Growing a Christmas Tree Farm does not require advanced gardening practice. Understanding the weather conditions is the key to growing a perfect Christmas tree. Whether you are a skilled farmer or someone who wants to start from the basics, good research is always the first step.
This article sheds light on diverse important factors for raising a perfect Christmas tree. Through detailed knowledge, Christmas tree farming can be one of the most profitable businesses during the holiday season. So go through the article below to gather end-to-end knowledge about this business.
Facts of the Christmas Tree Farm Industry
The Christmas Tree Farm industry is one of the most influential parts of American agriculture. As per the research of the National Christmas Tree Association, there are approximately 28 to 30 million real Christmas trees that are sold each year. The U.S. farmers of Christmas Tree Farms grow approximately 350 million trees in 50 states and Canada.
Now, you know all about the enormous industry of Christmas trees in the USA. It is a great scope for you to start your farm successfully and gain profit.
Grow a Perfect Christmas Tree Farm
It takes seven to eight long years for a Christmas tree to grow to a phenomenal height. It includes a lot of hard work, care, patience, and love for farmers to grow a perfect tree. A perfectly grown Christmas tree can brighten up your living room constantly.
The most popular types of trees used for holidays are pine, fir, and spruce. All of them have their own characteristics and coniferous evergreen features. Pine trees are the best if you want your tees to grow sooner. It tends to grow faster than other species. Scotch pine trees prefer colder climates, and the lowest hardiness zone is three. The perfect zone is four to seven, where they can grow perfectly.
Reasons to Start Christmas Tree Farming
Demand
After the crazy impacts of the pandemic, the demand for Christmas trees has increased quite a lot. The sponsors and sellers of Christmas trees have shown that more than half of their followers are excited to attend the gathering and buy real Christmas trees.
Sustainability
Starting a Christmas Tree Farm is an effective way to save the planet from pollution and global warming. Through this, you can promote sustainable practices and protect the environment. It contributes to
- Oxygen production,
- Carbon sequestration,
- Wildlife shelter,
- Soil stability,
- Reduce global warming, and
- Runoff reduction.
Diversification
Diversification is an effective way to provide stability to your farming business. Christmas Tree Farm is a great way to diversify your extra profit and crops. It will increase the number of sources of revenue and production.
Community
As the community of local producer supporters has increased recently, staying connected to the community is a perfect way to start your Christmas tree business. Cut-your-own Christmas tree provides members the opportunity to learn about the process and people behind agriculture.
You can also promote your business through various social media communities to increase business awareness. Moreover, this will help spread your business and increase your reach.
Considerations When Starting a Christmas Tree Farm
Before starting your own Christmas Tree Farm, it is important to develop an understanding of potential expenses, land purchase methods, and product selling strategies. Here are a few considerations you need to keep in mind before starting Christmas tree farming:
Expenses
It is essential to understand the production and necessary financial expenses of any segment of agriculture. Growing a Christmas tree involves:
- Land purchase,
- Site preparation,
- Planting,
- Labor,
- Corrective pruning,
- Vegetation control,
- Insect and pest control, and
- Marketing and harvesting expenses.
Land purchase
One of the biggest problems while starting a Christmas Tree Farm can be finding suitable land. If your selected land is not suitable for pine tree-grown, it will be a huge waste of money.
You should ensure that the land is not too steep, easily accessible, and has a drainage system. Pine trees do not grow well in wetlands. Once you select land accordingly, plan the layout carefully. It includes spacing the trees apart to ensure air movement and sufficient room for growth and vehicle entrance.
Selling method
There are several methods to sell your well-grow Christmas trees. You can wholesale the trees or sell them directly to the community. It will allow you to sell trees at a higher price but a lot of labor and time. Cut-your-own is another method to attract customers. This offer will allow the customer to roam around the forest and pick trees as per their choice.
Once you select the selling method, it is essential to develop an effective marketing plan. This will spread the word about your Christmas Tree Farm. Promoting through social media and sharing your farm life story in communities will also help to attract potential customers.
5 Tips for Christmas Tree Farming
- Before planting, it is essential to make sure that the ground is properly watered.
- Start growing the trees in a pot for about the first two years. Transplant the plants into the ground carefully and also ensure that the roots are not tangled up.
- You need to ensure that the weeds are managed properly as weeds restrict the trees from moisture and minerals.
- After about three to four years, lightly shear your trees. It will result in a better and thicker canopy.
- Pest control is also crucial for growing your trees perfectly. Gypsy moths, pine shoot beetles, and other pests are some natural enemies of Christmas trees.
Final Thoughts
The success of a Christmas Tree Farm business depends on numerous crucial aspects, including soil, customer preferences, sales methods, land preparation, and many more. It requires patience and hard work to grow a remarkably high Christmas tree.
Investing in Christmas tree farming is a great way to start a long-term investment and sets you up for future growth. It will also help you promote sustainable practices and contribute towards environmental wellness. Staying connected to various communities can further increase your reach and support your income.
FAQs:
It usually takes 6 to 8 years for a Christmas Tree Farm to grow a remarkable height Christmas tree.
Weeds can restrain Christmas Trees from important minerals and moisture.
First, start by seeding into a 10% to 20% slope pot and grow for about 2 years. After that, plant it into well-prepared ground and make sure that the roots are not tangled up.
Christmas Tree Farm in the USA sells around 28 to 30 million real Christmas Trees every year.
Pine and fir species are best to start a Christmas tree. If you do not want to wait long and your Christmas Trees to grow faster, Scotch Pine is best to start with.