STAR ON YOUR XMAS TREE
OUT in the fields for the past seven years, Rory Lane is an expert on growing Christmas trees and getting them to garden centres nationwide.
Rory, 23, from Hereford, is in charge of quality control for Infinity Christmas Trees, which has 800,000 trees at any one time.
In the coming days, some 75,000 trees from the firm will be in living rooms, town centres and shopping centres – all ready for you to enjoy over the festive season.
What does your job involve?
Everything to do with Christmas trees. The company I work for is a consortium of professional Christmas tree farmers, plus we grow our own.
My year is so varied involving everything from planting and pruning trees, helping our members plan their year with me visiting their farms, selling wholesale trees to garden centres and making sure the quality of our trees is consistent and of the highest quality.
It is the perfect job for me – when the weather is awful I can usually get away with being indoors, otherwise I am outside in the fields, which I love.
When are you busy?
As you would expect, it does get very busy in November as we get orders to customers, but in truth it’s a year-round thing making sure the trees are ready.
In January we start taking orders, then we’re planting and after that it’s time to prune, plus we maintain the fields.
I inspect every tree grading its height and quality with a measuring stick. Before I know it, it’s time to fell that year’s trees.
How did you get involved?
I was 16 and had just finished school and was looking for a summer job. I was working in a pub but wanted more.
When getting a haircut, the barber said one of his clients, a tree farmer, was looking for someone to help out. I called him and started next day.
I stayed on part-time for three years while I studied at college for accountancy – that’s what I always imagined I’d do. But my boss, Dave, offered me a full-time job. I went for it as I loved the work so much.
I’ve never regretted not finishing the accountancy exams. People always need a Christmas tree, so I thought it was a safe industry. I the was 19 and thrown in at the deep and learned so much so quickly.
What next?
I have just started renting my own land and have planted some trees. In eight years, some will be ready to sell and meanwhile I intend to keep planting every year until I have my own Christmas tree farm.
When do you get your own tree?
Whenever my mum tells me. She is the expert and I leave all the baubles up to her.
Have things changed with Covid?
The actual work didn’t as most of it is outside, but there is no doubt everyone is putting their trees up at least a week earlier this year.
Our busiest time moved forward as garden centres needed stock sooner. I imagine it will stay busy though until the usual date of December 15.
At that point everyone usually has what they need, and I can catch up with all the paperwork.
We then stop for a break and start all over again come middle of January.
CONTACTS
the
British Christmas Tree Growers Association: bctga.co.uk
Inf inity Christmas Trees: infinitychristmastrees.co.uk Lantra, land-based and environmental skills council: lantra.co.uk
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I’ve planted some on my own land now and in eight years they will be ready