How to Grow Christmas Trees

Christmas trees have become the preferred choice for many landowners. They are easy-to-grow, need minimal care and once mature, can lead to substantial financial gains. A Christmas tree is often grown for land management also, i.e. to mark-off a particular piece of property along with providing shaded areas. However, growing a Christmas tree needs some basic planning along with attention to the following details:

1. Choosing Christmas Tree Type

You need to be familiar with the common Christmas tree types and the reasons for their popularity.

Virginia pine

Scientific name: Pinus Virginia

• This is one of most common Christmas tree species.
• It is suited for slightly acidic soils.
• This tree reaches about 8 feet in less than five years.
• It is planted from seedlings only that are available at most garden/seeds stores.
• It recommended because of its thick bark formation.

Afghan pine

Scientific name: Pinus eldarica

• It is the second most common type of Christmas tree.
• It is particularly suited for slightly alkaline and neutral soils.
• Its growth rate equals that of Virginia pine
• It is a bit more tolerant to harsh soil and climatic conditions.

Other common Christmas tree species include:

• Redcedar
• Deodar cedar
• Sand pine
• Arizona cypress

2. Soil Requirement

Christmas trees are tolerant to most varieties of soils but it is recommended that you use an area that has sandy loam or slightly sandy soils.

• Avoid coarse, dense sandy soils or heavily-clayed soils.
• Loams with a fine texture are known to produce the best of Christmas trees.
• Virginia pine, ideal pH range: 5.5 to 6.5
• Afghan pine, ideal pH range: 7.0 to 8.5
• You would have to ensure that the soil remains permanently moist, i.e. even small periods of dryness in the soil bed should be avoided.
• Soil drainage is critical — low-lying soil beds having poor internal drainage cannot support Christmas trees.
• Soil moisture is most critical during the first season since the seedlings need highly-moisturized soils.

3. Pre-planting Requirements

The chosen planting site has to be carefully prepared. The amount of hard work invested during pre-planting is directly proportional to the overall health of your Christmas tree.

Choosing Planting Site

• Do not choose a site that is near manmade constructions. Even mature timber stands could cause unwanted shading.
• Steep slopes should be avoided since they could contribute to soil erosion and poor soil drainage.

Site Size Calculations — calculate the space that would be needed for growing the required number of Christmas trees. An approximation can be done by this — one fully-grown Christmas tree needs about 1/4 acre of land.

Site Preparation

• The Pocket Gopher is an unusual pest that is destructive during the planting time only. You can use toxic baits to remove it.
• Remove site disruptions like logs and stumps.
• Dig-out all the surrounding wild shrubs or bushes growing on the site.

4. Getting the Seedlings

Once you have chosen a Christmas tree, it is advised to invest in getting the best of seedlings.

• Seed Quality — some secondary varieties of Christmas tree seedlings are commonly sold but pines grown from them have a thinner bark. You can even buy genetically-modified or GM planting stock.
• Ordering Seeds — seedlings are best ordered between February and May, as this is the best time to plant Christmas trees.

Note: summers are generally not preferred for planting since the seedlings are vulnerable to the rise in temperature.

5. Planting

• Planting can be done by hand or with a planting machine.
• Check for J-rooting, wherein the roots are curved back towards the top soil — it is highly damaging and can kill a developing tree.
• Spacing is critical and usually small plots of 6-by-6 foot are reserved between each seedling.

6. Fertilizing

• Unless your soil bed is highly deficient in some particular nutrient, you don’t need extensive fertilization.
• Compost can be added for some precautionary soil feeding but it is not critical.

Live Christmas Tree Care

A developed Christmas tree needs some basic care, like:

1. Pest Control

• The most common insect that attacks the Christmas tree is the Nantucket moth (Rhyacionia frustrana) or the Pine Tip Moth.
• Its presence can be confirmed by checking the tips of the lateral branches during the growing season. Pest-inflicted branches have hollowed tips.

Note: insecticides can be used but you have to check with the retailer for their effect on the tree.

Reason — the Christmas tree is highly sensitive to a wide range of chemicals.

2. Competing Vegetation Removal

Weeds could severely harm the tree by using-up vital soil moisture. They also tend to shade the lower branches, harming the development of a tree’s foliage.

• Herbicides can be used around the tree, but use them in the most minimal amount and away from the main bark.
• Manual weed control, i.e. picking-out the weeds, is recommended for the seasonal, not-so-persistent weeds.
• For serious weeding issues, spraying pesticides during the early part of fall or spring is advised.