Christmas Tree Production
in North Carolina
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Christmas Tree Production
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Prepared by Jill Sidebottom and Jeff Owen, NCCES
Note: This calendar is meant as a guide to help you pan your production and marketing practices. Times for scouting, pesticide applications, shearing and planting will vary depending on the season and your location. Not every grower will need to do all of these production and marketing practices. A lot depends on the size of your trees and your choice of ground cover and fertility management. For more information about any of these practices, contact your county extension agent.
Pest Control: Continue scouting for balsam woolly adelgid. If found treat before bud break the following year. Continue scouting for spider mites especially in trees to be harvested. If found above treatment thresholds, treat immediately. If trees are shipped with live spider mites, they will continue to feed and cause damage to the tree set up in the customer's home.
Ground Cover Management: Fall application of Simazine to control winter annuals. Sow clover or rye for ground cover establishment. Roundup application for briar control just after frost.
Fertility: Make lime and gypsum applications. Continue to take soil and plant tissue samples as necessary.
Marketing: Continue to make trucking and buyer contacts. Develop a plan/schedule for harvesting. Make sure balers and trailers are in good working order. Set up post-harvest facilities.
Pest Control: As trees are harvested, note location of trees with reaction wood due to balsam woolly adelgid feeding in current year's growth ring. Horticultural oil and Lorsban can now be used to treat trees for balsam woolly adelgid. These materials can be used until the end of February. Using Lindane, Asana or other synthetic pyrethroids will create fewer problems with spider mites as predators are no longer active. Look for Cinara aphids in harvested trees. If customers complain of Cinara aphids or other post harvest pests, refer them to the post-harvest pest web site at: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/xmas/postharvestpests/
Shearing: Shear unsold market trees.
The use of brand names and any mention of commercial products or services in this publication do not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label. Be sure to obtain current information about usage and examine a current product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact an agent of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in your county.
Web Crafter: Anne S. Napier ~ Email: anne_napier@ncsu.edu
Updated December 28, 2005