Alabama Christmas tree farms stay evergreen despite drought
For many families, getting a fresh tree from a Christmas tree farm is a beloved annual tradition. (Robert DeWitt/Alabama NewsCenter)
Despite rain this week, a severe drought still grips most of Alabama. But that hasn’t dampened spirits on Christmas tree farms around the state.
“Overall, in the drought conditions, I think the trees will fare OK,” said Michael Buchart, executive secretary of the Southern Christmas Tree Association. “I don’t think it’s the best growing conditions, but I think the trees will be in good condition.”
Dr. Willis Nichols and his wife, Jennifer, of Mobile didn’t notice any difference in the condition of the trees last Tuesday as they searched the long rows at Fish River Trees in rural Baldwin County for a 10-foot Leyland cypress.
“We want a fresh-cut tree,” Jennifer Nichols said. “They last longer.”
They made it a family outing with their sons, Tyler and Michael.
“We picked him up early from school,” she said, pointing to Tyler. “Last year was the first year we brought Tyler. He remembered it and really wanted to do it again.”
Alabama Christmas tree farms weather drought well from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
Sales hold up
The drought hasn’t hurt sales, said Steven Mannhard, who owns Fish River Trees with his wife, Sandra.
“Right now, we’re a little ahead of sales for last year,” Mannhard said. “We had a really good Thanksgiving weekend. People seemed to be in really good spirits. It seems like there were a lot more families. There were children everywhere.”
Chip East, an agent specializing in commercial horticulture for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said the drought hasn’t affected the trees that most people buy.
“The average consumer won’t know a thing,” East said. “Supply won’t be affected. Prices will be the same. A tree is not like a tomato plant. A tree without water is a lot different from a tomato plant without water.”
Most people buy Christmas trees that are 6 feet to 9 feet tall. Those trees are all 3 to 5 years old and most are 4 years old, which means they are well-established. The conifer varieties grown for Christmas trees – Leyland cypress, Virginia pine and eastern cedar – have deep taproots reaching down to the moisture in the soil.
“Coniferous trees tend to handle dry conditions better than inundated conditions,” Buchart said. The association he runs covers Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, so with the floods in the Baton Rouge area earlier this year, his members have seen both weather extremes.
“The drought has affected some of the vigor of the trees,” Buchart said. “Plants that have been receiving moisture on a regular basis are going to look more vigorous than plants that are in drought conditions.”
Precautions for buyers
Ray Gilbert, owner of Gilbert Christmas Tree Farm in Lanett, said the area rainfall was normal until September. After Sept. 15, it didn’t rain again until the week after Thanksgiving. The trees got very little rain after their August trimming.
“The trees didn’t fill out like we’d want them to because they didn’t get any moisture,” said Gilbert, who is president of the Southern Christmas Tree Association.
Even so, his 6-foot to 9-foot trees are green and healthy, and repeat customers probably didn’t notice any difference over previous years. He wants them to take precautions, though.
“We tell everybody to make sure they water them good when they put them up,” Gilbert said. “They’re going to suck up a lot of moisture because they haven’t had any in a long time. There’s just no moisture in the soil. Even though they look green and healthy on the outside, you know the trees are dry on the inside.”
Buchart recommends putting trees in water immediately, even if they aren’t brought into the house for a few days.
Future effects possible
October, November and December are normally the state’s driest months, said East, who is based in Clay County. He records rainfall totals at his house, where it went more than 70 days without rain.
“If the drought had happened in the spring, there would have been a lot of loss,” East said. “People do a lot of planting in spring.”
Young trees are much more susceptible to drought than established trees. It is possible the effects of the drought could show up in the future.
“It’s the first year or two years in the ground that they’re the most sensitive,” Buchart said.
The drought also puts established trees under stress. While lack of moisture might not kill them, it will make them more susceptible to disease and insects, East said.
Gilbert said 1 percent to 5 percent of his trees died this year. That’s about normal. Last winter was so wet it delayed planting this year. Gilbert doesn’t expect much of a problem next year if the drought ends soon and normal rainfall returns.
“I don’t think we’re going to have any long-term effects,” Gilbert said.
Running a tree farm is difficult under ideal conditions, Mannhard said. For 11 months out of the year, it’s a working farm. At Thanksgiving it must be converted into a retail outlet for a month.
His business relies on customers whose first thought isn’t convenience. “There’s something about bringing a child to a farm,” Mannhard said with a smile. “There’s so much excitement. You just can’t get that from pulling a fake tree out of the attic.”
