Does anyone own or operate a Christmas tree farm?..Lou

[dmccarty]

I subscribe to Independent Sawmill and Woodlot Management. The Dec 2012/Jan 2013 issue has a good article on Christmas tree farming which I would recommend reading. The article is downloadable from their website as a PDF, https://www.sawmillmag.com/app/home/index

The farmer in the story started in 1970 as a U Cut farm in Oregon. Being a U Cut farm has helped him deal with the cyclical business patterns since he is selling an experience along with the tree. He mentions the types of trees wanted by the market changes over time, going from Douglas firs, to Nobles and now Nordmans. The changing of the tree species has led to overproduction followed by price drops. He mentioned that on his land his trees average 12 years in age. The farmer's soil is not being very good, so he has to fertilize "the heck out of my ground." A neighboring farm, 5-10 miles away, has better soil and can produce trees in half the time.

There is quite a bit of good information in the article. The telling photo is the farmer bending over to prune a seedling that looks to be 12 inches tall. I can't imagine pruning hundreds of trees but I guess if you only did a "few" a day it might not be so bad. Then there is the tree shaping, fertilizing, and spraying.

Later,
Dan

 

[Lou66]

Thanks Dan,, I will read it,, I have been doing a little research on it and come up with about 2500 dollars acre and I want to plant 50 acres plus three to five years before I start to get any kind of a return on my money,, I am 66 now,, it not so much the money as my age.. lol.. still a lot thought is needed.. again thanks for the information. Lou

 

[forgeblast]

Roba Family Farms - Dalton, PA is a place near us that has it all. They also have bases that are made from rebar and they drill the trees so that they stand up streight. They have both cut and u-cut available. All are marked with species height and price.

 

[MossRoad]

I'd consult with your local county extension agent first to see if they even grow well in your area.

You don't want to plant them so far apart as you plan. They need to be near each other, so that they stress each other, so that they compete for sunlight, so that they grow tall, skinny and fast. If you space them out as you plan, they will stay shorter and fatter and take longer to get to market height.

Also, the farther apart you plant them the longer it will take to shear them, as the crew you hire (you won't do it all yourself) will have to walk farther between trees.

If I were venturing into it, I would devote at least 10 areas to it.
Plant seedlings in one area, one year olds on the next and two year olds on the third.
Then each consecutive year after plant seedlings again. This will give you a two to three year head start.
After 5-7 years you may have trees to start harvesting.
Once and area is cleared, you can pull the stumps and start over.

You also have to decide if you want a U-pick operation (more profit per tree, but more liability) or a commercial operation where you sell large lots of trees to Christmas tree stands, Lions' clubs, charity fund raiser orgs, etc... or a combination of U-pick and commercial.

And don't forget that if you get one insect infestation, it may decimate your crop or prevent you from exporting it outside of your area.

Lots to consider. Most folks plant Christmas trees on otherwise non-productive lands that cannot support more profitable crops. Best of luck. :thumbsup:

 

[Lou66]

Thanks MossRoad,, you just told me about the same thing the Ag/ext/ag said.. He also told me,, I would need to weed kill my hay field before setting the field up.. I don't think so,, I spend ten year getting that field good shape,, I thought I could do them both but it looks like it may not be cost productive.. thanks for information.. Lou

 

[MossRoad]

You are welcome. We considered Christmas trees about 20+ years ago, but opted for timber instead. We did not have enough land for a decent Christmas tree plantation. We found a state program that would pay you to plant trees on erodable soil. So, we had the state forester come out and survey the property. We had a 4 acre field of highly erodable sandy loam, 10 acres of existing forest and a 6 acre field of sandy loam + muck. The forester developed three plans for us.

4 acre plot got alternating rows of pines and mixed hardwoods planted 10' apart.
10 acre forest got management plan to clear locust and cherry trees to promote maples and oaks.
6 acre field got wind break and allowed to "go wild" to see what would happen.

I hired a forester who purchased, planted and side sprayed with weed killer the 4 acre field. Altered rows of white pine, mixed hardwood, pine, hardwood... until the field was full. Took 2000+ trees. The pines grow in a pyramid shape fast, which stresses the mixed hardwoods, causing them to grow straight and tall for veneer timber. They are all pushing 50' after 24 years. The hardwoods are sticking through the pines nicely. The only requirement on my part was to either side spray for weeds annually OR I could mow a couple times a year between the rows to control weeds. After 5 years I could do anything I wanted, even cut the trees if I wanted. As soon as the trees were planted, the state forester inspected, OK'd and they sent me a check to cover 75% of the total cost! I ended up paying $265.00 out of my pocket for 2150 trees purchased, planted and sprayed!!!

The 6 acre field that we let "go wild" is a disappointment. Scurb cherry trees took over. They are worthless as timber, firewood, or anything productive. But they do provide habitat for deer and turkey. If we ever move out there, I will rent an excavator with thumb and gladly pluck them all.

The 10 acre forest is very satisfying. I'm clearing locust and sassafras for firewood. We now heat our home with wood. I pull about 5 loads like this each year. It provides about 6 cords per season. :thumbsup: I take one day and fell about 50 tall skinny locust and sassafras. Then I take one day and pull them all out to this landing. Then I come back as time permits and get a load, take it home and split and stack. All that is loaded by me by hand. The angle of the camera makes them look bigger than they are. The logs on the back are 12" diameter at most and 8' long mostly. I just toss them on the back to balance the load and chain down. I load 16" pieces in front.

The pines and hardwoods that we planted around 1990 are in the back. Time flys when you are growing trees.
View attachment 296014

Yikes, that's the bad experimental picture. Here's a better one.

 

[jinman]

Lou, I think the most successful Christmas tree farms do a LOT more than grow trees. I believe you are talking about farms where clients come and choose/cut their own trees. Those places need lots of advertising and entertainment to go along with the tree sales in my opinion. The ones doing the best seem to have a Santa's Village type atmosphere. I've seen one place that had a kiddie train, food, and amusements so that coming to buy a tree was a whole family event. In my opinion, if I wanted to get into the tree business, I'd stick with timber and plant some Super Trees. You'll see them grow and have a ROI during your lifetime. Some of the East Texas growers around Alto have seen pulpwood products available in 10-12 years. With forestry, you get the tax breaks and return without having to entertain and deal with the public on a yearly basis. If that's what you want, it's great. However, if you want the most return for the least investment, I'd go the forestry route.

 

[Lou66]

Sound like MossRoad you got it set up just right with some long term profit involved,, I had a survey did on my property "the 71 acres",, I just got it back this week,, They started in Nov. of last year.. Looks like I may not want to add any addition money to this land,, with in the next five years it could be in the middle of town instead on the edge.. lol.. Looks like alot of new construction (mostly houses) with the new county roads (2) be install this year,, So I guess I will just set and wait.. Lou

 

[Lou66]

Thanks Jim,, I may look at some property in east Texas,, I always liked that hill country,, with it pines and hardwood,, I was raised in Southeast Oklahoma,, I am looking at getting back to the hills but not Oklahoma,, maybe east Texas.. first I have to find a Mall so I can convince the other half,, what a nice place to live.. lol.. Lou