NEWCOMMERS GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS TREES
You have just moved to Colorado and find it’s getting close to Christmas. In past years, and another state, you went out to cut your own tree and wish to start a new tradition here. Where do you go to find trees?
Here are some things you need to understand. Colorado is not a good tree growing state. Even though there are millions of acres of forests, trees grow very slow here. This slow growth is due to the length of the growing season, cold winters and dry climate, in a word altitude.
Farm grown Christmas trees are a crop that are harvested on a long rotation to start with. A tree will mature to a 6-foot cutting height in 8 to 10 years. Here in Colorado it may take 15 years or more.
The semi-arid climate and bitter dry cold we can experience here also contributes to the types of trees that will tolerate our climate.
As you can see if you want to grow Christmas trees as a business you want to grow them some where else.
The upper Midwest has excellent growing conditions and soil. This region also has the support of a farming community designed for that crop. The Midwest trees are cold hardy trees and will hold up to the tough conditions of travel and display before you purchase it.
The Pacific Northwest is another
region we get trees from around
here. This region grows millions
of trees on very good farms but
there are problems with them for
Colorado. The problem is they
are grown in a very wet climate
at a very mild elevation. This
means these trees may never become
resistant to cold as they grow.
They have no natural anti freeze.
Now place them on a truck for
Colorado and unload warm wet trees
into a sub freezing tree lot and
they become ice cubes. When you
take them inside they thaw and
the needle bonds are broken. A
beautiful tree falls apart.
These trees need to be protected
and are best sold inside a shelter.
The trees of the natural forest are a Colorado tradition they have a thin wispy look most of the time and are different from plantation grown trees.
The USFS has designated cutting
areas and with a $20.00 permit
you can cut a tree. Permits are
limited and sell out early.
The forest trees are susceptible
to our different climatic changes
though and for the last couple
of years we have been in a severe
drought. The affect to the trees
can be discoloration and loss
of many of the needles and a drier
tree at time of cutting.
The Colorado Christmas tree farms found their value in the land and are now housing developments, golf courses, and office parks. The few that now exist in the state have been well picked over by our ever-growing population.
Then there is an exclusive forest farming method called sustainable growth harvesting. This method is the climbing and topping of tall 40 foot, or higher trees and allowing the tree to recreate a new top. The new treetop is ready for harvest again in about 10 years. In this way the tree survives.
If you are seeking a quality Christmas experience, a tree that will be safe and long-lasting, friendly, knowledgeable service like nowhere else you have ever been visit www.coloradochristmastrees.com and discover Luckylure in Evergreen Colorado. you will have found your new family tradition.
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ColoradoChristmasTrees.com Luckylure Christmas Trees |
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