Christmas tree growers across the UK are reporting a bumper year, with sales already up by nearly a third compared to the same period last year. Pete Hyde, owner of Trinity Street Christmas Trees in Dorset, says he has sold significantly more trees from his pop-up site in Dorchester, despite the challenges of social distancing and lockdown restrictions.
“This year everybody is more than ever determined to have a fantastic Christmas,” Hyde said. “People are buying trees earlier and willing to push the boat out.” He noted that many customers are buying a real tree for the first time. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA) predicts that UK farms could sell up to 10 million trees this year, up from the usual eight million.
Heather Parry of the BCTGA said several of the association’s 320 members report it is their busiest season ever. Wholesale business to retailers is already 24% higher than this time last year. Factors driving the surge include fewer people travelling abroad, more small gatherings requiring smaller trees, and a desire for authenticity and the smell of the outdoors.
“Your home is more your castle this year more than ever before,” Parry said. “And you’ve got time to make paperchains, bake the salt dough decorations.” Some people are even buying an extra tree. However, growers caution that supplies could become tight due to delays at UK ports and reduced imports from Denmark, where a new strain of Covid-19 has affected mink farms in the same region where trees are grown.
Olly Combe of York Christmas Trees, which supplied this year’s tree to 10 Downing Street, said his business has been so busy “there’s been no time to breathe.” He warned that careful management is needed to avoid depleting next year’s stocks, as trees take up to 10 years to grow from saplings.
For those buying a tree, the BCTGA advises leaving it in a bucket of water outdoors until ready to decorate, sawing 2.5cm off the bottom before placing it in a stand, and keeping it away from radiators or fires. Living trees in pots should be brought indoors as late as possible and not kept inside for more than 12 days.
