Green Horizons

Fir trees are not new to the Christmas tree industry. But, they are new to tree farms of the Midwest, including Missouri.

If you grew up in the 1950s and early ‘60s, you probably awoke on Christmas morning to the wonderful smell of a balsam or Douglas fir Christmas tree in your home. The spaces between limbs enabled large ornaments and long strands of tinsel to hang naturally. They were beautiful and had the wonderful aroma we associate with Christmas.

The popularity of natural Christmas trees then enticed people with empty land in Missouri to try growing these fir trees for extra income. Unfortunately, Missouri’s weather conditions were not favorable for growing fir trees. But, Scotch pine and eastern white pine could grow here and they soon became king and queen.

Scotch pine is a beautiful tree if properly cared for in its early years and pruned correctly. It seems to thrive in the hills of Missouri. It likes clay soils, tolerates hot and cold temperatures, handles dry summers with ease and grows 6-8 feet in 7-8 years.

However, after many years of planting, insect and disease problems began to appear. The increased cost to combat these problems combined with the glut of trees and associated low prices led to the demise of many Christmas tree farms. Our tree farm, Heritage Valley Tree Farm, located near Washington, Mo., was one of those farms about to close up shop. After 12 years of planting Scotch pine, we decided it was time to quit.

Canaan fir tree

But, that same year, we read a small article in the Christmas Tree Grower’s magazine praising a "new" fir tree that grew well on a farm in Indiana. The name of the fir was the Canaan fir.

Canaan fir, also called West Virginia balsam fir, is a littleknown tree native to isolated pockets in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. The tree takes its common name from the Canaan Valley northeast of Elkins, W.V.

Canaan fir has many similarities to both Fraser and balsam fir in growth and appearance. Unfortunately, this similarity has led to a great deal of taxonomic confusion. Today, Canaan fir is considered a variety of balsam fir, whereas Fraser fir is considered a separate species.

While growing Canaan fir eliminates many of the problems associated with Scotch pine, it has introduced a whole new set of issues. But, we feel they are worth the effort because of strong customer demand and higher prices people are willing to pay. People love the aroma, good shape, ease of decorating, and nonprickly needles.

Take it from us, anyone thinking about fir trees might want to keep the following points in mind:

• Canaan firs grow best in good soil that drains well. That essentially means don’t plant in heavy clay soils. Even trees planted in good soil that does not have good drainage perform poorly. We have begun planting on ridges to improve drainage.
• When temperatures reach 100 degrees, newly planted seedlings begin to die. Mulching the area around the seedling appears to help, but mulch may increase the risk of keeping the soil too wet.
• Drip irrigation is a big plus for the first two years after planting.
• The only pest problem we have encountered to date is bagworms, and we have found one spray at the correct time controls this insect.
• New spring growth is very tender and easily damaged by perching birds. Placing artificial perches among the trees has almost eliminated this problem.
• Fir trees do not require heavy pruning. We cut our tops at 15 to 16 inches, which results in very little trimming of the side branches and an open tree that is easy to decorate.

We have been growing Canaan fir for the past 15 years and have never regretted it come Christmas time. Even though I get a bit nervous when it rains excessively or the weather gets too hot, I believe growing fir in Missouri is worth the effort.

Editor’s Note: Want to learn more about growing Canaan firs for your Christmas tree farm? Better yet, want to learn how you can become a member of the Missouri Christmas Tree Association and learn even more about growing Christmas trees in general? Then visit the MCTA website http://missourichristmastrees.org/ or contact MCTA President, Leroy Rood at pearidge@socket.net or 636-932 4687 to learn more.