Harvesting Christmas Trees

The busiest time of year for Christmas tree farmers is the short period when trees must be harvested and sold. Farmers near towns and cities often invite families to their farms to harvest their own perfect Christmas tree. There are also large and small farms which supply stores, garden centres and tree lot operators with Christmas trees. On these farms, Christmas trees ready for harvest are often marked in advance with a tag or tape.

Getting the trees ready for shipment

They are then cut and each tree is shaken, baled using a machine which presses the branches against the trunk, holding them in place with netting or twine. This protects the tree and makes it easier to handle for shipping. As many as 800 baled trees can be loaded in a big tractor trailer heading for a large retail store.

Living Trees

In the fall, some farmers go back to the fields, dig up small trees and put them into pots. These are for people who want to buy a "living" tree, that can be planted in their garden in the spring. In Ontario, where our homes are heated at Christmas time, a potted tree needs special attention to survive the shock of going from the field into a home and then outside again.

 

Next: Having fun on a Harvest-Your-Own Farm