Yahoo Movies Your Christmas tree may cost 20% more. How to make it last, from a Lexington grower
If you’re shopping for a real Christmas tree this year, expect to pay more for it — as high as 20% in some cases, according to a recent survey of growers conducted by the Real Christmas Tree Board.
The board surveyed 55 wholesale growers representing two thirds of the country’s Christmas tree market. While most don’t expect to have a shortage of trees to sell, all of them are encountering higher production costs, which they anticipate passing through to customers.
According to the survey, the majority of growers (71%) cited a likely wholesale price increase of 5 to 15% compared to last year, while 11% of respondents anticipated increasing their wholesale prices by a more modest amount: up to no more than 5% over last year. Another 11% put their anticipated price increase at 16 to 20% more than last year, while only a few expect to go higher than that.
So how can you ensure you get a good tree for your money? Here are a few tips from a Lexington grower and a University of Kentucky forestry professor.
What do I need to know before buying a real Christmas tree?
Before heading out to look for one, save yourself some trouble and measure the area where you plan to display your tree.
A good rule of thumb to follow is you need two thirds of the tree’s overall height in display space. So a tree that’s 6 feet high will need a display space that’s 4 feet wide.
For the freshest trees, your best bet is to head out to a local Christmas tree farm. You can find one near you using the Kentucky Christmas Tree Association website.
However, if that’s not an option, there are some ways to check for tree freshness on the lot before you bring it home.
According to a guide by Deborah Hill, a forestry professor emeritus at UK, try to:
Bend a green needle between your thumb and forefinger. If it snaps rather than bends, the tree may be too dry.
Pick up the tree by the trunk and bash it firmly on the ground a few times. If brown needles fall out, that’s fine, but if green needles fall out, the tree may be too dry.
You should also take note of how the trees are stored and displayed on the lot, including whether they’re in full sun, how much wind they’re exposed to, if the trees are not standing in water and if they’re standing separately from one another.
Hill notes all of these factors can dry out your live tree faster – especially when and where your tree was first cut. Ask the vendor. Typically, the earlier and farther away the trees were cut, the more quickly they’ll dry out.
It also helps to pay attention to the weather. A lengthy and mild fall will prompt trees to delay their winter dormancy period. So if they’re cut before they can reach that point, they will more easily dry out and rain messy needles everywhere, according to Hill.
How do I care for my Christmas tree once I’ve got it home?
Before you do get it home, save yourself a headache and make sure you have a good tree stand.
“I’ve seen a good stand save marriages,” said Dale Barker, owner and operator of Barker’s Christmas Tree Farm in Lexington.
Barker said it helps to keep in mind that trees always look smaller in the field, so know the height of your ceiling before you buy.
How you store the tree is also vital to its freshness. Barker recommends closing the blinds near the tree and keeping it away from heat sources, like fireplaces. It may help to turn down the heat a little in the room you’re displaying the tree in.
You shouldn’t really have the tree up for longer than a month, though Barker has fielded calls from customers as late as Valentine’s Day asking him how to free their tree from its stand.
What’s a good price for a real Christmas tree?
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, you should expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $200, depending on what variety of tree you buy, where you purchase it and how large it is.
Like everything else this year, inflation is influencing Christmas tree prices. CNN reports you could pay as high as 20% more than last year’s prices for a live tree.
At Barker’s Christmas Tree Farm, all sales are by reservation, something Barker said grew out of the pandemic and has stuck around because customers like the experience. They don’t have to battle other shoppers or traffic on the small country road out to his farm, he said.
“It’s been a success,” Barker noted.
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