Christmas Trees 2018 Pt 1

Christmas Trees 2018 Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
I'm Bob Larson. It's December and that means Christmas is right around the corner and, if you haven't already done so, a Christmas tree is probably in your near future.

But, so you're caught off guard, Oregon State University Christmas tree expert Chal Landgren says reduced production probably means higher prices this year ...

LANDGREN ... "I think the prices will be up probably a little. A lot of the growers have been able to raise prices to buyers so I would expect supplies to be about like they were last year. As a consumer, you might want to get your tree relatively early and enjoy it as long as you can."

Landgren says the supply of trees SHOULD be about the same

as last year ...

LANDGREN ... "The production has been about the same in Oregon as it was last year, although we don't have great year-to-year statistics. Nobody keeps really close tabs on how many trees we grow and all these farmers are kind of protective of what they grow and where they go, so we're guessing about what the total production from Oregon will be, or from Washington."

Overall, he say, this year should be a good year for Christmas trees ...

LANDGREN ... "We had fewer problems on trees that are mature with the dry summers. We've had issues with first-year planting because the summers have been so dry and hot. So, we had higher mortality rates than we normally expect, but that won't affect the supply for another eight years."

Listen tomorrow for more on this year's Christmas tree crop and what caused the supply to drop, forcing prices higher.

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