These professionals will use specialised equipment and know how to deal with even the tallest trees. ( (606)257-7610. Dont plant in gullies, ditches or other low-lying spots that are susceptible to frost. According to ATTRA, steam weeding is an old practice that has resurfaced as a viable technology with recent equipment developments (brand names include Waipuna and Aqua Heat). ( The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) says, Many growers in Cape Town, British Columbia, claim that sheep are probably the most commonly used animals for this practice, but cows and even ostriches are also effective. NCAP also says that cultivating and heat steaming machines can be used for weed control but that the startup costs and management requirements are greater for these than for other methods. Basal pruning consists of removing all the branches from the ground up to a full whorl or set of branches. ( ( ( ( We are using land that was idle and on which we would have been paying taxes anyhow. ( Extn. ((h( Meanwhile, prepare a seed bed in the garden, ideally, so that you can keep a good eye on it by turning over the soil, removing weeds thoroughly, adding peat moss and some forest soil from beneath the type of tree you intend to grow, and whatever nutrients are recommended by a soil test. ( The trees should be set as deep as they were in the nursery, and the soil should be firmed around their roots after theyre planted to eliminate air spaces. ( ( If you are selling directly to the consumer, have your advertising ready to run just after Thanksgiving. But the window to make and sell wreaths is a short one, and getting even shorter. Your goal is to produce a compact root system with many fine rootlets rather than a coarse, heavy root system. This can be as early as 5 years of age for pines but is usually about 10 or more years for balsam firs. ( (h(h( Not only does cutting your own tree save money, but it creates a tradition for the entire family. In addition, real trees are recyclable, so when youre done using them, you can reuse them as mulch. ( ( Publications suggest going to a spot where the seedlings are growing in the open, such as a recently logged or bulldozed area, and pulling up the native, 3- to 8-inch-tall seedlings while theyre dormant in the spring, packing them in wet peat moss, rolling them in sacking, and setting them in a transplant bed, taking care to keep the roots moist at all times. The needles of this tree are very sharp they are awful to prune and the tree doesnt have the fragrance of balsam. Leaving more than one leader will create a multi- stemmed tree. After the cones open, shake the bag to free the seeds from the cones. ( Podcast episode. ( Any dead or damaged shoots should also be removed. TTY Users: 7-1-1 or 800-735-2964 (Relay NH) This will be the direction of the new growth. ( I find that if I dont ask her to help and just let her do what she wants when she shows up in the trees, she is very helpful and is good company, to boot. It may take two or three years to get such a tree back into shape. Granger et al. ( Proper pruning cuts are made at a node, the point at which one branch or twig attaches to another. ( full, compact (dense) foliage. Thats one way to start a plantation or to get some early trees while waiting for plantation-grown trees to mature, but because self-sown trees rarely grow in rows, they can be difficult to manage. ( ( They will trample the little ones, though, and in pushing between the larger trees, they will snap off some twigs and limbs. Ponies, she says, are apt to do even more tree damage, and damaged trees can take a couple of years to outgrow their broken limbs. In the spring, remove mulches when night temperatures are consistently above 30 degrees. You can also collect seeds and start your own plants in a seedling bed, grow them there for two years, then move them to a transplant bed, where theyll grow for two more years before heading for the plantation. endobj ( When the cone scales are beginning to separate, its time to collect. ( ( It includes strategies for using prevention, mechanical means, cover crops and vegetated strips, flame weeding, and biological and chemical controls. ( ( ( After sowing them, cover them with about 1/4 inch of sterile sand or a mix of sand and peat moss and press them into the soil with a board. ( ( ( The Virginia pine is one such tree, which is the preferred tree of Fred Raley. To propagate bottle brush from cuttings using clean, sterilized pruners to take 6-inch cuttings of semi-mature wood in summer. ( This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. ( My husband did his best to mow the perimeter of the acre-plot and to keep the roadways mowed, but the grasses and weeds grew up around the trees in the unmowed areas. Plant the seeds, 1 or 2 inches apart, before the soil freezes but late enough so that they wont germinate that fall. If you cut the tree down by hand, make sure you cut it at an angle. of Kentucky, Ag. I was lucky when we first came to Lincolnville to interview a local grower, Ralph Hunt, who told me, I dont use any herbicides, insecticides or suicides! Actually, he later told me that he used a little herbicide around his trees the year he planted them, but encouraged me on my idea of using a mulch of roofing paper around the trees as an alternative. ( If you are thinking of growing Christmas trees, Id suggest starting small that is, planting 10 acres or less, 2 acres each year for five years. ( ( ( He would go to an open spot in the woods, grab a 6- to 12-inch-tall seedling, yank it from the ground, and put it in a sheetrock bucket of damp peat moss. She tells of one grower who estimated that her livestock damaged about 2% of her trees each year (or 20% over the average 10-year life of the trees). ( ( ( ( ( Unlike forest trees, landscape trees need a higher level of care to maintain structural integrity and aesthetics. A right angle or flat cut often results in production of several leaders the following year. ( If you are right handed, you are supposed to wear a chap on your right leg (and preferably on your left leg, too) to prevent shearing that leg when your right hand sweeps the machete down along the tree again and again. This is where we take off the lower branches to. ( of Maine Coop. This is known as "deadheading." ( Extn., Orono, ME 04469. ( ( ( ( ( ( ( from the top whorl. Late October is a good time to do this in Maine. Each Christmas tree species requires special skill and specific knowledge to be grown successfully. ( }, 2018-2023 American Society for Horticultural Science, Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. This helps create the handle and encourages the tree to put energy into increasing the density of the remaining branches. If the site is abundant in alders, sphagnum mosses and blueberries, maybe you should grow blueberries. For evergreen trees, pruning in late summer and autumn is ideal. This year we sold 47 trees all by word-of-mouth from previous customers, postcard notices, the sign at the end of the driveway, and a poster at the local food co-op. According to NCAP, aphids and spider mites, serious threats to Christmas trees in the Pacific Northwest, are best controlled by beneficial insects. A well-shaped, dense tree has a fairly uniform spacing of 8 to 10 inches between whorls. As a general rule of thumb, the ideal time to prune, shear, and shape is when the shoots stop elongating, but before the branches harden. This is, reportedly, a slow and inefficient process (Christmas Trees Pay Off, Yankee Woodlot series), and its better to replant with vigorous transplants. Shake or bounce the tree on its stump. ( ( ( The following year about 30 trees were ready, so we sent a few more postcards. Your trees should be transplanted to the plantation in the early spring, before the buds swell and after the frost has left the ground. ( sb,v @ - P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ % - P@ +P Pruning and shearing produce the symmetrical, high-density, cone-shaped characteristics of a quality Christmas tree. ( of Maine Coop. Balanced ratio fertilizers which utilize ureaform as one nitrogen source (such as 18-11-17) also work well. Keep an eye on the trees where you intend to collect. Attached to the swinging arms are rotary tines or disks. Remove weeds from the beds as soon as they appear. But interior designer Lauren Makk says its important to be gentle and fluff each branch individually. ( ( ( While the income from Christmas trees comes during the off season, much of the work involved in growing them does not. ( Grasses and weeds can also fuel fires and provide cover for mice, rabbits and other small animals that can damage young trees. Sign up for our newsletter. ( ( If you are going to sell wholesale, take inventory in the summer and line up your buyers then (or sooner). ( In terminal leader pruning, the leader is cut back to the desired length, usually 8 to 12 inches. The wreath-making season begins in early November, after cold weather has hardened the needles (after 20 days, beginning in September, during which the temperature has dropped below 40 degrees or after three consecutive nights after Nov. 1 of 20 degrees or colder); by making wreaths in November and selling wreaths and trees in December, you can add two months of production and sales to your farming system. ( Just after the seedlings emerge in the spring, expose them to 50% light by covering the bed with wood lath screening or snow fencing or by making a grid with stakes and rope about 1 foot off the ground and setting fir boughs on this grid. Interplanting herbs among Christmas may have potential. Supposedly you can prune 50 to 70 balsam firs an hour, depending on tree height and site conditions; pines can take about twice as long. (The handle is the base of the trunk which goes in the tree stand.). from the top whorl. Our 3-acre plantation is in a field that was cut for hay a few times each summer for at least a decade. ( ((h It also destroys the plant's natural shape and promotes suckering and the . Also, if youre adding nitrogen, you want to be sure you supply (or your soil supplies) enough potassium to enable the plant to use that nitrogen. ( During the three years that we have been selling trees, only two people have specifically said they wanted a Scotch pine. Pruning creates a denser tree by stimulating internodal buds to sprout and grow (spruces and firs, but not pines, can produce internodal buds between the annual whorls of branches), promoting the growth of existing branches, and maintaining a desirable shape. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. ( Be forewarned, though, that trees of the same species within about 400 feet of one another can cross pollinate; cross pollination can prevent the progeny from resembling the female parent. These roadways should be 12 feet wide to begin with, because by the time the trees grow in, that distance will be reduced to 7 or 8 feet. Use soil and foliage tests to refine fertilizer applications after the second growing season. If you have to cut into second year wood, bud formation will not be so vigorous, but if only a few branches are involved, the tree should recover eventually. ( Publications recommend this as a minimum spacing, say that it takes 1740 trees to plant an acre at this spacing, then say that anything more than 1,000 trees per acre is excessive! Extn., Orono, ME 04469. ( Removing large branches leaves stubs that can cause several health problems. Generally, most farms will provide a saw for customers to use. This process should be completed at least two years before the tree is harvested. When cutting the top of an evergreen tree, for example, youll create a huge pruning wound that can easily become a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. Next year we hope to sell 100, and within a couple of years after that we hope to be selling 200 each year and bringing in about $3,000 each December. Hours: M-F,8 a.m. to5 p.m. Christmas Tree Culture Pruning and Shearing [fact sheet], Tourism, Outdoor Recreation & Nature Economy, Teaching Through Inquiry & Science Practices, Labor & Financial Recordkeeping & Analysis, Farm & Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), North Country Fruit & Vegetable Seminar & Tradeshow, New Hampshire Master Gardener Alumni Association, Planting and Maintenance of Trees & Shrubs, Main Street Revitalization and Resiliency, Building Community Resilience in New Hampshire, Estate Planning & Land Conservation for N.H. Woodlot Owners, Soil Testing, Insect ID & Plant Diagnostic Lab, Learning about Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. ( Apply a fine mist of water to avoid washing the soil away from the tree roots, and apply at least 1/2 inch each time you water so that the moisture gets deep enough in the soil to reach the roots. ( ( Experiment Station, Lexington, KY Donovan, Dave D., Seedling Availability, Planting, Initial Care, Oklahoma State Univ. ( ( ( If you notice a lot of dead branches, it may not be the right tree for your home. If youre growing your tree in a container then its also important to keep it well fed and watered. Extn., Orono, ME 04469. Read the code on FindLaw Cutting your own tree can also help the tree last longer and stay green. There are a few important things to remember. They are now resembling a Christmas tree, although only about three - four foot. per tree in the 5-6 ft. class. You should also measure the size of the tree stand. ( ( (Other experts cite losses of 25 to 30% due to mortality and culling even with pesticide use. ( ( ( ( ( Furthermore, they are great for wildlife habitat. ( (501)442-9824; (800)346-9140; fax (501)442-9842; e-mail: [emailprotected] ATTRA can provide a packet of information about growing Christmas trees. ( ( ( ( ((t Once you start pruning, you need to prune pines every year. On pines, all terminal shoots on each lateral branch must be clipped to stimulate additional bud development. ( Small weeds can be pulled, but larger ones can be cut so that tree seedlings arent uprooted when the weeds are removed. Typically, lilac pruning aims to meet any combination of the five following goals: Deadheading - removing spent blossoms and seedheads to visually clean it up and increase blooming potential for next year. Lilley, William D. and Vivian J. Holmes, Growing a Continuous Supply of Balsam Fir Wreath Brush, Christmas Wreath Notes #4, Bull. There are two other reasons. Treetopia. ( ( During this time, the trees growth rate will slow down. 1 0 obj<> ( Some growers basal prune trees 0 to 2 Christmas tree farm maintenance company that takes care of all shearing, planting, basal pruning, and harvesting needs for Christmas tree farms in the New. Late spring frosts can kill new growth; dry summers can stunt growth; wet summers can cause foliage to turn yellow; deer can feed on the succulent green branches while mice and rabbits can gnaw the trunks; perching birds can break growing tips. ( A good rule of thumb is that one predator is needed for every 10 spider mites to provide control. ( Basal pruning had no effect on height. ( Iowa State University, Extension and Outreach. display: flex; ( We thought this would be a fun project, but when we headed into the woods, we soon realized that cones arent produced until the trees are several years old and several feet tall. ( Z ( ( Be sure to get good coverage, especially on the undersides of leaves The report also points out that some pesticides actually stimulate spider mite populations. ( This energy is channeled to react to the wounding. The first shearing on a new tree will typically take place when the tree is between 2-3 feet tall (60 -100cm). Add the nutrients recommended by the test to the soil and incorporate them. ( (Gloat!). Large cavities may never close, but as long as the tree does not sustain further damage, a basal cavity may not be a problem. ( ( width: 100%; Basal pruning, in addition to controlling excessive leader growth, will establish a good base or bottom whorl from which to develop a balanced tree and a clear handle or butt. Pruning and Shearing Christmas Trees [fact sheet] Terminal Leader Pruning. Also, he has two Christmas trees planted between each apple tree in the apple rows. Although August planting is sometimes recommended, our summers have been so dry lately that I would not take the risk of planting then. This should be done several months before planting so that the soil has time to settle and eliminate air pockets, which might otherwise kill transplants. ( Sow seed into a freely draining seed-mix during spring and summer. ( per tree in the 2-3 ft. class to 4.3 lbs. Bromsgrove 16 minutes drive The BH Balsam Fir is designed after the Abies balsamea that thrives in the Northeast and can be found throughout the Appalachian Mountain range up and down North America's eastern coast. Hill, Deborah B., Christmas Trees as an Alternative Enterprise, Forest Farmer, June 1988. Cherry Tree Pruning: How And When To Trim A Cherry Tree, Fruit Tree Pruning: How And When To Prune Fruit Trees, How To Keep A Christmas Tree Alive: Tips For Keeping Your Christmas Tree Fresh, Gardening For Bees In Nebraska And West North Central Region, Ornamental Grasses Ohio Valley Gardeners Should Grow, Grow Your Own Potatoes For Latkes This Hanukkah, The History Of Putting Oranges In Stockings For Christmas, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. When you lay out your planting, leave room for access roads. ( ( ((Ft ( Some growers basal prune trees 0 to 2 ( The soil is moist enough (usually quite wet) in the spring that you dont have to water your transplants in. ( Christmas trees grow best on a gentle north slope that has no frost pockets and is protected from prevailing winds. We have a crop that, if it doesnt sell one year, will sell the next. ( ( Shearing a tree properly will stimulate new buds, put additional growth on the desirable branches, and control foliage and shape. In Arkansas, field corn has been planted between loblolly pine that was being grown for timber. Place your tree upright in a tree stand that can hold about a gallon of water. ( ( ( This is around the last two weeks of April and the first week of May in our area. Z ( Before cutting the tree, its essential that you check whether any permits are required. ( ( ( ( We planted our first crop in a mowed field and mulched with 1-square-foot pieces of black roofing paper to keep the grass down. After he had a hundred or so, hed set them out in the plantation. Or, as a general rule, provide 1 ounce of fertilizer per foot of tree height. ( He keeps the grass down by mowing with a riding lawn mower. Hummingbirds have a BMR of 1600 kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per day. Mon-Sat: 08:30 19:00 ( Ive considered using junk mail catalogs to kill the sod the year before planting. You can buy 2-0 or 3-0 seedlings from Western Maine that is, plants that grew for two or three years, respectively, in the beds where they germinated; or 2-1 or 2-2 transplants that is, plants that spent two years in the seedling bed and then one or two years, respectively, in a transplant bed. Here in Maine, Austin Moore is growing Christmas trees among his apple trees to get some income while he waits for the apples to mature. ( Christmas trees are ready to harvest when theyre 6 to 8 feet tall. ( JFIF ,, Hill, Lewis, Christmas Trees Growing and Selling Trees, Wreaths and Greens, Garden Way Publishing, 1989. ( They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the eucharistic host, the Christian . Cut the branch off about 2-3 inches from the initial cut. Lamont, W.J., D.L. Premium, according to the United States Standards for Grades of Christmas Trees. ( ( ( Make it fun by challenging everyone to find each of the most common Christmas trees: Douglas-fir, noble fir and grand fir. Alternatively, you can push the transplant much deeper into a hole than the desired planting depth, then pull it back up so that it is set at or slightly deeper than the root collar. ( For many reasons, the cost of a real Christmas tree has been rising in recent years. ( Transplanting is done, ideally, on a cloudy, windless day. Shape by pruning (selective removal or cutting . ( Supplying enough nitrogen is, I think, one area in which we have been too lax with our own trees. As the trees got older, however, they outcompeted the weeds. ( If you have children in your life or neighborhood, teaching them how to prune when they ask can give them a valuable skill, make them feel useful, and maybe even encourage them to start their own horticultural enterprise someday. ( Remove the . If you dont feel comfortable with pruning, you can hire a professional to help you. This prevents one or more of the top whorl branches from taking over as a leader and forming a crooked or multiple top. If you want to save some money but still buy plants, you could buy 2-0 seedlings and grow them in your own transplant bed for a year or two. Stand your tree in a tree stand. This should be applied in mid-May or early June. You should get a soil test before planting your trees and, if the pH and phosphorus need to be adjusted, do so then. Tree Crops for Marginal Farmland--Christmas Trees #446-605. Also, cut it at a 45-degree angle to avoid water collecting on the cut surface, which will promote the development of diseases. Next, look at branches that cross or rub each. ( ( ( (h ( Twelve years ago, my husband and I planted our first Christmas trees. This is quick and efficient but results in a tree that is too perfect, in my opinion. ( Trimming a Christmas tree can be an effective way to make it look more appealing. :LYkQ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@u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t When it comes to trimming a Christmas tree, its important to be as gentle as possible. ( Basal pruning reduced cutting time 25%, and baling time 10%. Hummert International (4500 Earth City Expressway, Earth City, MO 63045; 800-325-3055) sells synthetic mulching squares that are held down with large staples and look like they would do a good job in tree plantations. The abandoned field in which we are growing trees is improving every year, because hay is no longer being taken off of it three times a year with no nutrients being added back to the soil. ( (1#%(:3=<9387@H\N@DWE78PmQW_bghg>Mqypdx\egc//cB8Bcccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc
