This winter I mentioned the idea of starting a Christmas tree farm. The kids thought it was a good idea. We moved forward with it.
- Prep. I researched the project. Plugs are heartier than bare-root trees. So, the first order was plugs. However, I do have some bare root on the way. They are more cost-effective.
- Stock. I ordered some trees. We chose four different varieties of trees. They’re supposed to be types that are less preferred by deer. Hopefully, that is true!
- Best laid plans. I planned for the trees to arrive this week. That way we would have the entire spring break next week to get them planted but I didn’t place the order right away and my date preference was lost when I logged back in and ordered.
- Early arrival. So, (unplanned) the trees arrived early. We spent a good bit of time last week planting Christmas trees. It wasn’t too bad once we got the system down. Drill. Plug. Plant. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat. We followed the process nearly 2,000 times! I was sore for a couple of days. The kids told me I was old.
What’s next on the tree farm?
As this experiment grows, our first harvestable trees won’t be ready for six to 10 years. So, we will plant a portion of the field to trees each year with the goal of growing a steady supply of trees.
The hard work will begin when the trees are about four years old. That’s when farmers start trimming the trees to look like Christmas trees.
This first year the biggest task will be controlling weeds and keeping the trees alive.
Cash flowing the next generation
I really don’t know whether this was a good idea. It seemed many of the local U-cut sites were out of U-cut trees within the first couple weekends of the 2024 season. In addition, Christmas tree prices are not going down. I guess this may be more of a hedge assuming at least one of our kids decides to farm. Christmas trees add a diversified revenue stream to help the next generation transition to the farm.