News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Christmas tree shopping season is here, but there’s still over a month until Christmas Day.
Hardluck Tree Farm’s Diane Savage said they are shaping trees about the same time large retailers are cutting theirs down for sale. Savage said that could lead to an unsatisfactory tree when December 25 rolls around.
“The ones that you buy at the chain stores or a larger store are cut back in September,” Savage said. “That length of time, September to December, the tree will start dying.”
Rocky Point Tree Farm Owner Richard Savage made the same point on having a tree stay lush and green. Savage said any of his five varieties are still growing, up until its harvested.
“These trees are growing in the field, and those in chain stores sometimes they’ve been cut for quite awhile,” Savage said. “The ones here, they’re cut when people come to take them home.”
Both Diane and Richard Savage said the trees take about five to seven years to reach the six foot mark people look for. Diane Savage said there is a lot of maintenance that goes into keeping a tree healthy over those years.
“You have briars and stuff like that, that grow up in the tree,” Savage said. “Of course we have to spray for the aphids and we have to keep it mowed.”
Richard Savage said Christmas tree maintenance means being prepared for the elements beyond his control.
“Some things are just sort of beyond control… but getting rainfall at appropriate times is key,” Savage said. “There also are sometimes some disease problems.”
Diane Savage said they usually sell about 100 trees during the season at Hardluck Tree Farm in Crossville. She said they’ve actually moved up the date they start selling to meet customer needs.
“We actually opened this past weekend, usually we wait until the Thanksgiving weekend, but some people are decorating early now” Savage said.
Richard Savage said recently at Rocky Point Tree Farm in Cookeville, they see about 200 customers. Both of these Christmas tree farms allow customers to pick their own tree.
