Christmas trees appear in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and then vanish from most people’s minds shortly after the holiday. A Christmas tree grower, on the other hand, must work all year to plant and maintain the trees that will be cultivated and harvested for use during the holiday season. After preparing the land for planting, the Christmas tree grower will plant saplings. It can take up to six years for these saplings to reach the proper height; during that time, the grower must ensure that the trees are growing in the proper shape for use as a Christmas tree.
All aspects of the planting and growing process, as well as marketing and sales, are the responsibility of the Christmas tree grower. Before planting a single tree, the Christmas tree grower must carefully plan the Christmas tree lot. It’s critical to leave enough space between trees, not only for the trees’ health, but also to ensure that the common machinery used to maintain the trees can fit between the growing trees. The spacing between trees on the land will be determined by the amount of land available as well as the number of trees to be planted.
After the lot has been prepared, the Christmas tree grower must properly plant saplings and monitor them on a daily basis to ensure that they are growing properly. The Christmas tree grower will trim the trees as the saplings grow into trees to ensure that they grow into the conical shape that is most associated with Christmas trees. The soil must be cared for in order for the trees to receive enough water, oxygen, and nutrients during their growth.
The Christmas tree grower must cut the trees once they reach a certain height, transport them safely, and sell them to retailers or directly to consumers. The trees must be cared for during the transport and sale process to avoid being damaged, dehydrated, or starved of nutrients. The grower has the option of selling the trees to retailers or selling them directly at the Christmas tree farm. Some growers even set up makeshift Christmas tree stands along city streets or in parking lots. The grower is responsible for tracking profits and losses as well as maintaining a payroll for employees throughout the entire process, from planting to sale. This is difficult because it can take up to six years for a newly planted tree to pay off.