8
in other words
november27
2012
Diggin’ in the Dirt: Oregon’s Christmas Tree Industry
By Chip Bubl
Oregon State University
Columbia County
and other cultural practices. My predecessor, Don Coin
Extension Service Walrod, was an important early figure in the industry
and helped a number of the first Columbia County
Christmas tree farms get a start. Chal Landgren, who
Master Gardener™ class signups being taken
joined our office in 1979, focused a significant portion
The OSU Extension office in Columbia of his work on the Christmas tree industry and is now
County will be offering the Master Gardener™ the statewide specialist for Christmas tree cultivation,
training again in St. Helens this spring. The classes based out of the OSU North Willamette Research
will be held on Mondays from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Extension Center in Aurora. He still has a small
for 11 weeks starting on January 7th, 2013. Cost of Christmas tree farm in Warren.
the program is $75.00 which includes a large resource
The Pacific Northwest (and especially, Oregon)
book. Master Gardeners are responsible for providing Christmas tree acreage expanded rapidly from its small
volunteer gardening education to the community as early base in the 1950s. The quality of our Northwest
partial payback for the training. If interested in the trees made our growers very competitive in markets
program, call the Extension office at 503 397-3462 for accustomed to trees from the upper Midwest and other
an information packet.
states. New species were tried and older choices were
abandoned. Douglas fir remained the main species
Growth of the Oregon Christmas tree industry
for many years but Noble and Grand fir trees became
For many years, Oregonians cut their own established as important species in our Christmas tree
Christmas trees from federal or state lands or purchased mix. Scots pines were largely abandoned in this region.
them from rural landowners who harvested the best In recent years a couple of new species, Nordmann and
looking wild trees and sold them in Portland and other Fraser firs have gotten more attention.
urban areas. My family went to a farm near Suver to
As national markets expanded, there has been
harvest a wild tree from the farm of a family friend. a lot of effort to find species, strains, and handling
But forests matured and harvesters had to go further techniques to improve needle color and retention. A
and further to find nice trees. Some small woodland large program started to make genetic improvement
owners began to grow trees specifically for sale as in the various species through wild tree selection
Christmas trees. These trees were planted at a tighter and testing followed by propagation by cuttings and
density (more trees per acre). Douglas fir was the most controlled seed crosses to select for improved planting
commonly grown but other trees, including Scot’s pine, stock.
were part of the mix. There was little pruning or other
Trees from Oregon are now routinely shipped
cultural measures taken to produce the denser trees to all fifty states, Mexico, South America, Hawaii,
we have today. But that too changed. A shorn tree has the Far East, the Near East and many other locations
firmer branches for ornaments and the fuller look was around the world. Handling techniques were perfected
pleasing to customers.
to ensure a good quality tree upon arrival and after sale.
The Extension Service got involved very early Tree bundling equipment was invented to allow more
in assisting the nascent Christmas tree industry. They trees to be packed into containers or on trucks.
tested species for important characteristics like needle
Oregon is still the largest producer of Christmas
retention (not much fun to bring a tree into a house and trees in the U.S. Acreage has fallen somewhat in
have it lose all its needles), color, shearing techniques, recent years. This has been due to several factors.
disease and insect management, growth requirements, First, too many trees were planted in the early 2000s
and there has been a glut
of trees ready for market.
Second, the recession has
trimmed
discretionary
expenditures. Finally, the
quality of artificial trees has
improved and people who
buy one tend not to return
to a cut Christmas tree. That
has tended to hold down
Christmas tree prices for the
last four years or so. That is
good news for the consumer
who wants a great locally
grown tree. And for many
people, there is nothing to
compare with the smell and
feel of a real Christmas tree.
Family owned and operated for over 40 years.
If you cut your own
tree from a Christmas tree
721 Madison Avenue, Vernonia
(503) 429-5018
farm, get the fresh cut end in
a Christmas tree stand with a deep water well as soon
as possible if you are bringing it straight inside. The
tree will take up a lot of water the first week or so,
then slowly slow its water uptake. If you buy your tree
from a lot or don’t plan to put your fresh cut tree in
the house for several days, make a new one-inch cut
on the base just before you bring it in and then follow
the procedure above. Keep water in the tree well at all
times and avoid placing the tree near a wood stove or
other very dry location in the house.
The Extension Service offers its programs and materials
equally to all people.
Free newsletter
The Oregon State University Extension office
in Columbia County publishes a monthly newsletter on
gardening and farming topics (called County Living)
written/edited by yours truly. All you need to do is ask
for it and it will be mailed to you. Call 503 397-3462 to
be put on the list. Alternatively, you can find it on the
web at
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/columbia/ and click
on newsletters.
Contact information for the Extension office:
Oregon State University Extension Service –
Columbia County
505 N. Columbia River Highway (across from the
Legacy clinic)
St. Helens, OR 97051
503 397-3462
Email: chip.bubl@oregonstate.edu
Where Do
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Tobie Finzel of Vernonia visited Haverhill,
Massachusetts where she stopped by a
statue of her ancestor Hannah Dustin/
Duston/Dustan (no historical consistency
in spelling) Hannah is a many-times-great-
grandmother to both Finzel and Vernonian
Dan Brown. Hannah was captured by a band
of Abenaki Indians in the frontier town of
Haverhill, in 1697 and later bravely escaped.
The statue in the Haverhill park was the
first erected to a woman in the US in 1867.
Show us where you have traveled.
Submit your photo by email to :
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
503.429.7408
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