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Cottage Life

Increased demand could make it harder to buy a Christmas tree this holiday season

Canadians who want to hang decorations from a real Christmas tree this holiday season may want to buy early. A surge in demand over the last few years has made Christmas trees a hot commodity, with retailers selling out well before December 25.

Last year, Helen Yanch, who’s been operating Skootamatta Christmas Tree Farm in Ontario’s Frontenac region with her husband Ed for the last 35 years, had to close operations mid-season.

“We just didn’t have any more trees, and we’ve got to think of the next year,” she says.

Yanch attributes the surge in Christmas tree demand to the pandemic. Last year, she saw an increase in families planning trips to their farm as an excuse to get together outdoors amid Covid. As a result, Skootamatta sold twice as many trees as usual in 2021, and Yanch expects that trend to continue this year.

“We were overwhelmed, and we were really kind of sad because we have our regular people that come every year to get a tree and some of them just weren’t able to,” she says.

Skootamatta has 25,000 trees on its property, but Yanch points out that it takes between 10 to 12 years for a Christmas tree to mature, so of those 25,000, only several hundred are ready to harvest each year. The number becomes even smaller if you’re looking for a particular type of tree, such as the ever-popular balsam fir.

Another reason for the increased demand at Skootamatta is that a neighbouring Christmas tree farm permanently closed in August. Yanch says she’s already had a handful of calls from retailers and individuals who frequented the farm to see if Skootamatta has trees available.

The increased demand for Christmas trees isn’t isolated to the Frontenac region, but is being seen across the country.

“In 2015, we were a $53 million industry, and in 2020, we were a $100 million industry,” says Shirley Brennan, the executive director of the Canadian Christmas Trees Association. “We’ve almost doubled. And because it takes 10 years to grow a Christmas tree, and most growers work on a 10-year plan, we did not forecast our industry growing that big.”

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The number of Christmas tree farms across Canada is also shrinking. Brennan says that most Christmas tree farmers in Canada are between 65 to 85 years old. Once those farms become too hard to manage, they close down, and the gap isn’t being filled.

“In 2011, Stats Canada showed us that there was just over 70,000 acres across Canada of Christmas tree farms. It worked out to be about 2,800 Christmas tree farms across Canada. In 2021, we had just over 1,300 Christmas tree farms, which is equivalent to 50,000 acres. So, we’ve lost 20,000 acres, which is equivalent to 30 million trees,” Brennan says.

One positive that came out of the pandemic is that the Canadian Christmas Trees Association is seeing some interest from a younger generation. “Because people were working remotely, they could also have a side job as a Christmas tree farmer,” she says. “So, we’re getting younger people interested, and by younger, I’m talking 48.”

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But Brennan notes that the average Christmas tree farm is between 10 to 40 acres. Most of these hobby growers are starting farms on lots smaller than 10 acres, meaning fewer trees.

Unprecedented levels of inflation are also impacting the Christmas tree industry. Brennan says prices will vary by area, but there’s been an average price bump across Canada of 10 per cent.

“Although it’s not regulated and farms set their own prices, we know that the cost of fertilizer went up 25 per cent, we know that employment costs have gone up, we also know that some of the strategies that we had to bring in because of the pandemic added costs, and the other thing that we are seeing a lot of is insurance rates for farms have gone up,” she says. “So, all those daily things to run our farms on top of diesel and transportation have gone up, in some cases, by huge amounts.”

At Skootamatta, it’ll cost you $35 to visit the farm and cut down your own tree. But if you want to guarantee you get one, Yanch says you better come soon. They’re selling fast.

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Cottage Life

How to get rid of your Christmas tree

When the holiday season is over, it’s time to call it quits for that conifer. Real trees require careful consideration when disposing of them; they can’t be unassembled and stored in the basement. Here are a few ways to get rid of your Christmas tree.

Municipal pickup

There are environmental benefits to repurposing your tree instead of kicking it to the curb for municipal pickup. Forests Ontario says that more than 100,000 Christmas trees are collected in Toronto annually and chipped into 3,700 tonnes of mulch used as compost in city parks.

Arts and crafts

If you’re feeling crafty, foliage from your evergreen–namely fir tree branches–is excellent for aromatic crafts. Snip the greenery into small pieces and stuff it into a pillow for a refreshing scent in your living room or bedroom–or place them in a dresser drawer and closet. Like woodworking? You can use the trunk to make coasters or candleholders.

Put it in the backyard

Whether you choose a Fraser fir or a Scots pine, real trees are a gift that keeps on giving. According to Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario (CFTO), you don’t have to go much farther than your backyard to get rid of your Christmas tree.

Put your tree in the garden near or up against the fence to provide winter shelter for small animals and birds. It will draw a variety of wildlife: toads, insets, and pollinators will seek refuge under the log. You can ‘decorate’ the tree to feed wildlife throughout the winter. Remember to remove all decorations, especially tinsel, before doing so.

Use your tree as firewood

You can also use your tree as firewood. Because conifers are sappy by nature, burn them outdoors. The sap is flammable, and creosote can build up in an indoor fireplace, so it is best to leave it for the bonfire. Mother-Nature.ca suggests you chop the tree and stack it to dry, though you’ll have to wait until next year to burn it. The site also suggests turning the process into a tradition: burn last year’s tree right before you buy/decorate the new one.

Waterway

Consider habitat for the aquatic population near your home when getting rid of your Christmas tree. CFTO suggests sinking your spruce in the water to provide habitat and cover for fish. Check with your local municipality for whether or not this is allowed.

Let it be

No surprise: real trees are biodegradable! According to a news release from the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), the branches and needles make great mulch for your garden (run it through a wood chipper). CFTO says rhododendrons, in particular, will appreciate your effort. Plus, leaving the tree in the garden over winter improves your soil as it decomposes.