Eastern white pine’s credentials as a Christmas tree are at least as good as those of lodgepole pine, which recently featured in a Daily Telegraph article, ‘9 of the best real Christmas trees for 2019 and where to buy them’. September was a little dry, and early fall was a tad slow to deliver the winter-protecting gradual chill that most needled evergreens like. Silent and serene with a covering of snow – home-grown Christmas trees. "We use good genetics and good soil in raised beds," says McCurdy. The versatile evergreen fir (Abies spp.) ! THE Christmas tree cycle – comprising cultivation, marketing and use – features monoculture, a long post-harvest period and field-grown trees placed inside warm indoor environments. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. The only real potential problem is Dothistroma needle blight (more aptly called red band needle blight/RBNB), caused by the fungus Dothistroma septosporum. Growers work around these troubles by giving their trees optimal planting sites in the first place, then giving them ideal fertilizer, water and weed-control care. This is in stark contrast to other parts of the English-speaking world such as Australia, where radiata pine (Pinus radiata) reigns supreme, and North America, where native pines like Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) and Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) feature prominently in the Christmas tree market. That isn't a problem with Nordmann firs, so why not get one? When something comes along to target that species, it's a like a buffet in every yard. True firs on which CSNN is frequently found include Nordmann fir, grand fir, and noble fir (A. procera). ! Regular branches are one of the main characteristics of the Nordmann. nordmann fir fall 2007 great lakes christmas tree journal Nordmann fir are marketed as 3–4’ living Christmas trees in Denmark. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. The only thing to benefit is fireweed (rosebay willowherb) and the rust disease which affects both it and a range of true firs. Jill O'Donnell, Michigan State University Extension, and Jan Byrne, MSU Diagnostic Services - ! We have been receiving a number of calls from growers as well as homeowners that new needles and entire new shoots on Concolor fir suddenly turned brown in June. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Much can go wrong, and it's getting worse. But other than that, this year turned out to be a rare, almost-ideal growing season for the intrepid central-Pennsylvania soil jockeys who grow Christmas trees for a living. Unparalleled in beauty and and durability, Nordmann Fir Christmas trees have been popular in Europe across the ages and are gaining even more popularity in the United States. It's also disease-resistant and an excellent choice for home gardens – if you don't have deer. Michigan State University Diagnostic Services. A good example of the pro-vs.-homeowner difference was evident this winter. As with all pests, it is important to identify the disease or other causes to determine the best control method. At first appearance this seems that it could have been caused by frost. Aphids are sap-sucking bugs which extract cell sap using sharp needle-like mouthparts called stylets. Picea abies (Norway spruce): Traditional Christmas tree with a good scent, but quick to drop its needles. There must be a reason for Nordmann Fir to be the most popular Christmas tree in Britain. Cultivar Selection. Christmas tree growers do not blast these iconic birds, but traditionally deploy something altogether more subtle. Douglas fir, while popular in its native North America, has never caught on as a Christmas tree in the UK due to perceived difficulties in decoration. ! Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ! As you might notice from your own sickly Douglas firs and bare-bottomed Colorado blue spruces, growing conifers is not easy. CSNN is recorded as a serious problem for Christmas tree growers in … That disease plagues Fraser fir, which is our other top-selling Christmas tree species and a big reason why it's more expensive than other species. Get involved with the news in your community, This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. Make modifications to your site that allow needles to dry and reduce the chance of infection. For a start, it smells nice, has great needle retention and is safe for people with allergies. ! ! In December 2018, just in time for Christmas, the Forestry Commission announced the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) had been found for the first time in the UK. Corsican pine seen here devastated by Dothistroma 10 years ago in East Anglia. Here are a couple more reasons to choose a Nordmann Fir tree: Lasts between four and six weeks; Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. ! Prolonged periods of free moisture on the new growth favors infection. Pucciniastrum epilobii, which causes fireweed-fir rust, is another of those peculiar Puccinia-type basidiomycete fungi that require two completely different plant hosts to complete their life cycle. Nordmann fir's dark-green, glossy needles make it an attractive future Christmas tree possibility. According to Dr. Chastagner, infection by Delphinella occurs on the new growth in the spring. can be grown as a specimen plant, screen or windbreak. However, reports in the literature have found it to occur on these conifer species grown for Christmas trees: If a small number of trees are infected, MSU Extension suggests removing those trees to reduce the potential reservoirs of inoculum. They often don't improve the soil, opting to hack through the shale or clay-infested "builder's soil" just enough to force the rootball in the ground. © 2020 Advance Local Media LLC. It's also disease-resistant and an excellent choice for home gardens – if you don't have deer. So are there any potential pest and disease problems for landowners thinking of growing pines for the UK Christmas tree market? Pristine pines at Prees Heath Forest Nurseries in Shropshire, with owner David Gwillam. Other common names Caucasian fir Nordmann fir . A recently published report warned how Christmas trees imported from mainland Europe could be providing a pathway for new pests and diseases to enter the UK. Eastern White Pine is not the only Christmas tree conifer to suffer at the hands of a peculiar, plant pathogenic fungus causing a rust disease. ! Two outbreaks were recorded on Norway spruce in the Ashford area of Kent; one on Forestry Commission land and the other in woodland belonging to a high-profile NGO. Not so much a risk for Christmas tree farms, but high risk on the forest nursery due to UK plant health authorities’ peculiar policy of drastic and destructive action if Dothistroma is found on pine seedling trees. Calcium is the metallic component of a gelatinous compound called calcium pectate, which sticks plant cell walls together. True firs on which CSNN is frequently found include Nordmann fir, grand fir, and noble fir (A. procera). This information is for educational purposes only. Fraser fir makes an excellent Christmas tree, but it's notoriously hard to grow in a typical landscape, often because of the threat of root-rot disease. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here. They found thousands of aphids had invaded their house after insects brought into the house on a Christmas tree reproduced in a flurry, in response to the warm indoor conditions. "It actually helped with the bugs," he says. Samples were collected and sent to Michigan State University Diagnostic Services for further testing to isolate and identify the causal agent. EWP has been in the UK for 400 years, brought to England in 1620 by George Weymouth, which is why many out there will know the tree as Weymouth pine. Using data gathered and analysed by the DEFRA plant health risk and horizon scanning team, the Grown in Britain report highlights 15 pests which it says could potentially reach the UK on imported Christmas trees. Nordmann fir has wide, glossy needles that tree-shoppers usually like when they see one. Pinus sylvestris is not native to North America, but is a popular choice there nevertheless and predictably perhaps is called ‘Scotch Pine’. ! "As more of a species is planted, more get infected. New needles and shoots that have browned, shriveled and wilted. Nordmann Fir Christmas Tree. This otherwise attractive plant, with cerise-coloured flower spikes, comes up en masse wherever a fire has been burning, an all-too-common but necessary evil on forest nurseries. (Our four-legged plant-eating machines seem to like this one.). Positive points about EWP as a Christmas tree are fast growth (6–8 years to reach 1.8 m or 6 ft) and little to no aroma – a relief for those with allergies. However, there are some very large specimens that could exceed this size and age including, perhaps, the Christmas trees traditionally placed outside Number 10 Downing Street. Nordmann fir (Abies nordmannia) Noble fir (Abies procera) If a small number of trees are infected, MSU Extension suggests removing those trees to reduce the potential reservoirs of inoculum.