Christmas Tree Farm Prep: A Timeline of Tannenbaums
Have you ever wondered what goes into getting a tree farm prepared for opening the day after Thanksgiving? A lot!
Year-Round and Weeks Before Opening Day
Making sure the trees look their best for the season begins several months in advance. We have a dedicated staff member who fertilizes and weeds the Christmas trees year-round. The trees are shaped in late August, trimmed four weeks before opening day, and beautified right up until we open. (This year we open the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 23rd.)
The Week Before Thanksgiving
You’ll see crews around the tree farm cleaning up the grounds, laying new gravel in the parking lot, setting up lights and tents, hanging wreaths and signs, sharpening saws for the u-cut trees, readying the Shakey & Baler, prepping the office, and performing one final tree check to make sure they look their best. Crews limb the under-branches to make the trees easier to cut, and leafblow any old needles, spiders, and bird nests out of the trees. Nothing kills the Christmas spirit faster than finding a hairy eight-legged stowaway on Baby’s First Christmas ornament.
The Week of Thanksgiving
Early in the week, we head north to handpick and harvest the layered natural Nobles we offer. Our first semi shipment of trees is delivered mid-week; the crew assembles at the crack of dawn and gets down to business unloading the truck and setting up these beautiful trees. We’re officially prepared for the season to begin and ready to welcome you and your family to the tree farm!
The Close of Tree Sales
We open the day after Thanksgiving and stay open until we’re sold out! When the holidays come to a close and you’re ready to de-flock and dispose of your tree, there are two tree-cycling options available to you in Duvall: The first is offered through the Boy Scouts. A flyer will be delivered to you (be sure to check your front door!) explaining the service. Trees are picked up curbside in early January and recycled into wood chips. A donation of $10 for the service is greatly appreciated. The second is the Snoqualmie Valley Tree-Cycling Drop-off event, which also takes place in early January. Bring your tree to Taylor Landing Park in Duvall, where they’ll be chipped and recycled as garden mulch and pet bedding. The public is encouraged to come on down to the landing and take what the chippers leave behind.
It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas! We hope to see you at JP Landscape Tree Farm, and best wishes to you for a wonderful and healthy holiday season.