Droughts Impact Christmas Tree Supply: In Alabama, the effects of prolonged droughts have impacted the Christmas tree supply, potentially resulting in smaller, drier, or even unavailable trees for the holiday season. Billy Howell, the owner of Howell Christmas Trees, emphasizes that although his trees come from North Carolina, droughts have affected the entire Christmas tree supply chain.
Drought Impact on Christmas Tree Quality Prolonged droughts in Alabama and across the country have affected the quality of Christmas trees. Drier conditions may lead to smaller and less appealing trees, and they may be more susceptible to drying out without proper watering.
Christmas Tree Supply Chain: Billy Howell notes that his Christmas trees come from North Carolina, but the impact of droughts extends to the entire Christmas tree supply chain.
Early Tree Purchases To secure a good-quality tree, customers are advised to purchase their Christmas trees early. Howell observes an early surge in tree purchases this year, with customers buying trees about a month before Christmas.
High demand for Christmas trees, coupled with potential supply issues from droughts, has led to an increase in prices.
Customers may experience higher costs for Christmas trees compared to previous years.
Economic Reflection: The increase in tree prices is seen as a reflection of economic trends rather than solely attributed to drought impacts. Customers note that prices are higher than what they are used to spending, but this is seen in the context of economic changes.
Christmas Spirit and Traditions Despite challenges, customers like Kylie Gilbert express excitement and love for Christmas traditions, contributing to the early surge in tree purchases. The joy of the holiday season motivates individuals to engage in Christmas traditions, such as selecting and decorating a Christmas tree.
The combination of drought impacts, increased demand, and economic factors contributes to the unique challenges faced by consumers in securing Christmas trees of the desired quality and size this year. Early planning and purchases are recommended to navigate potential supply issues.
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Our Reader’s Queries
How does a drought affect Christmas trees?
It’s important to remember that a drought can significantly stunt a tree’s typical growth rate of 2 feet per year, which can have lasting effects on the tree’s marketability for several years to come.
What would cause a shortage in the market for Christmas trees?
Blame the Great Recession, growers exiting the business, and weather disasters for the typically expected shortages. However, this year, the supposed lack of trees is being attributed to the Canadian wildfires.
How do droughts affect trees?
Dry soil and drought can cause roots to suffer damage and decay, leading to the death of trees. Weakened trees are also vulnerable to other issues like root rots, cankers, and wood rots. Furthermore, they become more sensitive to pesticides and de-icing salts.
What are the threats to the Christmas tree?
On average, the NFPA finds that 160 homes go up in flames each year due to Christmas trees. These fires spread fast, wreaking havoc beyond just the tree itself and leading to a whopping $10 million in property damage annually. Shockingly, nearly one-third of these Christmas tree-related fires are sparked by electrical issues.