Rented live Christmas tree farming advice.

[Lazy-Farmer]

For a while I have been thinking about a pice of ground I have that’s not handy for most jobs and I was interested in doing some Christmas trees on it. But I was thinking about doing live tree rental rather than cutting them down. Rather similar to fruit trees I assume.

Anyone had any experience with planting trees with a view to taking them out alive. Mostly interested in finding out what is best to plant them in. Two options I can see is just plant them and get a tree spade for the tractor and pull them out and re plant them once they are done. The other option is in a pot and loft the pot in and out.

I’m a total novice at this but have machinery and some free land an interest in doing it. We already have a farm shop so The retail side is not a problem we know what we are doing with that side of things.

Any help or advice would be welcome.

 

[spin cycle]

growing good christmas trees isn't a piece of pee IME

 

[Kidds]

Not convinced they would survive 2-3 weeks inside a modern heated house.

 

[ARW]

You would be lucky to keep them alive after a year or two, and while wholesalers are knocking them out so cheap I don’t think you can compete? Will people pay a lot more for something even bigger and heavier that they have to take care off then give back?

 

[Still Farming]

Effects of climate change and carbon footprints want them to grow not chopped off way forward possibly ???

 

[ISCO]

There was a guy interviewed on 5live radio on Thursday doing this and he said it worked well. Didnt listen in detail but recall presenter thinking it was great idea as he felt guilty throwing his tree on compost heap.
You may be able to find interview online.

 

[renewablejohn]

Did this over 10 years ago and was good money until a competitor pinched a lot of my stock. Growing in pots is the easiest way but you must know what your doing and a Bonsai course is very useful as that is what your really doing. Used to get at least 10 years hire before they became to large and planted out into the field. If we lost 10% of stock due to customers negligence then it was a bad year.

 

[Lazy-Farmer]

Thanks for the

Did this over 10 years ago and was good money until a competitor pinched a lot of my stock. Growing in pots is the easiest way but you must know what your doing and a Bonsai course is very useful as that is what your really doing. Used to get at least 10 years hire before they became to large and planted out into the field. If we lost 10% of stock due to customers negligence then it was a bad year.

Thanks. That’s helpful. It’s not something I’m expecting to be easy but it seems worth a try. Also I like to learn new skills so always interesting trying things out.

- What kinda care do they need during the time in the field.
- Anyone know where to get “pot in pot” supplies. I’m assuming it’s horticulture supplies places of some sort.
- What pot sizes are best for the job and what size of tree for what pot.

The place I have for planting is close to my farm house but can’t easily be seen from the road so should be as safe as they can be. Plus it’s all electric fences anyway so that helps.

Like everything new you never know the issues and how hard it is till you start.

 

[renewablejohn]

Thanks for the


Thanks. That’s helpful. It’s not something I’m expecting to be easy but it seems worth a try. Also I like to learn new skills so always interesting trying things out.

- What kinda care do they need during the time in the field.
- Anyone know where to get “pot in pot” supplies. I’m assuming it’s horticulture supplies places of some sort.
- What pot sizes are best for the job and what size of tree for what pot.

The place I have for planting is close to my farm house but can’t easily be seen from the road so should be as safe as they can be. Plus it’s all electric fences anyway so that helps.

Like everything new you never know the issues and how hard it is till you start.

Think your starting off on the wrong foot if you think its a field operation its more horticulture cropping. We grew on a well drained gravel base then a weed supressent mat. Then pots anchored into the gravel at the right spacing so that when the trees in pots are placed in the pots the branches dont touch but anchorage is important as otherwise the trees just blow over. Important to have sprinkler system that could water all the trees as the pots dry out very quick.
Trees for hire started out in 10 ltr pots and went up in 2.5ltr increments repotted with fresh soil and root pruning every 2 years. At 25 ltr there getting to big so then planted out into field and cut or dug as specimen trees. Tree care was not a lot apart from the repotting and auto watering. Need to keep an eye out for aphids and have secure deer fencing.

 

[Lazy-Farmer]

Think your starting off on the wrong foot if you think its a field operation its more horticulture cropping. We grew on a well drained gravel base then a weed supressent mat. Then pots anchored into the gravel at the right spacing so that when the trees in pots are placed in the pots the branches dont touch but anchorage is important as otherwise the trees just blow over. Important to have sprinkler system that could water all the trees as the pots dry out very quick.
Trees for hire started out in 10 ltr pots and went up in 2.5ltr increments repotted with fresh soil and root pruning every 2 years. At 25 ltr there getting to big so then planted out into field and cut or dug as specimen trees. Tree care was not a lot apart from the repotting and auto watering. Need to keep an eye out for aphids and have secure deer fencing.

Thanks. That’s really helpful. Thankfully we don’t have much of an issue with dear due to the farm location. Will need to do my sums and see how that stacks up. Thanks again.

 

[Farmer996]

This guy plants them in the ground in pots/containers with small holes around the sides that allow smaller roots to grow through. Easier to pull up?

How to have a more sustainable Christmas

From renting your tree, to sponsoring a turkey, a growing number of people are having a greener Christmas.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[renewablejohn]

This guy plants them in the ground in pots/containers with small holes around the sides that allow smaller roots to grow through. Easier to pull up?

How to have a more sustainable Christmas

From renting your tree, to sponsoring a turkey, a growing number of people are having a greener Christmas.

www.bbc.co.uk

All the large plant pots have small holes around the sides. Still does not get over the fact the small roots go through the sides and if you dont move them they turn into tap roots. Its why we used to transplant every 2 years into a 2.5 ltr larger pot. For the small numbers he is doing it seems very labour intensive but there is easier systems using air rooting which we used.

 

[Lazy-Farmer]

All the large plant pots have small holes around the sides. Still does not get over the fact the small roots go through the sides and if you dont move them they turn into tap roots. Its why we used to transplant every 2 years into a 2.5 ltr larger pot. For the small numbers he is doing it seems very labour intensive but there is easier systems using air rooting which we used.

What air routing system did you uses? I'd like to have a look at it if they have a website. Is the air routing easy enough to move. I.e. deliver to customer and collect?

 

[renewablejohn]

What air routing system did you uses? I'd like to have a look at it if they have a website. Is the air routing easy enough to move. I.e. deliver to customer and collect?

Air rooting system is using Air pots which are spaced out into your pre fixed grid of pots secured not to fall over. For delivery just lift the air pot out and drop the whole pot into a standard plant pot of the right size. When it comes back off hire either reinsert back into the fixed grid pot or repot into new air pot 2.5 ltr larger in size then put out into the next size up grid pot.

Air-Pot® | How the Air-Pot system works through enchancing root systems

The Air-Pot system, an overview of how the Air-Pot system works, why improved roots mean better plants and how this has led to experts adopting Air-Pot.

air-pot.com

 

[suffolksmallholder]

My father planted 1000 acres of softwoods in the 60's and 70's when the government was paying grants for this sort of thing. The idea at the time proposed by the Head Forestor was to change the soil structure of monoculture beech woodland. I'd hazzard that half of this planting was spruce and the early thinning of this crop supplied a very early 'Christmas' market in small trees.
The sawmill yard at this time of year had some 5000 trees ranging from 3' to 12' in size ready to sell to a local market.
I'd not want to compete in todays market at all as the whole thing is very mechanised along with back yard 'cash sellers' on virtually every street corner.
Another issue in todays growing is theft on an industrial scale with whole plantations being cut by professional thieves!
Today the trees planted then yield tons of lovely timber and are worth the wait. They are harvested mechanically and go to Giddings within hours of being felled.
SS

 

[sanderrs030]

I would definitely take an artificial one.

 

[Fordman]

Will noble fir grow in black peat ground in a refor site

 

[renewablejohn]

Will noble fir grow in black peat ground in a refor site

Most conifers grow like weeds