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About half of the US doesn't have an economically workable species/breed of tree unless they charge those higher prices. Virgina Pine grows well in the south (w
by beerandt 6y ago
About half of the US doesn't have an economically workable species/breed of tree unless they charge those higher prices. Virgina Pine grows well in the south (was the historical staple crop until 20~25 years ago), but doesn't naturally grow in cone shaped, and requires trimming/shaping and spraying multiple times a year for the 4-8 years it takes to get a marketable tree. Most southern tree farms have replaced V.P. with Leland Cypress (not really a cypress) or a similar/derivative breed of tree with promises of low/no required tending, but they also ended up having pretty high maintenance costs and don't market as well. (They look more like privacy bushes to me, and are also sold for that purpose at nurseries.)
So it ends up being cheaper/more profitable to ship trucks of harvested firs/etc from where they grow almost naturally, and "export" them clear across the country.
Also, the actual/current market for locally grown trees (at least in the south) is sustained 99% by people who still want the experience of choose-and-cut. And that also costs more to run than a commoditized crop.
- dj_mc_merlin 6y agoIf I can ask, why do you have so much knowledge of pine industry?
- beerandt 6y agoFirsthand experience. Grandparents had a +/-100 acre xmas tree farm growing up, maybe 20-30 acres of Christmas trees planted at any given time. It's all planted with timber now. Now Christmas trees look like the better money maker again.
- brudgers 6y agoIt's been more than a decade, but in Florida sand pine was usually an indigenous option even at Home Depot. The needles are soft and they are wonderful trees.
- beerandt 6y agoSoft is pretty (and beats the hell out of pointy and prickly and sticky), but soft can't hold heavy ornaments- which is a deal breaker to most people. It's one of the downsides of Lelands and other fast growing breeds, meaning ~3 years to mature instead of 5-6. Timber has similar issues- fast growth is softer and weaker than old growth. That said, there are some amazing and beautiful types of xmas trees being bred these days, but when it comes to holiday sentiment, different doesn't always sell. Which sucks to find out after 6 years of invested time, labor, and cash. (Likely with 5 younger years of crop already planted, growing, and committed to.)
- 14u2c 6y agoWho is hanging ornaments on the needles?
- beerandt 6y agoFor most of these types of trees, soft needles usually goes with soft/weak branches. Not sure how universal that is, but seemed to hold for most marketed types. I remember one type that solved that "problem" and others, but the trade off was it absolutely stunk. But only to some people. There always seemed to be a major compromise in traits.