Patience pays off for Christmas tree growers

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

When you are a child, the wait for Christmas seems endless, but the payoff of that moment when you spot the beautifully wrapped gifts under tree makes the wait worth it.

For Saskatchewan Christmas tree growers, that payoff will come this year.

Bob Mason, the President of the Saskatchewan Christmas Tree Growers Association, says it has been a good couple of years for growers.

“The Christmas tree crop looks excellent this year,” he stated. “We’ve had two good growing seasons in a row. Survival was good for the young ones, and the growth on the older ones that we are shearing and sculpting into Christmas trees was excellent these past two years.”

Mason says good moisture levels were the key, and that translates into a better product.

“Last winter was not hard on the trees, but mostly just having good moisture conditions made the difference,” he explained. “If the trees get lots of moisture, they will do well. What happens with more moisture is thicker growth, so that you get a thicker looking tree when it is sheared. Also, if there is enough moisture, they retain their needles better, which also makes for a better looking tree.”

That doesn’t just mean a better tree on the lot – it means a better tree in your house.

“If a tree goes into the fall moist, like it is, they keep their needles better in that time from when they are cut and when they are put in the house,” Mason noted.

Mason says trees are planted every year so there is a harvest every year, but there is long wait between planting and that magic moment on Christmas day.

“It takes eight to 14 years to grow a Christmas tree, depending on the species. A pine tree with the long needles could be ready in seven years, but fir trees, even though they are native to Saskatchewan, grow slowly and can take up to 14 years to get a good tree,” he stated.

With that kind of time and input cost commitment, Mason says having two good years in a row is boost for the industry as a whole.

“The industry is small. We are just kind of getting our feet on the ground. Having two good years helps the industry…because [growers] can see more success early on,” said Mason.

There are 25 members of the Christmas Tree Growers Association, including five Alberta members. Currently, Saskatchewan is producing approximately 12,000 trees per year.

For more information, contact:

Bob Mason, President, Saskatchewan Christmas Tree Growers Association
Phone: (306) 544-2734
E-mail: bmason@sasktel.net