Guide to Growing Healthier Christmas Trees

Growing quality Christmas trees takes more than planting seedlings and waiting for them to mature. Healthy trees start with the right site, well-prepared soil, proper nutrition, and consistent management throughout the growing season. By building healthy soil before and after planting, growers can produce stronger trees and create a more productive Christmas tree farm for years to come.

Common Trees Used as Christmas Trees

Several species are grown commercially for Christmas tree production, and the best choice depends heavily on your climate, elevation, soil, and market. Fraser fir is one of the most popular choices in the eastern United States because of its strong branches, attractive shape, fragrance, and excellent needle retention.

Other common Christmas tree species include balsam fir, Canaan fir, concolor fir, Douglas fir, Scotch pine, white pine, and several spruce varieties. True firs are particularly valued for their fragrance, appearance, and ability to hold needles after harvest.

Before choosing a species, evaluate whether your site provides the temperature, drainage, soil conditions, and growing environment that the tree requires.

Tips for Planting, Growing & Harvesting Christmas Trees

Successful Christmas tree production starts before the seedlings ever go into the ground. Prepare the soil, choose the right planting site, establish appropriate spacing, and maintaining consistent fertility are all crucial factors in whether you will have a thriving fir crop or not. 

Location

Not only do you need a lot of land to grow Christmas trees, the lay of that land is also very important. Choose a site with good drainage, adequate sunlight, and soil that can support the species you plan to grow. Poor drainage and compacted soils can create serious problems for root development and increase the risk of disease.

For example, Fraser fir grows best in moist, well-drained, acidic soil and does not tolerate excessive heat.

Pay attention to slopes, water movement, soil depth, and areas where equipment can easily access the trees. Site selection is one of the most important decisions a grower makes because correcting a poor site after planting is expensive and difficult.

Soil Prep

Healthy Christmas trees start with healthy soil. In regenerative agriculture, we believe strongly that investing in your soil early pays significant dividends in years to come. Do not neglect your soil now, and your trees will thank you later. 

Soil Testing

Before planting, take soil samples and evaluate pH, macro and micro nutrients, compaction, and organic matter in your soil. 

Subsoiling for Compacted Soil

If the soil is compacted, subsoiling before planting can open the soil profile and improve conditions for developing roots. Fall subsoiling also gives winter freeze-thaw cycles an opportunity to further loosen the soil.

Cover Cropping

Cover crops can also play an important role in preparing a Christmas tree field. Crops such as buckwheat, sun hemp, sunflowers, and peas add living roots to the soil while helping build biological activity and improve soil structure. We have specially engineered cover crop blends for various seasons and soil types. 

Soil Amendments

Natural soil amendments will further improve the soil. Compost can also be incorporated into the overall soil preparation plan, with 5 to 10 tons per acre being a practical range depending on soil conditions and budget.

We recommend applying BioQuest Foundation to initiate biological activity in the soil. Pair BioQuest Foundation with Root Primer to speed up and improve nutrient uptake as well as make the soil more breathable. 

Improving the soil biology early will greatly improve soil structure, and lead to more nutrients in the soil naturally versus needing to add them later through fertilization. 

Planting & Spacing

Plant seedlings at the appropriate time for your region and species, and give each tree enough room to develop a full, marketable crown. A common Christmas tree spacing is approximately 6 feet by 6 feet, or about 1,210 trees per acre, although spacing should be adjusted based on species, equipment, site conditions, and the desired finished tree size.

Fertilization

Christmas trees need consistent access to nutrients as they grow, but more fertilizer is not always the answer. If you are able to amend your soil properly with the right inoculants to spur biological activity, your soil will begin producing the nutrients your trees need. 

That said, we know fir trees like an abundance of nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus, as well as acidic soil. We like to recommend ammonium sulfate for the nitrogen boost and to help with soil acidity, as well as a calcium input such as Cal Turf Pro. 

The results of the initial soil test, and subsequent soil and sap tests will help determine what nutrients your soil and trees are lacking and then from there we can put together a custom fertilization plan. 

Pruning

Regular pruning helps create the dense, symmetrical shape consumers expect from a Christmas tree. Begin shaping trees once they are established and continue managing annual growth so the tree develops a strong central leader and balanced branches.

Harvesting

Harvest timing depends on the species, market, and whether trees are sold directly from the farm or shipped. Handle trees carefully during harvest to protect branches and preserve their appearance and needle retention.

Christmas Tree Grower Case Study

A Christmas tree grower in Virginia had bought a 7-acre Christmas tree farm a few years back, and was struggling with heavily compacted soil, and malnourished trees. He came to us in the winter and asked for help addressing these issues, and to guide him in growing healthier trees. After just a few months he saw dramatic results. Here was our plan: 

We started with subsoiling immediately in December to help loosen the soil and to benefit from winter’s natural freeze-thaw cycle which also loosens the soil. 

The other immediate action was to start with a soil primer which in this case was a gallon of Root Primer with the goal to continue to loosen the compacted soil, and to give a boost to the BioQuest Foundation that was added. 

From there, we created the following fertilization plan: 

• 200 pounds Cal Turf Pro
• 200 pounds GROWPRO 5-8-8
• 300 pounds Ammonium Sulfate

Here is the feedback after just six months of this program being in effect: 

“The growth of my Christmas trees and fruit trees has been nothing short of amazing this year! … Your recommendation of subsoiling and amendments have done wonders!  I have seen growth in one ‘partial’ season that has exceeded the past 6 yrs combined.”

This grower also reported that soil had become soft enough to push a soil sampling spoon into the ground using body weight, compared with needing a dead blow mallet the previous year.

With the proper nutrient balancing and microbial activity in the soil, it doesn’t take many inputs to make a noticeable difference. 

Improve Your Soil with Regenerative Agriculture

A productive Christmas tree farm (as well as any crop farm) starts with the soil beneath it. Regenerative agriculture focuses on building soil health through biological activity, cover crops, and targeted, all natural fertility rather than simply adding more synthetic inputs.

Our team works with growers to develop soil health programs designed around the specific conditions of their farms. From consulting to soil amendments, we offer a one-stop shop for regenerative farmers. 

If you want to improve the health and productivity of your Christmas tree operation contact our team today for a consultation.