The year round process
The growing of your Christmas Tree is a year round process. Each month brings environmental challenges and other adventures for Dutchman Tree Farms and other tree growers.
January, February and March
Tree seedlings are ordered, organized, and nurtured in anticipation of a busy season of planting in the months to come.
April and May
Fields are cultivated and prepared for the upcoming planting. Trees are planted individually in rows, lands, and fields. Some species are pruned and trimmed. Trees are fertilized and sprayed to assist growth. Spring digging of potted and ball & burlap landscape stock is well underway. Landscape stock trees are shipped to landscape nurseries and garden centers.
June, July and August
The summer season is busy with individual pruning and trimming. Tagging for Fall Christmas Tree harvest begins. Retail lot owners meet with Joel and Chris to look at this year’s “crop”.
September
Fall digging of potted and ball & burlap landscape stock begins. Some planting of trees takes place after the “buds” on branches are hardened off. Some species are pruned and trimmed. Individual tagging of trees continues. Some species of trees are color enhanced for Christmas sales.
October
The harvest season begins with lower grade trees being cut toward the end of the month. Wreath and garland business begins by harvesting the “bows” from trees.
November
Most trees are cut, loaded and delivered to our unique loading yard where your Christmas tree is kept fresh and protected from the harsh elements under a canopy of tall red pine. Trees are then loaded onto semi-truck and trailer and delivered to retail lots just before Thanksgiving to ensure the freshest trees available for the first Christmas Tree sales weekend. Trees are shipped to 38 states, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and military bases around the world.
December
Retail lots are buzzing with sales as everyone anticipates Christmas. Second shipments of trees take place. Online tree sales and shipping is busy. Joel, Chris, and others in leadership at Dutchman travel the United States meeting with individual customers to discuss quality, buying trends, and market tendencies.