Holiday Success - Farming Mag. Article - Christmas Tree Cultivation

[Nicholas M. Ecker-Racz]

The article re Bob White's operation was informative. However, I caution readers from adopting the inter-planting option for more than two cycles, especially for Fraser Fir. If you have the land, I recommend two cycles of tree production, then harvesting all trees, stumping the land and resting for several years, preferably under a green manure crop. The root rots, phytophora, armillaria,etc. really seem to get their wind after 15-20 years of continuous production, with rotting stumps in the ground. Most of us have been interplanting for years, but I am beginning to believe that the herbacides, fungicides, and other chemicals needed are excessive after a second rotation. You may have no choice if you have limited land, but like many other agricultural crops, continuous monoculture appears to have diminishing returns. I wish the use of a ground cover or mulching would really work, so we didn't need herbacides, but unless others have had better experience, we seem stuck with chemicals.