Last winter's moisture helped this holiday season's crop of firs and cedars
Fresh Christmas trees already have arrived at local businesses, including The Plant Foundry, above, and Green Acres. For those who like to choose and cut their own trees, El Dorado County growers report a good supply. Courtesy The Plant Foundry
We’re still busy with Thanksgiving preparations but our attention has already turned the holiday page. Christmas trees have arrived in local stores and nurseries, and the scent of fresh evergreens has us craving a tree in the living room.
They may be pricey, but Christmas trees should be in good supply this holiday season. Just shop early, says the National Christmas Tree Association.
Wildfires in Canada and droughts in the U.S. have affected tree supply elsewhere in the country, particularly on the East Coast.
“Supplies are tight and some locations will sell out early, but there are enough real farm-grown Christmas trees for everyone who wants one to get one,” says the association. “Supplies of real farm-grown trees have been tight since 2016, but each year shoppers have been able to find a tree.”
In particular, trees should be in good shape and plentiful from El Dorado County growers. Last winter’s heavy snow and abundant moisture really plumped up the firs and cedars. Recent rain was just enough to refresh their needles and help them look their best.
In its 2022 post-holiday survey of tree shopping habits, the national association found that nearly 31% of all fresh trees were purchased from choose-and-cut farms. About 20% came from chain stores and almost 17% were purchased at nurseries.
Nationwide, the average price in 2022 for a fresh tree was $80. This holiday season in the greater Sacramento area, expect to pay $95 or more for a 6-foot noble fir.
Clustered around Placerville in the Apple Hill area, local growers traditionally open their tree farms to visitors the day after Thanksgiving and keep selling until sold out. That may be pretty fast; some El Dorado County growers reported they sold out in 2022 on opening weekend. For a map, details and directions, go to https://chooseandcut.com/.
Several Apple Hill farms offer apple treats or other seasonal goodies along with trees. Find a map and more information here: https://applehill.com/grower-cat/christmas-trees/.
City shoppers also should find a healthy selection of fresh trees, says the national association.
In the greater Sacramento area, fresh trees have arrived at many local nurseries including all seven Green Acres locations as well as The Plant Foundry and The Secret Garden.
Looking for a Christmas tree near you? Check out the tree locator map (and tree tips) at: www.itschristmaskeepitreal.com.
What about a potted living tree? Firs, pines and other conifers are not houseplants; it’s best if these trees’ days indoors are numbered.
If you decide to use a living Christmas tree, keep it outside in a sunny location and well-watered until Christmas week. This reduces stress on the young tree. Make its stay indoors as brief as possible before returning outside – and hopefully finding a spot where it can put its roots down.
Comments
0 comments have been posted.Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Sites We Like
Garden Checklist for week of July 21
Your garden needs you!
* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
* Feed vegetable plants bone meal, rock phosphate or other fertilizers high in phosphate to stimulate more blooms and fruiting. (But wait until daily high temperatures drop out of the 100s.)
* Don’t let tomatoes wilt or dry out completely. Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week.
* Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.
* Remove spent flowers from roses, daylilies and other bloomers as they finish flowering.
* Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves.
* Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
* It's not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.