Christmas tree farmer shares tree cycle from soil to living room

DELMARVA. – Many families make cutting their own tree their Christmas tradition, but one local farmer said it’s a long road from his farm to your home.

Owner of Nichols Farm, Buce Nichols said his trees are his babies, so he tends to them year-round, watching them mature over a span of 16 years.

“I have to mow, I have to eliminate weeds, I have to eliminate vines in the tree, things like that,” Nichols said. “You cannot just allow it to continue to go because they’ll modify the tree, they’ll choke it, they’ll kill a branch in it.”

But it’s not just the vines that can threaten these trees. The ongoing drought Delmarva has been experiencing can be unpredictable and detrimental for tree farmers, which is why Nichols and his crew have kept a close eye on the farm to ensure no tree is lost to mother nature.

“We watered a couple of times and when we watered, we don’t have the crystal ball that tells us what’s going to happen in the next couple weeks or couple days, and we had a 7-inch rain that occurred,” Nichols said. “The 7-inch rain applies too much moisture to the roots; the roots therefore are susceptible to fungus diseases.”

In a sort of tree whispering way, Nichols knows exactly what it takes to keep your Christmas addition alive. Once it does make it to your living room, he said that’s when your part comes in.

“You actually want to keep the temperatures as cool as you can and never run out of water,” Nichols said. “Don’t put salt, don’t put an aspirin in it, there’s nothing that should be added to the water, which conveys moisture up through it and nutrients.”

And fire officials said it’s important to take steps to prevent a fire if you do plan to put a live tree up in your home.

Salisbury fire chief, Rob Frampton said the holiday season can see a lot of fire emergencies.
He laid out some tips on how to ensure your festive firs don’t turn into catalysts for a house fire.

“If you have a live Christmas tree, making sure that you’re keeping it watered so it doesn’t dry out,” chief Frampton said. “Those are the biggest causes of fires, the dried-out Christmas trees, the ones that aren’t watered, and then overloading electrical outlets.”

Nichols said regular tap water is perfect for hydrating your tree.