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Why Buy Canadian
Christmas Trees
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Species and Varieties
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Cultivated Christmas Trees
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Choosing & Caring for Your Tree
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Christmas Trees
The Environmental Choice
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Recycling
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Christmas Tree
Life Cycle
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Who We Are
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Provincial Associations
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Christmas Tree Wholesalers & Distributors
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Christmas Tree Grading
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Exporters Best Management Practices
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Media
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New Growers
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Trees For Troops
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Trees For Troops Pictures 2007
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2008 TTF Donors
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Wreaths and Garland
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Contact Us
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The tip of a growing Balsam Fir. Note the new needles
lifting from the bulbous tip as they develop
- Christmas Tree lifecycle
- Most Canadian Christmas trees are cultivated on Christmas tree plantations and lots across the country
- • Christmas trees are grown from one end of the country to the other in most plant hardiness zones from 1B - 6A
- Christmas tree seeds are harvested from cones
- • Seeds can be harvested from the wild
- • Most seeds however are collected from Cone Orchards from trees specially selected for their particular qualities
- • Most commercial Christmas tree operations purchase their seedlings or transplants from nurseries
Fraser Fir Cones |
Above you see a grafted cone tree.
The bottom part of the tree is 6 years old. The top is from a 25 year old cone bearing tree. By grafting the two together, the cones are at ground level. Making it much easier to harvest the seed bearing cones, rather than having to use a lift to get 6-7 meters (20 feet) or higher to obtain the precious cones. |
First year Seedlings being grown under a mesh cover
Two planting crews transplanting seedlings.
Each crew of 10 people can plant 25 000 seedlings per day
Lennoxville, Quebec
Shearing
- Shearing is first performed on an annual basis once a tree reaches a height of 75-100 cm (2-3 feet) and is 2-4 years old
- • Annual shearing allows for increased foliage density, by making the tree grow out its buds, which in turn develops more inner branches
- • Annual growth and species determine when shearing should take place
Shearing Christmas trees is done by using long thin knives to trim the branches of a tree into a symmetrical taper.
• The taper of a tree is determined by dividing the width of its base by its height and multiplying the result by 100
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A tree which is 60 cm wide at the base and 100 cm tall is said to have a taper of 60%.
• Pines have a normal taper between 40 - 90%
• Firs and Spruces have a normal taper between 40 - 70% |
Annually shearing for
4-12 years is required
to produce symmetrical,
premium and dense foliage
Christmas trees |
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- Controlling Competition from other Plants
- Growers must control competition from other plants in the beds as well as in the plantations
- • Smaller conifers are vulnerable to being crowded out by weeds as they compete for space, nutrients and moisture
- • The grass growing between the rows of trees is usually mowed
- • Weeds under the trees (where mowing could damage the bottom whorls of the trees) are controlled by applying a mulch, and/or specific crop protection agents
- Insects and Disease
- Like all growing things, trees must be protected from insect and disease
- • Growers keep a vigilant eye on their plantation to minimize effects as soon as they are detected
- • Pruning and removal of trees and weeds, which are done during each tree's annual shearing and inspection, will often control problems
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- Chemicals
- Chemicals are expensive to purchase and the fuel required to apply them increases the cost of each application
- • For economic and environmental reasons, growers will only use chemical treatments when necessary
- • All chemicals used on Canadian Christmas trees have been approved for use by Health Canada's "Pest Management Regulatory Agency" (PMRA)
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The Christmas tree harvest begins in late fall
• Trees are identified and tagged in the field
• They are cut
• The trees are then baled
• The trees are picked up and transported to a distributor |
Each Christmas tree will be examined and worked on at least 30 times before it is in your home and we are happy to do it to bring you a wonderful tree for the holidays
- Transportation and Shipping
- Once the trees are centralized, each tree is tagged - identifying height, grade and species
Starting in mid November, the harvested trees are then transported to distribution centers and retail outlets around the world
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The above work goes into each of the millions of Christmas trees that are sold and exported every year
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Canadian Christmas trees create jobs across the land
• Growers and farm hands
• Transportation industry
• Biologists and researchers
• Small business owners and employees selling trees locally |
From our home, to your home, merry Christmas,
from each and every Canadian Christmas Tree Grower.
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