How do droughts impact Christmas trees?
LAKE ELMO, Minn. — It's one of the latest harvests of the year, and the fresh scent pine and fir trees emit can, in a way, be bittersweet.
"The fields that we're harvesting this year have been part of us for eight years or more, and we've watched them grow up," John Krueger said. "And now, they're going to be cut down."
Krueger is the third-generation owner of Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm. While he finds joy in knowing the evergreens will make a family happy, they might not realize the effort it took to reach these towering heights.
Krueger said his trees grow about one foot per year. That means it takes about eight years to reach the optimal height of 8 feet. Some are left to grow a little bit taller, around 9-10 feet. That timeframe is within normal weather conditions.
The trees on his farm and across Minnesota have battled drought conditions for about four years, at times on the severe and extreme end of the spectrum.
"It's (the drought) definitely the most impactful in the first couple years, at least in terms of survivability," he said.
Trees need water right after planting to establish root systems, then more in the years to follow to fuel growth. In adverse drought conditions, they might only grow about 6-8 inches per year.
"The tree usually grows in height despite the dryness and so the height will be there, but just that fullness and density might be a little bit lacking," Kreuger said.
About 10 years ago, Krueger said they made changes on the farm that help protect trees from drought.
"We'll plant the trees a little bit closer together so they're easier to manage. We also invest a lot in wood chips and spread those amongst the rows so that the ground stays cool, and it also holds the moisture in," Krueger said.
Drip line irrigation was added as well. Krueger said all those changes allow the trees to grow on schedule and to their fullest potential despite what Mother Nature has dealt them. He said customers can expect the trees being sold today to look just like the ones sold 10 years ago.
Luckily, rain was bountiful this spring and summer, right when moisture is needed most.
"Then around about September is when the rain stopped this year, but by then the trees were mostly dormant," he said. "Having extra water this fall will be great for the trees in the spring."
Soil type is also important in weathering drought. Krueger said areas with a lot of sand in the ground, unlike his farm, likely struggled more with tree growth.
