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J ( ( Bromsgrove 16 minutes drive endobj ( ( Small weeds can be pulled, but larger ones can be cut so that tree seedlings arent uprooted when the weeds are removed. Although there are many schools of thought on how to shear or shape a Christmas tree, the basics of shaping are relatively the same. by By Stanley W. Knowles, Extension Specialist, Forestry and R. Marshall Patmos, Cheshire County Extension Forester Published in cooperation with the Division of Forests and Lands, Dept. American Christmas Tree Journal, National Christmas Tree Assoc., 611 E. Well St., Milwaukee, WI 53202; Tel. (h ( ( ( Image: Abies Nordmanniana from Thompson & Morgan. ( Kapple-Smith, Diana, A Christmas Business, Country Journal, Dec. 1980. Its being maintained as an agricultural area, too, because invading woody plants are removed. Rouse Simmons. ( This is particularly important in the case of lime and phosphorus. ( On spruce and fir it is not as essential to shear all lateral branches as they have a more desirable and natural growth. ( ( ( Pruning creates a denser tree by stimulating internodal buds to sprout and grow (spruces and firs, but not pines, can produce internodal buds between the annual whorls of branches), promoting the growth of existing branches, and maintaining a desirable shape. The pruning crew: my neighbor Joe Belman, his son Caleb and friend Seth Johnson sitting on my much-improved Austrian pine tree. Trees with roots curving up in a U-shape, for instance, will grow poorly. Get rid of trees that are not growing well due to poor genetics, poor soil, or insect or disease damage any time you see them. ( Leaving open wounds from pruning can expose the tree to frost and diseases. ( ( Tractor- drawn planting machines make the work go faster. ( ( } If youve ever purchased a real Christmas tree and became disappointed when you got it home, youre not alone. ( (( ( ( Well-rotted manure or compost can supply needed nutrients; phosphorus may be added now if necessary, too. Z (( J Z ( ( ( ( Z ( Although August planting is sometimes recommended, our summers have been so dry lately that I would not take the risk of planting then. ( In fiscal year 2011 (Oct 2010 through Sept 2011) NAL delivered more than 100 million direct customer service transactions. Fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.] ( The link was not copied. ( Oregon City, OR, Bio Science Research Technician, Christmas Trees, Commercial fishing, crabbing and clamming, Local, regional and community food systems, Drought hinders popular noble Christmas trees, Trees to Know guidebook helps identify Christmas trees, Historic heatwave offers lessons for Christmas tree growers. ( ( One publication recommends using a deflection shield so that you can mow close to trees without damaging lower branches. ( width: 100%; Since I disturb a nest of wasps or hornets about once a year in our tree plantation, I like to be able to run fast when necessary. Its important to note that buds only develop on the area of the branch that has needles. We have experts in family and health, community development, food and agriculture, coastal issues, forestry, programs for young people, and gardening. The different planting dates combined with the different growth rates of individual trees has resulted in a field of trees of varying ages so that a continuous supply of trees will be available over the years. The smallest chap I could find was still too large and stiff for me. ( Remove branch stubs Avoid topping trees. Twelve years ago, my husband and I planted our first Christmas trees. The existing vegetation can indicate whether the site is suitable or not. Their summary recommendations are as follows: Your fertilizer program should begin with a soil test a year or two before planting. Late October is a good time to do this in Maine. Linda Kappel- Smith wrote in Country Journal: Sheep and goats will, unfortunately, eat most evergreens with relish and should only be grazed in older stands where the salable portion of the tree is out of reach. ( The lateral branches of the top whorl should be cut back so they are two-thirds the height of the pruned leader. Continue Reading Download. adequate taper -- width of base of tree should be about 2/3 height (6 ft tree should be approximately 4 ft wide at base) (Figure 1). emphasis when pruning young trees. ( If youre growing your tree in a container then its also important to keep it well fed and watered. This can be done even when frost is still in the soil at a depth of 6 inches or more. ( This worked fairly well, although some of the paper squares blew away, and grasses outside of the 1-square-foot area became problematic after a while. Earlier pruning (before last hard frost or forecasted bad weather) may cause die-back that necessitates repruning. Transplant your seedlings to the field when they are 6 to 10 inches tall and have developed good roots and shoots. Visit Us. Basal Pruning. ( ( J Z J Z ( of Maine, Orono ME 04469. ( ( Here is a list of Florida Christmas tree growers who are members of the Florida Christmas Tree Association. Basal pruning is accomplished by cutting of all branches from the ground up to a full, complete whorl of . News story. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. ( Growing a green manure crop the previous summer and turning it under a couple of weeks before sowing tree seeds is quite helpful. We have gotten used to the idea that most people will come on weekends, but stray customers will be here just when you sit down for lunch on Wednesday or supper on Thursday. ( ( If you are planning to use the tree for decorating your home, wait until it is at least six to eight feet tall. We started advertising our trees as certified organic this year; that may have brought a few more customers. Big birds such as trumpeter swans come in at 47 while brown pelicans have a BMR of 75. ( ( ( Once shearing has been started, it must be done every year to maintain uniform density. Extn., Orono ME 04469. Our soil was very high in phosphorus to begin with and still is (probably the result of annual fertilizing with complete fertilizers in decades past, when the land was in continuous corn), and the pH of 5.5 was okay for growing Christmas trees. (h(h( Damage assessments after the historic heat wave of June 2021 in Oregon provided lessons for the state's Christmas tree growers. For the past 25 years, Raley has brought home a live tree to celebrate the holiday season with her family. Suggestions for natural control. ( Excessive leader growth which detracts from the desired symmetry of the tree can be remedied through pruning of the terminal leader or basal pruning. ( ( ( Reducing the shrub's size to encourage lower blooms where we can . ( ( Sod can also be removed with scalpers mounted on planting machines at the time of planting. ( A beautiful day for basal pruning. ( ( ( ( June 20th of this year 'round these parts. ( If you are selling directly to the consumer, have your advertising ready to run just after Thanksgiving. Just after the seedlings emerge in the spring, expose them to 50% light by covering the bed with wood lath screening or snow fencing or by making a grid with stakes and rope about 1 foot off the ground and setting fir boughs on this grid. If security is a problem in your area, you might want to plant your trees away from the road and close to your house. Since tree color is highly heritable, you can try to establish your own collection of deep green seedlings. Your goal is to produce a compact root system with many fine rootlets rather than a coarse, heavy root system. ( Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Its only natural for gardeners to consider growing their own tree. See our land acknowledgement.Copyright 1995-2023 Oregon State University | Web disclaimer/privacy | Equal opportunity/accessibility, Photo: Judy Kowalski (Cropped from original), Photo Credit: Jacquie Klose - Adobe Stock (Cropped from original), Photo: Christina Friehauf (Cropped from original), Photo Credit: jpldesigns - Adobe Stock (Cropped from original), Photo: Judith Kowalski (Cropped from original), 8:15 am ( We in Maine are fortunate to have Western Maine Nursery as a resource. Frost heaving can be worse with August-planted trees, too. The initial cost can be high. If youre working with a pine tree, you dont want to risk snapping the needles as you go. This will be the direction of the new growth. Z J Z (( ( 2009; Ordering Information: Virginia Tech Extension Distribution Center 216-A Hutcheson Hall (0904) Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061 Phone: 540-231-5863. ( Pines need to be sheared when they are actively growing and when the new needle growth is one-half to two-thirds the length of the mature needles about June 10 to July 10 in much of Maine. Alternatively, you can push the transplant much deeper into a hole than the desired planting depth, then pull it back up so that it is set at or slightly deeper than the root collar. ( ( ( Supplying enough nitrogen is, I think, one area in which we have been too lax with our own trees. There are many ways to prune your trees in order to keep the right proportions. ( ( ( margin: 0; This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. ( ( Pruning your Christmas tree can be done anytime of the year, but the best time to prune is during the early spring or summer. ( We simply tolerate weeds in areas where we cant mow (and enjoy the birds, bees and toads), cutting out woody growth with loppers periodically. ( ( Kidderminster 12 minutes drive ( ( ( ( Removing or minimizing basal shoots (suckers). Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Jack DeAngelis, Oregon State University Extension Entomologist, says, Stick with generalist insect predators they have the best chance of finding something to eat in the fields and start small. He recommends green lacewings, syrphid flies, and the predatory midge Aphidoletes. Service, Univ. ( Second, I dont like machetes because theyre dangerous. This should be applied in mid-May or early June. ( ((h This year we sold 47 trees all by word-of-mouth from previous customers, postcard notices, the sign at the end of the driveway, and a poster at the local food co-op. After sowing them, cover them with about 1/4 inch of sterile sand or a mix of sand and peat moss and press them into the soil with a board. Bewdley 15 minutes drive Competition is less severe during the later part of the summer. Make a shallow cut on the underside of the branch, about 4-5 inches from the trunk. Basal pruning, in addition to controlling excessive leader growth, will establish a good base or bottom whorl from which to develop a balanced tree and a clear handle or butt. Remove them one at a time to plant them so that the roots never dry out. Spend a few moments looking at the tree's size and shape and imagining how it should look when you are finished. Place your tree upright in a tree stand that can hold about a gallon of water. Bulletins, Room 245, 30 N. Murray St., Madison, Wisconsin 53715. ( Shearing a tree properly will stimulate new buds, put additional growth on the desirable branches, and control foliage and shape. Corrective work may have to be done for two or more seasons before the tree is shaped properly and is saleable. ( Fritz Hier, Cornish Flat tree grower, says many Christmas tree buyers resist the dense, carefully shorn tree that is typically priced at the top of the market, reported N.H. agriculture commissioner Steve Taylor in 1993 in the N.H. Department of Agriculture Weekly Market Bulletin. ( One of their favorite foods is vetch the bane of many Christmas tree growers and target of many herbicide applications. (9dHc2HUz XJ}sHzh P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ @ - % P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ PPPP@ P@@ P@ % P@ % P@ PP@ PP@ P@ % P@ - PP@ P@ P@@ @@ @@ % P@ @@ P@ P@ P@ PP@ P@ P@ P@ P@ PP=GAYkQ % - P@ P@ q6i-sN~j]A:&_$o+b7|7_IP This is quick and efficient but results in a tree that is too perfect, in my opinion. These cost about $45 at Agway, but I was lucky to find one for about $20 at Renys one summer. Service, Univ. ( Remove branches that show signs of damage first. ( Put the collected cones in a paper bag for a week or two and keep them in a warm, dry place. In Arkansas, field corn has been planted between loblolly pine that was being grown for timber. ( ( Trees can be cut right to the ground to produce a tree of maximum height and to leave no stumps over which you might trip. Thoroughly water the soil. Christmas trees were basal pruned (branches were removed from the lower 15 to 25 cm of the stem, ie., handle) at heights ranging from 0.6 to 0.9 m up to 1.5 to 1.8 m tall, and were harvested 2 to 4 years later. ( Comes with $125 membership in National Christmas Tree Association. ( ( Pruning a Christmas tree is a necessary task to maintain the shape and health of your tree. ( ( ( ( ( ( (Wear the chap on your left leg if youre left handed.) ( It may take two or three years to get such a tree back into shape. When purchased online. 2.7K views, 44 likes, 0 loves, 4 comments, 6 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Allagash View Farms, LLC: Basal prunning Christmas trees ( ( ( ( However, you should also make sure that the tree is healthy and doesnt have dead needles on the inner branches. ( Those assessments showed how damage varied by type of tree and location of farms. ( Stand your tree in a tree stand. ( Be sure to provide adequate irrigation. He said that as long as he moved the sheep frequently, they ate the grasses and other weeds their preferred foods and left the trees alone. ( ( ( - 5:15 pm Service, Orono, ME 04469. $299.99 reg $414.99. ( University of Kentucky forester Dr. Deborah Hill estimated that, figuring a 20% loss of a plantation over a seven-year rotation, the plantation should yield about a 14% return on investment. Lilley, William D. and Vivian J. Holmes, Growing a Continuous Supply of Balsam Fir Wreath Brush, Christmas Wreath Notes #4, Bull. ( ( Basal pruning is removing the lower branches of the tree up to the first perfect whorl. ( Biweekly from April through September. ( ( ( ( Balsams are more forgiving of such neglect; Scotch pines arent. We started selling a few (about 15) trees two years ago just by letting friends know, either in person or by post card, that some trees were ready and by putting a sign at the end of our driveway. ( ( ( Stourbridge 26 minutes ( Another good use is fuel for a backyard bonfire. If you add lime, be sure other nutrients are adequate and still in balance, otherwise needles may turn yellow.) Add the nutrients recommended by the test to the soil and incorporate them. ( The base of the live crown of the tree should be about two-thirds as wide as the height of the tree. By now these trees will be becoming home to various insects, hopefully our beneficial insects like lady birds will be keeping the pest populations to a minimum. An extra shot of nitrogen (20 to 30 pounds per acre) in late summer or early fall of the harvest year is recommended to give the trees a good green color when theyll be sold. Most growers use a machete to shear their trees. If you are going to sell wholesale, take inventory in the summer and line up your buyers then (or sooner). ( In 1995, we started selling those trees, making a couple of hundred dollars that first year and a few hundred the next. 2023 Gardening Know How, Future US LLC, Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036. ( This helps create the handle and encourages the tree to put energy into increasing the density of the remaining branches. ( ( Growing your own conifer as a Christmas tree is lots of fun, and if you keep it in a container for several years you can bring it indoors for the festive season before it gets too big and needs to be planted out. For more information about growing a Christmas tree, visit the Michigan State University Extension site. to work with farmers and helpthem find the solutions to their routine maintenance and management needs. Spruces and firs can be pruned any time when they are not actively growing, but new bud development will be stimulated best if they are sheared in late June and into July, when the new growth is beginning to firm. Extn. When pruning beneath power lines or clearing a tree from interfering with a structure, always prune back to a fork where there is a live branch at least half the diameter of the limb being removed. Leaving more than one leader will create a multi- stemmed tree. Tree shaping usually begins during the trees third year. There are a few important things to remember. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. It can also boost your productivity and happiness. ( ( Z ( There is a large group of palms that have crownshaftsa region of smooth, usually green, tightly clasping leaf bases at the top of the gray trunk (Figure 3). This process should be completed at least two years before the tree is harvested. Usually, as much as one-half of the live branches can be removed by basal pruning without killing the tree. ( J (h(h ( rotation. ( ( No lime or fertilizer was ever added. Where magnesium is deficient, blends such as 10-18-12-3.6 (3.6 percent Mg) are useful.. The type of tree and the active growing season will determine when the tree should be shaped. Shape by pruning (selective removal or cutting . ( Most publications recommend against direct planting from native stands to the field, but it worked for us. You should also bring a tape measure and your favorite saw to make sure you get the right size tree. ( Several species of birds have taken up residence in our trees and in the grasses that grow between the trees one of the many benefits of growing trees organically. ( ( Finally, correct deformities when you are pruning. If you can, choose a tree farm with saws available for customer use. The time to prune apple trees if you want to keep them small is during the Summer Solstice. ( ( Oregon Title 29. To prune your Christmas tree, remove any upward growing stems that compete with the leader, and trim back any wayward shoots to maintain a nice even shape all round. ( The grower doesnt put livestock in with her trees until the trees are 5 feet tall or more. ( ( Next, trim the lateral branches of the top whorl. We have expended very little in actual cash to establish our trees because we pulled most of our seedlings from our own land, did all of the planting, pruning and other care ourselves, and use a tractor and bush-hog that we would have bought for the farm anyhow. For example, if a tree is lopsided, it can be brought back into balance by clipping the longest lateral branches on the heavy side of the tree. Learn more about mature tree pruning. Anon., Balsam Fir Tip Gathering, Yankee Woodlot Bull. Rotary tree hoes have articulating arms that retract when a sensor touches the tree. The National Agricultural Library is one of four national libraries of the United States, with locations in Beltsville, Maryland and Washington, D.C. ( ( This is usually done just in the first year of shearing, when the tree is about waist-high. ( 420-075, 212 pgs. Access roads can also be important in case of fire. After choosing the right type of tree, you should measure the area where you will display the tree. This energy is channeled to react to the wounding. This ensures that you'll have a safe and worry-free display for everyone . ( Stourport- 9 minutes drive Christmas trees were basal pruned (branches were removed from the lower 15 to 25 cm of the stem, i.e., handle) at heights ranging from 0.6 to 0.9 m up to 1.5 to 1.8 m tall, and were harvested 2 to 4 years later. ( In some locations, you can cut down a tree without a permit, but its best to check the regulations in your area before cutting your own. Please contact us at either 814-591-4109 or 814-496-9200 for any questions as well as to get a list of prices and sizes available. As the shoot elongates or grows, new needles will emerge along its length. ( The distance between whorls is also one years growth. This step will prevent a lateral branch from taking over as the leader. Ours are close to the road and away from our house . Comis, Don, New Money-Making Options with Trees, Agricultural Research, Nov. 1997, Davenport, O.M. ( Lamont, W.J., D.L. ( background: #ddd; The Green Spot, Ltd., Publishing Division, 93 Priest Rd., Nottingham, NH 03290- 6204. ( With an associate degree in Applied Science for Construction Practice & Management from VT Technical College, Rayon has gained 10 years of experience in heavy highway construction management. ( Oil orchard roads or water pathways at regular intervals. Alternatively, you can practice stump culture leaving a stump with some live branches on it after harvesting the rest of the tree. ( ( ( Still others recommend applying bands of herbicide where the trees are to be planted and mowing the grass in between. You should also measure the size of the tree stand. ), 4 balanced N,P,K 3 to 4 oz./tree (handful), 6 to 8 high N, low P,K 6 to 8 oz./tree (1 cup). Fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.] It is also not advisable to prune conifers in winter, as they will not regrow any branches from the cut points. ( J Z ( ( :LYkQ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@ P@u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t The job soon becomes second nature. We started advertising that our operation would be open on weekends only, but people didnt pay much attention to that. ( The maximum benefit from mowing comes in spring and early summer, when weeds are lush and growing. ( Pruning and Shearing Christmas Trees [fact sheet] Terminal Leader Pruning. ( Hill, Deborah B., Christmas Trees as an Alternative Enterprise, Forest Farmer, June 1988. It is also important to cut off any dead or damaged branches. Commercial height and stem diameter were unaffected, but the average harvest weight of pruned trees 2.1 to 2.4 m tall (2 to 4 years after basal pruning) was reduced approximately 1.4 kg, [HortScience : a publication of the American Society for Horticultural Science (USA)], "Basal pruning Fraser fir Christmas trees"@eng. JFIF ,, ( While some growers do make money with Scotch pines selling them out of state or to large retailers such as Wal-Mart, I believe I would not recommend them for local, cut- your-own markets. Pines usually do well when planted out as seedlings, but short-needled species usually do better as transplant stock. Bewdley 15 minutes drive We have not had any problems with mites, probably because of the diversity of insect life that occurs when trees arent sprayed with any insecticides or miticides. ( What to Prune. ( ( Artificial Christmas trees from Balsam Hill are made with synthetic materials that are non-allergenic and flame-retardant. ( ( Growers and Oregon State University continuously look at novel ways to improve first year planting success. recommend 20 to 50 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre during the first through fourth years after planting and 50 to 100 pounds when the trees have been in the field for five or six years. A small flock of sheep in a UK planting during the fall and winter did not browse on the trees. ( ( Delay basal pruning until no more than 1/3 of the total foliage on the tree will be cut off to prevent excessive shock. ( ( ( If you are right handed, you are supposed to wear a chap on your right leg (and preferably on your left leg, too) to prevent shearing that leg when your right hand sweeps the machete down along the tree again and again. ( He would like to have done this job earlier in the spring to give the sod a longer period for decomposition, but didnt care to battle the blackflies. ( The process may take some time, especially if you dont have the right tools. ( A good rule of thumb is that one predator is needed for every 10 spider mites to provide control. ( ( ( If you are planning to cut your own Christmas tree, its important to choose a tree with supple needles. 218 views, 6 likes, 1 loves, 2 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Newsholme Christmas Trees: This last few weeks has seen us finish off tidying up the basal pruning after we had a basal. ( His tree farm work experienceincludes selling, shearing, basal pruning, planting, cutting, loading, delivering, and mowing. If not, bring your own hand saw. Jacob Putney, Chal Landgren | Dec 2022 | Podcast episode. This way, you wont have to worry about it being too large or too small. This should be done several months before planting so that the soil has time to settle and eliminate air pockets, which might otherwise kill transplants. University of New Hampshire Extension(877) 398-4769 ( Keep this healthy bud but remove the other buds down to about 3 inches (8 cm.) Alternatively, you can hire a tree surgeon to trim your tree for you. Box 107, Lecompton, Kansas 66050; Tel. ( Cherry Tree Pruning: How And When To Trim A Cherry Tree, Fruit Tree Pruning: How And When To Prune Fruit Trees, How To Keep A Christmas Tree Alive: Tips For Keeping Your Christmas Tree Fresh, Gardening For Bees In Nebraska And West North Central Region, Ornamental Grasses Ohio Valley Gardeners Should Grow, Grow Your Own Potatoes For Latkes This Hanukkah, The History Of Putting Oranges In Stockings For Christmas, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. In Alabama, researchers found that Christmas trees could add $176 per acre net profit on cattle grazing land if the trees (Virginia pines) were grown 8 feet apart in rows 33 feet apart (165 trees per acre) and if the trees were protected by a single strand of electric fence on each side of the row. Anon., Making Balsam Fir Wreaths, Yankee Woodlot Bull. However, the development of new buds will best be stimulated if shearing is done during late June and July when new growth is beginning to firm up. Some growers basal prune trees 0 to 2 Christmas tree farm maintenance company that takes care of all shearing, planting, basal pruning, and harvesting needs for Christmas tree farms in the New. ( The distance between the whorls (rings of branches) determines how full the finished Christmas tree will look. ( Avoid pruning plants when they are especially open to attacks by insects or diseases. ( The ideal seedbed will be well drained, well prepared and weed free. We have had a few customers come after dark and happily cut trees that they could barely see, or shine their headlights on the trees until they find the right one. ( Next year we hope to sell 100, and within a couple of years after that we hope to be selling 200 each year and bringing in about $3,000 each December.