Media Contacts:
Jeff Owen, 828/684-3562
Paul Mueller, News Services, 919/515-3470

Dec. 19, 2002

Late Freeze, Not Drought, Cause for Shortage of Christmas Trees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

What effect did drought have on the North Carolina Christmas tree industry, specifically this year's harvest?

Jeff Owen, area extension forestry specialist at North Carolina State University's Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Fletcher, N.C., hears this question all the time. He says that tree harvests have been affected this year, but not for the reason most people think. While the drought was statewide, Owen says, the mountain region got timely relief in mid-summer and again in the fall. The current harvest of Fraser firs, which makes up 98 percent of North Carolina's Christmas tree crop, was not hurt by drought but by a late spring freeze.

"Christmas tree farmers in northwest counties suffered severe freeze injury this past spring when we experienced record cold nights in late May," Owen says. "Most of the crop recovered, but some of the worst affected growers had to hold back a significant portion of their trees. Overall, I estimate the harvest to be down about 15 percent from what it would have been."

North Carolina isn't alone in having a smaller harvest, he says. Other tree-producing states are also seeing a slight reduction in numbers of trees this year. Since demand for trees is exceeding supply this holiday season, prices have been a bit higher than normal, with Fraser firs selling at a wholesale price of around $23. That's an increase of about $2 over the past two years.

The drought would have had a larger impact on this year's harvest had it not been for the summer and fall rains, Owen says.

"The drought slowed tree growth in early summer and hurt and killed some newly planted trees that did not have well-established root systems," Owen says. "If it had stayed dry in the mountains through harvest season, we could have had problems with dry Christmas trees in the marketplace. However, all of the rain in October and November provided trees the maximum amount of water at the time of cutting."
He says that to keep trees in the best possible condition, growers have recently upgraded their storage areas to ensure trees leave the farm healthy and perky. Of course, having a succession of cool, gray days with precipitation doesn't hurt.

"The crux of the tree-care message is to keep trees in conditions that are as cool, dark and humid as possible," Owen says.

The effects of drought and late freeze may not be fully realized for years, he adds. While young trees were not necessarily killed outright by either the drought or the late freeze, many young trees have suffered a great deal this year.

"Weather conditions in 2002 will ultimately reduce market inventories in five years when these trees fail to meet their intended harvest date," Owen says. "The greatest impact is often on the smallest trees in the field that will not be ready for market for another six to eight years or on seedlings and transplants that are even further from market. In the freeze, a large number lost their tops and much of their new foliage. Small, drought-damaged trees lost roots and stopped growing. While these stunted trees will mostly recover, they may take two or three years longer to reach market size."

Christmas tree farming is big business in North Carolina. Owen estimates about 4.8 million trees have been harvested this year, at a value of $110 million.

- kulikowski -