What Happened to the Trees; A Perfect Storm.
It’s no secret that the race for real Christmas trees intensifies as the Christmas season progresses. Christmas tree farms across the nation, our region in particular, have felt the strain of the past several years as a result of a combination of events. We hope this article sheds some light on your experience!
Healthy Trees are ready to cut! Although the things described in this article led to a massive loss of trees, we have many healthy trees ready to spend Christmas with your family!
IMAGE VIA PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Tree + Soil Compatability
Ohio is home to many types and species of arborvitae, but only one Christmas tree species is native to our region; the cedar tree (pictured). Historically, the cedar tree has not ranked as the most popular Christmas tree compared to the Fraser fir or even our top pick, the Canaan fir. Because of this, Christmas tree farms like ours choose to plant top-sellers even though they are not the most compatible with our agricultural zone (soil, climate, etc).
Drowning Trees
The 2013 season began a seven-year stretch of drenching that was beyond catastrophic to our Canaan firs. This rain drowned our trees (90% of our seedlings for four straight years), and the moisture ultimately led to a disease among the seedlings and adult trees.
IMAGE VIA NPF
Phytophthora
(fy-tofe-thora)
Phytophthora root rot is caused by a water mold that can survive in the soil. Once the mold has entered the tree, it can quickly spread through the roots and kill the tree. There is no cure for Phytophthora root rot.
the Waiting Game
With almost all of our trees devastated and consecutive years of failed plantings, we are still years away from an abundance of Cut-Your-Own Trees. The recovery process is slow, with our trees taking eight seasons from planting to harvest. The good news is that with moderating weather, our fields are recovering. We have many thousands of lovely baby trees growing and planting many thousands yearly. You can rest assured that we are not giving up and will never sell a “sick” tree.
We share your frustration! We work very hard to bring in quality pre-cut trees. Our goal at Big Tree Plantation is to create joyful memories with your family and loved ones. We like to say that Big Tree Plantation is where Christmas memories become traditions. We still offer the best option to create new family memories. Enjoy our gift shop, Chocolate Moonshine Fudge, Baked Goods, Roasted Nuts, Funnel Cake, Signature Lattes, and more. Don’t forget to visit Santa the weekend after Thanksgiving and say hi to our animals!