Trees found in Alabama?

Growing Christmas Trees in Alabama

• Introduction. I own 110 acres of good quality agricultural land in Fayette County, Alabama. This property is located about 100 miles NW of Birmingham in the county adjacent to Tuscaloosa County. For the most part, about 80 acres of this land is already cleared and has lay fallow for the past 10 years, and prior to that was designated as pasture land for cattle for about 20 years. In more distant decades, this land has successfully grown soybeans, cotton and corn and other annual crops. This land has good drainage and relatively good topsoil and is next to an available city water source. It slopes gently from a flat hill, and fans out in terraces down to a river bottom and is surrounded by decideous forrests of oak, walnut, hickory, and other indigenous species mixed with conifers. The lay of this land is primarily flat and easily accessible by vehicle from a main road. Few rocks or barriers are present and it consists of mostly soil that is covered over by grassland. About 15 acres or so is still planted in Alfalfa hay and is cultivated annually. There is a natural spring and rights to draw water from the river that runs through the property for irrigation if so desired. My interest: I am interested in the possibility of starting to grow Christmas trees of some variety (whatever is the most economically viable for the long term, the most popular sellers and the best in terms of growing on this property.) I understand that there are already existent Christmas tree plantations in Louisiana and East Texas that are economically viable and would be at a similar latitude to my property. I would need to know: 1. Is this possible in the first place given the soil, rainfall and temperature conditons in this area? 2. If so, what species/s of Christmas tree would be best suited to grow here? 3. Is this economically viable in this area of the country and would it be considered a good option for a money making venture? Depending on your answer I would be interested in paying for follow up answers to additonal questions I might have. I would also be interested in any and all pertinent information that you could offer on growing Christmas Trees in this area, starting a Cristmas Tree growing operation, etc. Thank you for your time.

• Answer:

  mrchristmas.. Thanks for your question. Wow. 110 acres of prime farmland. Congratulations! Turning that land into a Christmas tree farm is very possible and there are several Christmas tree farms in Alabama to prove it. There are roughly 18,000 tree farms in the United States. Every state is represented in that list, including 80 or so from Alabama. The farms in Alabama generate about $1,000,000 in sales each year. Don't feel that your location would be a hinderance. About 95% of Alabama tree farmers are what is called choose and cut operations. In other words, they grow the trees and families come out to the farm and pick a tree and have it cut then and there. These are very similar to pick your own fruit and vegetable farms. Therefore, not only will you be a farmer, you will also be a retailer. Choosing which species is major choice you will have to make. Trees of interest to Alabama growers are Virginia Pine, Leyland Cypress, Arizona Cypress, Eastern White Pine (for north Alabama growers) and Eastern Red Cedar. About 50% of trees grown in Alabama are Leyland Cypress with Virginia Pine coming in second with about 40% and Arizona cypress, red cedar and white pine at about 10%. You can learn more about each specific species at http://www.realchristmastrees.org/types.html. You will need to decide whether to have cut trees or container trees that people can replant. To give you an idea of what is required of tree farmers, here is a calendar of to-do's from the Alabama Christmas Tree Association newsletters. I removed "Mow and Herbicide as needed" which occurs twice a month: MAY: 1. Spray for tip moth as scheduled 3. Spray for needlecast 4. Continue first shearing 10. Maintain fire breaks 17. Straighten leaning seedlings 18. Remove multiple stems and deformities on one-year old trees JUNE: 1. Line-up wholesale markets 2. Order seedlings for next year 3. Spray for tip moth as scheduled 4. Check for insects and diseases 5. Check for scale insect crawlers 22. Check for insects and diseases JULY: 5. Check for insects and diseases 10. Contact wholesale buyers 15. Shear trees two years and older 24. Spray for tip moth in one and two-year-old trees AUGUST: 1. Take soil samples of areas to be site-prepared in 3. Spray for tip moth as scheduled 4. Check for scale insect crawlers 5. Shear trees three years and older 6. Final shearing (light; if needed) for trees to be sold this year 14. Order colorant spray (can be purchased at ACTA annual meeting from vendors to save shipping and a special rate) 15. Initial inventory of marketable trees 16. Look for new markets for trees 26. Check for diseases and insects SEPTEMBER: Spray for tip moth as schedule Harvest annual cover crop Order specialty items to be sold during tree sales Spray three year and older trees for needlecast Continue looking for new markets Lightly shear all trees to be sold this year Spray three year and older trees for needlecast OCTOBER: Check liability insurance, especially in choose & cut operations Site preparation for next year planting, subsoil etc. Check for insects and diseases Grade and mark all trees to be sold Spray colorant on all trees to be sold this year (Before first frost) Spray three year and older trees for needlecast As for the economics of tree growing as a successful operation, bear in mind ne of the biggest issues you will face is that it will be anywhere from 8 to 10 years before your trees are ready for sale. Do you have that long to wait? You may want to consider dedicating some of the land to other crops, still in a pick your own mode, but something to generate revenue while you are waiting for your trees to grow. Below are some recommended books you can look at that will go into great detail about the economics of tree farming: Christmas Trees: Growing and Selling Trees, Wreaths, and Greens by Lewis Hill ISBN 0882665669 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ISBN=0882665669 Christmas Trees for Pleasure and Profit by A.G. Chapman ISBN 0813510740 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ISBN=0813510740 I would also recommend you contact Ken Tilt with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. He is responsible for assisting the tree farmers throughout the state. His email address is [email protected]. Another place you may want to look is at other tree farms in Alabama. You can find a list of some growers at http://www.christmas-tree.com/real/al/ In the references section below, I have placed some additional resources for you to use, some that are specific to the Alabama Christmas Tree market. Combined with the information you can get from Mr. Tilt, this should give you a good feel of where you need to go and how to get there to become a successful grower. I wish you luck in your business endeavor. If you need any additional clarification, please let me know! Regards, -THV Search Strategy: christmas tree farming christmas tree farm alabama References: Alabama Cooperative Extension Alabama’s Christmas Tree Industry, Lean but Profitable http://www.aces.edu/dept/extcomm/newspaper/nov29b01.html National Christmas Tree Association http://www.realchristmastrees.org/home.html Christmas Tree Production http://www.ag.auburn.edu/landscape/christreeprod.html View the various newsletters as they have great detail regarding the processes in farming Christmas Trees: An Economic Assessment www.rma.usda.gov/pilots/feasible/pdf/xmastree.pdf Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. A very nice government study on tree farming. A bit dated, but gives good insight.