Is Buying a Christmas Tree From a Tree Farm Sustainable?
We may only have our Christmas trees up for a few weeks, but it takes several years for tree farms to grow the joyful evergreens we know and love! In this festive article, we’ll explore how Christmas tree farms manage their land, business, and trees, as well as how these nature-based operations create ecological benefits in every season of the year. Towards the end, we’ll share some interesting facts about the Christmas tree trade so that we can better appreciate the good work that goes into the magic of the holiday!
Is Buying a Christmas Tree From a Tree Farm Sustainable?
Like other kinds of farms, Christmas tree farms are dedicated to growing plants for harvest, which are then replanted and regrow on a predictable cycle. This means Christmas trees are a renewable resource! As long as trees are not harvested faster than they can regrow and the soil remains healthy, Christmas tree farms are sustainable and support ecological functions.
The Ecology of Christmas Tree Farms
Christmas tree farms range in size from 5 acres to over 100 acres. Due to such coverage, these wooded ecosystems can produce real ecological benefits:
Soil stability: Root systems anchor soil to reduce erosion and surface water runoff.
Water absorption and regulation: Tree roots slow the flow of water and help it soak into the soil and recharge groundwater, filtering the water as it’s absorbed.
Wildlife habitat: Songbirds and owls live in these evergreen tree farms year-round, as well as small mammals like rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks, and large mammals like deer and foxes, who use the wooded spaces for roaming grounds and seasonal shelter. Beneficial insects can be found throughout these tree stands.
Air filtration and carbon sequestration: Trees capture carbon and filter other particles from the air and ground as they grow, and the stable soil stores carbon as well.
Recreational and aesthetic value: Christmas tree farms offer scenic landscapes and recreational events like cutting your own tree and holiday activities on the farm, all of which can support mental well-being.
Although Christmas tree farms are usually on our radar in November and December, these trees take several years to grow and require attention at different times throughout the year to make the best-looking trees for our holiday celebrations.
The Business of Christmas Tree Farms
A lot of time and energy goes into managing Christmas tree farms, which are dedicated to long-term horizons and, like other farms, are often family-owned and operated. As a crop, Christmas trees need care all year, every year, from seedling to harvest.
To manage the growth cycle of the evergreens (which can take 4-15 years to grow to Christmas tree height), farms plant new trees every year so they have a continuous “ladder” of trees maturing, which also means that only a fraction of a stand gets cut down each year.
After the harvest in November and December, Christmas tree farmers plant new specimens in January and February. These farms tend to plant only a few different types of trees to meet market demand. Once seeds or saplings are planted, rainfall might be enough to sustain the trees over the years (many types of evergreens are drought-tolerant), but irrigation ensures consistent growth.
While these evergreen trees aren’t necessarily high-maintenance, they do require pruning twice a year to achieve the perfect shape and bushiness that are essential for a good Christmas tree: perfect for hanging lights, garland, and ornaments, with a well-shaped point for the topper.
Christmas Tree Farms In Tennessee
Check out these Christmas tree care and decorating tips from the Tennessee Christmas Tree Growers Association. Their website contains lots of information about the Christmas tree industry, including a locator to help you find a Christmas tree farm near Nashville!
As we’ve seen, Christmas tree farms are both a working landscape and a livelihood: here are a few facts straight from the National Christmas Tree Association:
For every Christmas tree harvested, one to three seedlings are planted the following spring.
There are about 350,000 acres in production for growing Christmas trees in the U.S., much of it preserving green space.
There are close to 15,000 farms growing Christmas trees in the U.S., and over 100,000 people are employed full or part-time in the industry.
Some of the top Christmas trees in Tennessee include:
Fraser Fir
Virginia Pine
Eastern White Pine
Leyland Cypress
Christmas Trees After the Holiday
Once the holiday season is over, composting your tree or recycling it into mulch instead of sending it to a landfill is a simple step to help reduce waste. Composting and mulching keep these trees in an environmentally friendly production cycle.
It’s not uncommon to see potted Christmas trees sold for the holiday, which can be planted in the ground in the new year (winter happens to be the best time to plant a tree!): pine, cypress, and spruce are popular potted Christmas tree species and handle Middle Tennessee’s climate well.
What’s The Difference Between Christmas Tree Farms and Nursery Tree Farms?
One of the biggest differences between Christmas tree farms and tree nurseries is that Christmas trees are harvested near the holiday, while nursery trees are meant to be transplanted alive from ground to ground and are bought in any season. In both cases, these agricultural businesses sell plants to be planted elsewhere, so there is regular turnover of specimens from their land.
Tree farms of any kind must have operations that manage soil, irrigation, and maintenance, in addition to pest and disease control while the trees are growing. Christmas trees are usually on the land for several years, while nursery trees may be sold earlier or grown to various sizes.
Christmas tree farms specialize in a few types of trees for a particular use, while nurseries must provide a range of plant species for the landscape marketplace.
Plant a Virginia Pine for Christmas and the Canopy
Join us this year in starting a new tradition of decorating a Virginia Pine or other evergreen on your lawn! We’d love to help you get started on your own Virginia Pine (which can be acquired at below-retail price through our tree sale). Let’s grow them together! We can support each other and prune them together throughout the year. We can track our progress and celebrate each holiday season by decorating our pines in Christmas and holiday lights together as a community. If you buy a tree to do this with us, let us know so we can coordinate! We look forward to sharing with you all and seeing all the decorated trees in the future holiday seasons!
If you want to do even more to support Nashville trees and the broader ecosystem, consider donating to the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps to help fund our work in the canopy; every contribution makes a difference!
NTCC sources our wide variety of tree specimens directly from local tree farms to plant around the city and to provide to residents through our annual tree sale. Nashvillians can also purchase a gift card for a tree as a present this year!
If you don’t have space to plant a tree, donate a tree for us to plant, and sign up to volunteer to help us plant and maintain trees in Nashville.
And if you haven’t already, subscribe to our email newsletter where we share news and information on Nashville’s trees, and check out our Linktree for more NTCC content.