Christmas trees were wiped out by late frost, heavy rains
CONCORD, N.H. — On an 880-acre forest nursery in Boscawen, some of the state’s Christmas trees get their start, growing from tender little seeds into seedlings that are then shipped to farms around the state and region, where they go on to become the adult trees decorating homes and businesses.
But this year, several popular varieties were wiped out by heavy rains and a late spring frost. The NH State Forest Nursery announced last week that several conifer species like Fraser fir and Balsam fir are extremely limited or not available at all this year.
“This past season’s unusual weather had an adverse impact on the quantity of seedlings we are able to offer this year,” said Billy Kunelius, the nursery manager. Kunelius is encouraging people to try growing some of the varieties that had more success amid the heavy rains this summer, like red-berried elder, yellow birch, and beach plum.
That wouldn’t impact the supply of Christmas trees around the state this year, although it could have an impact in future years.
Raymond Lobdell, who owns Lobdell’s Christmas Tree Farm in Landaff, said demand has been increasing in recent years, and remained high this year.
Nigel Manley, who works for the Forest Society and has been growing trees for 35 years, said that’s what he’s heard anecdotally from fellow growers this year, too.
Lobdell already shut down for the season after selling out of trees. He said the rain didn’t harm his trees, although drought in recent years has been tough on newly planted seedlings. Lobdell said the rain posed a challenge to farmers in flood plains.
“When trees get inundated, the silt that’s in the flood waters settles out in the trees and it’s difficult to remove it,” he said. “It can make them unsaleable.”
Manley agreed — the effect of flooding varied from farm to farm. Some farmers lost trees due to flooded fields, while in areas with well-drained soil, the water helped spur exceptional growth, especially among new seedlings, he said.
Lobdell usually buys seedlings that are five years old and around 18 inches tall. He typically doesn’t sell them until they’ve grown into the 8-foot trees that people want to display in their homes and businesses. Those trees take anywhere from 10 to 15 years until they’re ready to sell, Lobdell said.
He’s already purchased the seedlings he’s planning to plant next year, securing them while they were still in stock.
“There’s a very high demand for seedlings right now,” he said. “Most of the places are sold out for next year already.”