or firs. Modern Christmas tree operations often spend much effort in site preparation activities including tillage, use of cover crops and soil fertility enhancement. These efforts pay off in higher seedling survival, fewer pest problems on young trees, more rapid initial growth and an overall increase in tree quality.
Actual harvesting begins in late October and will continue on through mid-December. After cutting, trees are shaken to remove dead foliage and debris, and then baled with string or net. Trees are then transported from the plantation to storage or loading yard where they will be stored until shipment. Shipment to retail centres and stores is usually well underway by November 18 to 20.
Paul Myers provides articles on behalf of the Christmas Tree Company, the official website of the Christmas Tree Company Online Ltd, a provider of premium quality Real Christmas trees and Decorative Christmas Lights. The company is located in the North West of England and delivers nationwide.
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