Christmas time is almost here and that means it is also prime time for Christmas tree farms, but getting through this growing season hasn’t been easy. This year brought lengthy droughts and high temperatures during the summer which impacted not only this year’s crop, but trees in the years to come.
Charlie Cawley, of the Cawley Family Farm in Denton, Maryland, said the weather this year did lead to the loss of some mature trees.
“This year’s (weather) was a little different, because we had 100 degrees in June (and) we actually lost some mature Canaan firs, which we’ve never seen before,” Cawley said.
Michael Ryan of the Clemsonville Christmas Tree Farm in Frederick County, Maryland, has been running the farm for decades and he said Mother Nature has dealt some blows, not only this year but over the past several years.
“Over the past 10 years, we’ve had these long dry spells, but it’s something we just have to deal with,” Ryan said.
While Ryan said he doesn’t have a way to irrigate the trees on hot days on his 250-acre farm, Cawley said they use drip irrigation to try and help the trees, which does negatively impact their business.
“That’s farming. I mean, if you’re going to irrigate, running electric for the pump, that costs money. And we lost like 300 mature trees this year. So, you figure 300 mature trees at $80 a tree, that’s going to affect your bottom line, but we still have a lot of good trees hopefully to make up for it,” Cawley said.
Both farmers said that while some mature trees were impacted this year, the result of this year’s low rain and high temperatures will be seen more in the years to come because newer trees are more at risk.
“Drought always impacts the industry, but the bigger problem is we lost our renewed seedlings, so about eight years from now, that could become a problem if we don’t get some seedlings established this coming year,” Cawley said.
Cawley said some trees did fare better than others, among them, the Douglas fir. Ryan said he has been planting more white pines, because those also seem to be hardier.
Ryan said his farm also tries to stay ahead of the weather by planting a lot of trees each year — so they can afford to lose a few: “I guess one of the secrets is to plant quite a few extra seedlings so that if you get hit with one of these dry spells, you won’t lose every tree.”
Despite the difficulties that come with farming, at 91 years old, Ryan said he still enjoys what he does and said his farm is more than just a revenue source.
“We get dedicated to the farm, and it’s something that’s, so to speak, part of our family, and you stick with it as long as you can,” Ryan said.
For Cawley, he said his family is devoted to their farm because it’s a special business that brings lifelong memories to customers both young and old: “We’re not only about selling trees, we’re about an adventure.”
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