Supply remains strong as Christmas tree farmers battle root rot

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind.— While the holidays may still feel far away, Christmas tree farmers across Michiana are hard at work all year long preparing for the season ahead.

According to their website, Liberty Christmas Tree Farm will be closed this season, because of a lack of trees, but most farmers ABC57 called Tuesday afternoon said overall growth has been good this year.

There is nothing like the smell of a fresh-cut Christmas tree.

However, farmers are on high alert for two forms of root rot, which are not unique to this year or to Michigan or Indiana, but are a serious problem for their crops.

“The diseases that we’ve talked about before, phytophthora root rot and armillaria root rot, those diseases are actually all over Michigan and all over the United States,” said Bill Lindberg, a Christmas tree educator with Michigan State University Extension.

A new grant from Michigan State University is funding studies into the invasive diseases, which spread quickly in saturated soil or through irrigation.

“These root rots attack Christmas trees, and they can attack Christmas trees at any age or any size,” Lindberg said.

“Unfortunately, once they are attacked by these root rots, they die very quickly,” he added.

Lindberg has spent the last three and a half years helping tree growers across Michigan cut down problems through educational programs. He said despite root rot concerns, families looking for a real tree this year will not have to worry.

“From a consumer standpoint, I don’t think you’ll see any impact, If you’re interested in getting a real Christmas tree this year, there will be one available for you. This is a challenge that Christmas tree producers face, but it is not going to impact the amount of trees that are harvested on the large macro scale,” Said Lindbergh.

However, he is warning farmers to be alert of the Grinch that can steal their Christmas.

“If you’re a Christmas tree farmer and you feel like you might be experiencing some root rot challenges at your farm, I recommend reaching out to me and I’d be happy to put you in touch with some resources,” he said.

The countdown is on with 79 days still left until the big day.