Farmers Say Warm Weather Will Make For Beautiful Christmas Trees This Year
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Some overachievers may already have done it, but most of us have yet to buy a Christmas Tree this year.
The rush usually starts the day after Thanksgiving, but the Rum River Tree Farm is already open for business. Christmas tree farmers tell us this year's trees are different.
One Anoka County family may be the kind of people you envy a little this time of year. Even with a new baby, Brian Christensen and his wife are Christmas ready.
"It's just something we've always done," he said. "We like to get it over with, enjoy the tree as long as we can."
You won't notice any pine needles on the floor, either.
"I don't know, not in this house," Christensen said. "I don't think we'll ever have a real tree."
But if he changes his mind, there are about 102,000 of them down the road in Oak Grove.
"This year's been a perfect storm for the trees," 30-year tree farmer Tom Hanson said. "We've got plenty of moisture and plenty of warm weather -- not overly warm, it's just been just the perfect conditions. Couldn't ask for better conditions for growing trees this year."
Hanson said those conditions led to some beautiful trees on his farm.
"With all the moisture and the nice weather we had, the tree gets a lot of good growing weather," he said. "So when you trim it back tree grows in nice and full."
Trees are fuller and heavier because of all the water, and they'll last longer than the ones you're used to.
"It's probably been the best in quite a few years," Hanson said.
He says it's a farmer's Christmas wish granted for the most part.
"Be nice to have a little snow -- makes it Christmas," Hanson said, "but it's nice to not have to trounce through three feet of snow to get your Christmas tree."
And more good news, it takes from 6-10 years to grow a tree, so this year's rain will mean more glorious trees for the next few years to come.
