Christmas Trees
Christmas Trees
Key Requirements
| Land | Medium to High |
| Labor | High |
| Capital | Medium |
Take the HortBizQuiz to see how much Land, Labor, and Capital you have for your operation.
Markets
- Choose and Cut Operation (U-Pick)
- Retail Market
Pests & Disease
Potentially destructive insects include sawfly, aphids, bagworms, pine-tip moth, white pine weevil, and pales weevil. Diseases, such as needlecasts, needle blights, and root rots may decrease the value of the trees or kill them outright. Deer, voles, and rabbits can also cause feeding or rubbing damage. Livestock should not be allowed to roam in unprotected plantings due to the resulting mechanical injury and soil compaction.
$6000-7200
Cost per Acre (7 years)
Costs and returns are presented as estimates. They will vary based on your farm and markets.
$3960-13869
Returns per Acre (7 Years)
Costs and returns are presented as estimates. They will vary based on your farm and markets.
Challenges
- Require regular maintenance from the year of planting until harvest.
- Christmas tree production has periods of intensive labor, requiring time to monitor and manage plantings.
- Can take 5 to 7 years before a tree reaches the desirable harvest size.
- Greatest barrier for Christmas tree marketing is the increase in artificial trees.
Opportunities
- Kentucky growers may have a competitive edge since locally grown trees are often fresher than trees from out-of-state sources.
- Can be produced on a wide variety of soil types.