Christmas tree growers across Britain are reporting significant crop losses following the country’s hottest summer on record and prolonged drought, raising concerns about supplies and tree quality in the coming years.
The exceptionally dry conditions across England and Wales have killed thousands of young saplings, while older trees have experienced slower growth. A late frost in May also damaged some established crops, adding to the difficulties faced by farmers.
Although growers say there should be enough trees available for Christmas this year, the damage to newly planted crops could affect supplies in future seasons because Christmas trees typically take around eight years to reach harvesting size.
Farmers Report Losses of Thousands of Young Trees
Clive Collins, owner of Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm in East Sussex, said the combination of extreme heat and an unusually late frost had affected his plantation.
Collins, who has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and grows approximately 16,000 trees, told the Daily Mail that a number of young trees had failed to survive the year.
He also said frost in late May damaged buds on older trees in south-east England, affecting their development.
The farm has since planted 1,800 replacement trees to make up for its losses. Collins said autumn planting was becoming more common because of increasingly unpredictable weather, as the additional rainfall could help young trees establish their roots before the next summer.
Import Costs Rise as Domestic Demand Increases
Collins said Britain was also receiving fewer imported Christmas trees this year because of logistical difficulties, including a shortage of lorry drivers and higher fuel costs.
Severe weather had affected tree production in other countries, reducing the number available for export and making imports more expensive.
He said the circumstances were encouraging a greater reliance on trees grown in Britain, with consumers expected to depend more heavily on domestic plantations.
Collins said there should still be sufficient trees for this year’s Christmas season and confirmed that his farm had a good supply. However, he warned that the weather had affected the quality of some crops, meaning shoppers might find it harder to locate a tree that meets their preferences.
Eight Years of Growing Required for a Christmas Tree
Collins explained that producing a six-foot Christmas tree requires approximately seven years of growth, in addition to the two years generally needed to raise a sapling.
The young plants are usually imported from Denmark before being established on British farms.
He said Christmas tree production involved continuous maintenance rather than simply planting trees and leaving them to grow. Farmers must fertilise the crops, protect them from birds and other wildlife, prune them and monitor their development throughout the year.
Collins also highlighted the industry’s exposure to changing market prices, describing a cycle in which high prices encourage farmers to plant more trees. When those trees become ready for harvest several years later, an oversupply can push prices down, discouraging further planting and eventually creating shortages.
York Grower Loses 2,000 Trees After Dry Summer
Oliver Combe, who runs York Christmas Trees with his wife and son, said approximately 2,000 newly planted trees had died during the hot and dry summer.
The 57-year-old, whose farm will provide this year’s Christmas tree for 10 Downing Street, described the season as particularly difficult.
He said there had been no substantial rainfall since Easter and that, for the first time, trees planted the previous year had suffered losses.
Combe is now planting during autumn to give young trees more time to develop their roots before the arrival of summer heat.
He is also considering irrigating parts of the plantation using water stored in two ponds on the farm, which he hopes will provide an adequate supply when needed.
Growers Say Hot Summers Are Becoming More Common
Combe told the Telegraph that conditions which were once considered exceptional were increasingly becoming familiar to Christmas tree farmers.
He referred to the summer of 2018 as an earlier example of extreme heat, saying growers had initially expected such weather to be unusual.
However, he said very hot summers were becoming more frequent, while dry conditions appeared to be lasting longer than before.
Combe added that farmers had previously expected rainfall later in the summer to compensate for dry conditions during April and May, but that some fields remained extremely dry.
East Sussex Farm Loses 20,000 Trees
James and Ruth Wallis, who operate Sutton Hall Farm near Lewes in East Sussex, said they had lost 20,000 trees planted two years ago because of the drought.
Their harvest is expected to fall by approximately one-third this year.
James Wallis told the BBC that the lack of water had made it more difficult for trees to absorb nutrients, causing some to turn yellow.
The farm does not have an irrigation licence and was therefore unable to water the affected trees. Instead, the owners decided to leave weeds growing around smaller trees to provide some protection from the heat.
Ruth Wallis said the losses carried significant financial consequences because producing quality Christmas trees required considerable investment of time and effort.
Northamptonshire Growers Lose 4,000 Saplings
Will and Ella Miles, who run Welford Christmas Tree Farm in Northamptonshire, also reported substantial losses during the drought.
Approximately 4,000 young trees died, prompting the growers to change their planting schedule.
They are now planting saplings in autumn so the trees have more time to establish their root systems before the arrival of hot weather, which could improve their ability to withstand future dry conditions.
The farm is due to supply two Christmas trees to Downing Street this year.
Christmas Tree Association Says Supplies Remain Available
Russell Parkins of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association described the season as difficult for producers but said the country still had enough trees.
He said the main challenge was maintaining their condition following the extreme weather.
Growers have been applying additional fertiliser to support the trees and help maintain nutrients in the soil as the plants enter their winter dormant period.
The British Christmas Tree Growers Association announced its winners last month, including Will and Ella Miles of Welford Christmas Tree Farm.
Drought Continues in Parts of England and Wales
Severe drought conditions remain across parts of south-west England and Sussex, including Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex.
However, north-west England, including Greater Manchester and Cumbria, was moved to recovery status last week following England’s wettest week in two years.
Much of Wales remains affected by drought after the UK’s hottest summer since records began in 1884.
At least 120 per cent of average rainfall is expected to be needed over the next six months for the entire country to recover from drought conditions by next spring.
Growers Urge Shoppers to Wait Until December
Christmas tree producers are advising consumers to wait until the beginning of December before purchasing their trees.
They say trees cut after experiencing several frosts may last longer once brought into homes for the festive season.
While farmers expect this year’s supply to meet demand, the damage caused by drought and frost has raised concerns about the availability and quality of future harvests.
