Christmas tree farms across the country are gearing up for the holidays, but one Pennsylvania farmer said the dry summer weather could hurt farms in the future.
NBC affiliate WJAC spoke with Rick Koontz, owner of Seller’s Christmas Tree Farm in Bedford County.
The vendor opened in 1951, and Koontz told WJAC he had only seen one other summer as dry as 2024.
“In mid-June this year I saw problems. The first two weeks of June were pretty cool, but then it got hot and dry and day after day of 90 to 95 degree temperatures with no rain I lost a tremendous amount of my first year seedlings,” Koontz said. “The climate has changed and we’re getting more aggressive storms and we’re getting warmer weather here in the winter and that’s affecting the trees.”
Koontz said that while there will be plenty of trees available this year, the problems have barely begun.
“It doesn’t put me behind at the moment, but in three or four years there could be a shortage, depending on whether we get a second dry summer that would really hurt. I am ready to do some irrigation, but it is very time-consuming and labor-intensive,” he said.
Koontz recommends that anyone who purchases a live tree put it in water as soon as they get home.
“I told people that if they come to get a Christmas tree, as soon as they get home, they should put it in the water, even if you’re not going to put it up. Get it into the water immediately. Keep it away from heat and you will be amazed at how long they last,” says Koontz.
Download the FREE WPXI News App for the latest news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook And Tweet. | Check out WPXI NOW
