Drought Affecting Texas Tree Farms
JOHNSON COUNTY (CBS 11 NEWS) - It may be August and 100 degrees outside, but at Mainstay Farm in Johnson County, they're already thinking about Christmas.
The evergreen tree grower is seeing the effects of the drought firsthand, but it could take years before the lack of rainfall has an impact on your holiday.
Jim Wilson owns Mainstay Farm, a choose-and-cut tree farm. For him, the best present he could receive would be rain.
"Even though we're irrigating, these trees are dead," Wilson said pointing at a field of seedlings he planted this year. "The drought has caused us to have to water a lot."
All the farm's trees are watered three times a week for an hour and a half using a drip irrigation system, but all of that water still doesn't equal Mother Nature, Wilson said.
"Irrigation will not produce the same kind of growth that an hour of rain will produce," he explained, "This year we've planted 1,500 seedlings, and we have probably lost about 1,000 of those seedlings."
Wilson says the top foot of soil is very dry, and the seedling's roots don't extend deep enough to reach ground water.
"Six years from now we will have a shortage of Christmas trees," Wilson said, "because it takes six years to grow a tree."
Most of his larger, mature trees have deeper roots and are still thriving despite the hot temperatures and lack of rain.
The Arizona Cyprus seedlings that he planted have also survived the drought better than most.
In fact, Mainstay has already placed an order for 1,500 Arizona Cyprus to plant next year.
"We have a less percentage of trees that die that are Arizona Cyprus," he explained, "and they require less water."
The drought isn't stifling Wilson's Christmas spirit which is in season year round.
"You just re-up and go at it again next year and that's what we'll do," Wilson said, "You eat a big meal, go to sleep, pray about it, get up and go on."
