412How THIS Crop Makes $60,000 PER ACRE and WHY We Switched - Big Gamble on a First Generation Farm

[@This1LifeWeLive]

For an INDEPTH LOOK at how this ACTUALLY DOES make $$$, check out this video with numbers from a REAL LOCAL FARMER, and see if THIS CROP might be for you! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZTJlYiha72WpMk

[@MatthewZelek-iv8tb]

Grew up on a Christmas tree farm, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who doesn’t absolutely love doing it. There are many other uses for land that are better for your soil and can net just as much if not more revenue. Those needles will turn your soil acidic and eventually you won’t be able to grow anything but those trees. If you have a contract to sell everything you grow it might be worth it. Our farm sold local because it was

[@Freempg]

My dad had the crazy idea of planting Christmas trees, 28,000 over a span of five years. He bought seedlings in bails, pealed them off and stuck them in the ground using a tractor-pulled furrowing plow spaced every six feet. My brother and I grew up pruning them by hand. I would go to sleep, close my eyes, and see nothing but trees burned on my retina. We got so good at pruning we could throw ours shears at the tallest trees and have them close at the right time to clip the tops we couldn't reach, and catch the shears on their way down.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

haha, that sounds like a pretty good feat! 28,000 trees is a LOT! That's assuming he'd sell 7,000 per year! We are pacing our selling goals, from 500, to 1,000 to 1500 to maybe 2000. We don't want to do more than 2,000!

[@Freempg]

@@This1LifeWeLive We sold a lot, semi-truck loads, yes, but we had "crop failures," and planted some Scotch Pine which grew into a tangled mess which we ultimately cut down and burned,, and now the Norway and Spruce that remain make up a beautifully managed park-like forest. Best of luck to you.

[@tommybutler2454]

What a cool memory to have.

[@MatthewZelek-iv8tb]

@tommybutler2454 the cool memories balance out with the miserable ones. If you’ve ever handles a Christmas tree you know how much sap they have. Trimming trees is grueling messy work. Baby oil is a necessity on a tree farm, soap won’t take the sap off your skin.

[@JuliannaHarding]

So that’s over 7000 trees sold each season…how did you all do?

[@rodewerk5034]

Christmas Trees are even more work than hay, the constant trimming is necessary, and very labor intensive. With today's problems I am not so sure how valuable Christmas Trees will be. You might do better speculating on food crops. I think food crops are going to be far more valuable, especially in the near term.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Trees are also a part of the largest Holiday of the year, a time when people cherish memories made, especially in difficult times. I would love to grow food, but our area likes to eat greenhosues for breakfast :(

[@Michael29160]

@Lantlo How does Hemp grow in the heat of the deep south ? (South Carolina )

[@kyletent414]

@@Michael29160 cannabis is incredible it originates from all different regions of the world, different strains from different places bring their own strengths and weaknesses in regards to their climate. It can be grown practically anywhere as long as the right cultivars are used

[@dans4125]

@@Michael29160 the south is probably the best climate. Hemp grows wild in rocky/sandy/high elevation/high heat/high humidity climates, it's not really a crop you can screw up unless you cause crowding issues

[@markvelarde321]

Hemp has an actual good purpose. Cannabis with THC content are for those that like to drown in there deep seated problems. Too bad Americans are so dependent on drugs.

[@byronmitchell13]

I own a tree farm and was born and raised on one. My advice is get a good tree planter, a good mower, and take soil samples. Tree farming is also much more intensive than hay so have plenty of boys. That’s what my dad did.

[@alexanderlapp5048]

I agree with you about the tree planter. That would save lots of time. That tractor is plenty powerful enough to pull one. Tilling narrow strips of ground where the rows go might also be a good idea. We can plant a few thousand trees in a day at the nursery where I work.

[@bettypearson5570]

I knew a couple who had decided to use their few acres to start a Christmas tree farm as part of their retirement plan with him doing all the trimming and maintenance each year and it was time intensive. Then he had a heart attack which ended up doing enough damage that he could no longer work and he was also unable to maintain the farm. Instead of selling they found a company that came in to do all trimming and maintenance and that first year that some were ready for harvest (they had staggered planting so some would be ready each year). At that time they were making $15k a year without having to do anything. The company even handled the replanting. While trimming especially had been very time intensive for the husband who did everything by hand, the company that came in used cone shaped forms and power hedge trimmers to quickly shape each tree perfectly. While he had been eyeballing growth and trimming from spring to fall whenever he wasn't working his regular job this company came in with a crew of 4 once in the spring and spent 3-4 days trimming and about the same for harvesting later. It could be very time intensive or very streamlined depending on the methods chosen for maintenance.

[@shandor2522]

Amazing, what specialized knowledge can do! I wonder if that company operates in other states?!

[@bettypearson5570]

@@shandor2522 if not then I'm sure there is another one. Try doing a search for something like Christmas tree maintenance. To me it seems like it would be a great way to have your land working for you without losing your freedom.

[@livelifetogivelife9462]

My fav line… They were making 15k without having to do anything hard earned & well deserved Working hard, Saving money, shopping and investing in land, planting trees for years… heart attack trimming Yep, they didn’t do anything at all for their $

[@jdude7650]

I can tell you for sure as a retail nursery manager for the last 34 years, Christmas trees are in very short supply nationwide and the most in demand tree is Fraser Fir. I tried to order 800 last year and received only about 500 due to proration. Not any easy or quick crop to grow however. The importance of the right climate cannot be overstated. Make sure your area and irrigation can do it and that you have the right tree varieties. Trimming is huge and very laborious and fungus or pests can wipe you out totally in one season. Not easy or cheap at all and a good way to loose everything. If it was easy, cheap and idiot proof everyone would do it.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I think the biggest issue too is marketing. You need to be in the perfect location to run a Ucut . . .

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Do you guys recommend trimming the roots on firs for planting? Or will it stunt the growth? Particularly Canaan firs ?

[@ghostridergale]

Why they cost so much too, for a good tree anyway! Especially if you like a good flocked tree! Paid a fortune for mine couple years back and put 1800 blue lights on it. It was a gorgeous Christmas tree!

[@arthurdewith7608]

Buy ur trees from the ministry of natural resources nursery as a reforestation project not to mention to them Christmas trees 2 year whips are under two dollars per thousand

[@jeffgriff3316]

If the box stores hadn’t taken over the market by selling trees so cheap there would be more product available. You may find you will have more $ in your trees than the local HD is selling them for.

[@Rick_Sanchez_C137_]

Christmas trees are great, I originally from Oregon and have several Christmas tree farms near the house I grew up in. Don’t know why everyone’s complaining about how labor intensive they are, it isn’t like you prune the things every day. What I do know is that there is only so many trees a human can get to at the right times of the year to be pruning, go too big and you ruin any chance of complete success. Also, diversification is always the way to go. Having a Christmas tree farm and nothing else going on means you can only do well when people need Christmas trees. Just like raising fish in rice paddies, you need to find out what you can raise around those trees that won’t bother those trees. And your acreage should be divided and Christmas trees on some, some other crop on other area, be it fruit trees, carrots, or vineyard I can’t tell you, that’s for you to figure out…. And don’t forget you can’t cover your whole property with Christmas trees the first year, they have to be planted in succession so you can sell trees every year not every seven years. And if you are somewhere that has high winds, you MUST plant wind breaks or your Christmas trees won’t be straight (fast growing poplars usually make a great windbreak). I wish you all the luck and happiness….

[@This1LifeWeLive]

All quite correct. Trees are one part of our farm, and we don't have any plans to be massive. A max of maybe $1500 cuttable trees is reasonable, maybe 500 precuts on hand too . ..

[@kcphillips1000]

I would be inclined to turn the pond into a feature rather than fill it in .Your land is mostly clay so would hold water year round that could be useful if the trees needed extra water in a drought . It would need to be deepened but would add value to your farm .

[@jaredhaas4168]

Yeah and if they're going to have customers on-site cutting their own trees, little things like a cute pond improve the experience and can be a leg up on the competition.

[@gdc3084]

Yes water is a big deal. Years to come you will be digging out the pond.

[@brizachfarmsllc.7799]

add aquaculture to the mix [fish/ crustaceans] would diversify the revenue mix and produce an emulsified fertilized watering source for the trees

[@jaredhaas4168]

@@brizachfarmsllc.7799 trout $$

[@dr-ng8te]

@@gdc3084 and stocking it

[@johnnymac3211]

SO PROUD OF YOU ALL !! LOVE, MOM AND DAD

[@codydog1700]

planted 1000+ in the last 5 year use a auger on a battery drill. Its works way better then a spade.

[@livelifetogivelife9462]

GOOD JOB!!!!

[@edwintrapp231]

we took the entire bundle and chopped the roots with a hand ax. depending on how yours are packaged, you can grab the largest clump that you can control, then chop all the roots at once..

[@gordbaker896]

It is so VERY important to cover the area around the new tree with a 2' or more diameter of a material that will keep grasses and weeds down. A black stiff product that will not blow away. A 4" dia hole with a slot to the perimeter for installation. Even cutting the bottom off those pots will help a great deal. Those trees are about 4+Years old in a protected environment. Just planted in an open field with weeds and grass they would be half that size or dead. Dip the root ball in water before planting. Use a 1"x2" to pack dirt tight around root ball. The Pond would be helpful for watering..... You need a wider service route between every 2 rows if not too late. Stagger trees in rows for full Sun.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

We actually are using the pond to water :D Plus it has a bunch of good nutrients in it too, hahaha!

[@mikeskidmore6754]

@@This1LifeWeLive You might want to plant some Deer Food Plots too .. You want the Deer eating something that they like better than Pine Trees.. In the past I am sure they enjoyed your Hay field ..

[@I_Am_Michael]

@@This1LifeWeLive and your dogs are helping to add urea.

[@arthurdewith7608]

And spray for powdery mildew and scale in some areas this is a big problem

[@arthurdewith7608]

@@mikeskidmore6754 shot the deer it’s more reliable

[@icehog2367]

I'd highly suggest buying their 50mm plugs, you'll save a ton of money, save a ton of time planting and have a tree that's maybe 1 year behind in growth. Van Pines has great stock though, I've planted thousands of spruce.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

That's good to know, thankyou! At the time they were sold out of nearly everything :(

[@ourv9603]

The single most profitable farm in all of the US is in Berkeley, Ca in town. Its really small, like a small backyard. Everything is grown in a greenhouse. What they grow is multiple exotic greens & herbs used by top high end restaurants. The USDA calculates the acreage a farm has in production times its revenue & this farm comes out on top. !

[@stevebabiak6997]

I am not a farmer, just a homeowner who has tried to grow various evergreen trees in my backyard. I tried Frasier firs a couple of times and different sizes - had the least success with that (zero survived). I tried Douglas fir - I have one survivor out of four planted, and that one isn’t in the greatest shape. I tried Colorado blue spruce - only had two, and one just died. A tip with evergreens - early in spring they should show fresh growth at the branch tips; when there is no fresh growth that is a tree you will be declaring dead. I have had 100% success with Serbian spruce. I have a single Nordman fir that is doing great. And Canaan firs are 100% doing great at my place. When I saw you were getting those I thought you made a good choice - they have a very similar look to the Frasier fir (except no silvery underside to the needles), but growing them has been less troublesome. And since I am not growing to sell, I don’t try to trim them for that perfect shape - yet they seem to have kept that nice shape as they’ve grown over the years. Good luck on this endeavor.

[@sams1870]

We get tree seedlings from the dnr. We have a sled towed behind the tractor with a plow similar to your slicer. And there is a packer wheel and 2 seats for the planters (people) who place seedlings in the auger slot and the packer wheels close the trench around the seedlings. We call it a tree planter. Your trees look to be about a year old. So you'll have less loss.

[@quinto190]

I suspect, the firs will have a hard time growing over the first years. Grassland soil is dominated by bacteria, while forest soil is dominated by fungi. And you don't have much humus (soil biology) in this clay anyway. The trees likely don't have their mykorrhiza species present currently. The fungi need to grow together with the roots and convert the grassland soil into a forest soil. The grass acts as a competitor against the trees, when it grows close to the tree stems and their roots. So, maintaining tree pits might be a good idea (about the size of the branches). And when you plant new trees, I would add some forest soil to each tree. That probably will let them root much better and help them survive. That's just some knowledge from gardening. I haven't planted that many trees at once. So, tree pits might not be practicable, but adding soil biology from a forest (some humus from there) during planting should not be too difficult.

[@glen1arthur]

Glad you made a point of this fact.

[@kingmasterlord]

I would suggest planting a row of trees that are slightly closer together from that stand behind her to help the fungi spread

[@Sunshine_Daydream222]

Tell me you've been doing Dr. Elaine Ingram's classes! 💞👊💞

[@quinto190]

@@Sunshine_Daydream222 Yes :). Essential knowledge... She is way ahead of the curriculum in universities, at least from what I've seen (I'm a biologist).

[@zbigniewkozlowski2749]

Good point ,worth to try , forester ,Zbigniew Canada regards

[@lindahalford5284]

This is something that one would do with extra land after you had the rest of your your property already giving you an income while you wait and work for 10 years, one decade, before you start to harvest. If you were shipping these trees you also need to invest in a netting system for shipping them. As back breaking as the planting is You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet! Also you never fill in the watering hole. If anything you want to increase its size they're by increasing its capacity. There will be times when you just don't have enough rain or naturally occurring water, so a pond filled with water would be a necessary resource.

[@TgWags69]

I started working on a Christmas tree farm when I was seven. The farmer would order several thousand bare root seedling slips (much younger than your potted ones). He and my older brother would run the long spade shovels. They would put the shovel in the ground a work it back and forth to open a slot. I would work the seeding into the into the hole and hold at the right height while they "heeled" it in closing the slot. Then three steps forward, rinse and repeat. I had to carry the 5 gallon bucket full of mud and slips, feeding both rows! I husled for sure, I don't think I stood upright till lunch. He grew mostly scotch pine and blue spruce. He also had a field of Red pine. One field had several rows of firs, but they never did well. The scotch and blue spruce were the big sellers. The scotch pine was the lion's share and was on average of about a 7 year cycle. After planting season, we would trim brush from next year's field and use them for marker stakes for the seedlings so they wouldn't get lost in the grass and get mowed. Then came trimming which was after the first cut of hay. We used pruning shears (upside down) to prune the candles and shape the tree for optimal growth. Some places used machetes, but not only being dangerous, it wasn't as precise at encouraging growth in areas like filling holes or gaps to make a presentable tree. Really important because everyone wants the perfect tree with nice layers. As we got older we got conscripted into mowing season as well using old gravely mowers. You get to know each tree after taking care of them every year. Your little guy there will be driving and going to prom when these trees are ready 😉👍

[@tomchrisfield7348]

I would say that growing Christmas trees is a 20 year investment of time and money that's all out go long before there's any income.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Lol that's what I told erik! People will be shopping for trees and he'll be shopping for a girlfriend 😆

[@linmal2242]

Crazy, you yankies! I just 'grow' a little silver glitter Chrissy tree (from chyna?) each year, and put it back in the cupboard for next year ! The KISS principle.

[@TgWags69]

@@linmal2242 it's funny perceptions people have. All the commercial growers would send semi loads of their trees to the South since they apparently didn't grow well down there. The place I worked was a small family cut-your-own tree farm, and part of their shtick was the tradition of trudging out through the field with kids and grandparents and picking the tree. Times have changed for sure. We also have a fake tree now as well due to family member allergies

[@tattooninja]

@@tomchrisfield7348 Why 20 years instead of 7-10 ?

[@steveforster5476]

I remember when my dad decided to plant 500 Christmas trees. He bought them from the state forestry service, and they were bare root and only about a foot tall from the bottom of the roots to the top of the tree! We put a small ridge/dam around the trees (about 3 ft in diameter). I was given the honor of dragging a hose to each tree everyday spring, summer and fall for a couple years. Dad never sold many trees; they quickly became more like pets. When he did cut one, it was always above the bottom branches. Then those branches would turn up to become new trees. He would pick the trim off all but the best shoot it would grow into a new tree. The trees grew really well and are still growing even after almost 60 years. Almost forgot to warn you about rabbits eating the tender little trees in the winter when it snows. It's about the easiest food for them to find.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

How interesting! Do you remember which variety he planted? I have never heard of them growing back, but I guess they certainly could!

[@danpeterson8040]

With our first about the same size, we dumped a 5 gal.bucket of horse manure and had a backhoe stir the manure in with the soil digging and stirring together 2'x2' by 2' deep. Those trees absolutely took off!!! YOU could plant and sell garden crops between the rows. Use a rear tire tiller to pulverize the clumps before planting your garden. A Very High Demand for home grown organic. All the Best!!!

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I love this! We might need to try that with our front area! I had thought some of strawberries between the rows while the trees are somewhat small . . . we don't have anyone local who offer U-[ick ;D

[@koltoncrane3099]

If you look into orchards and vineyards they take so much worm castings and put it in the hole by the plants roots. It's amazing when you see the difference between the plant with worm castings and the control. Worm castings can like triple the root growth the photos i saw showed. Probably worth trying with pine trees. That and applying ecto I believe. There's ecto and endo fungi. One helps confirs and the other is for veggies.

[@markallison8854]

My brother daughter and her husband Levi Have a Christmas tree farm east of Dorr mi. they have a lodge That they sell wreaths and apple butter products. every year they sell out of all there trees. They just bought a new farm just north of allegan mi because of the high demand. they have been doing it for just 3 year's GREAT PLAN wish you the best God bless your beautiful family ❤❤❤❤

[@ruralridez6165]

the big tree farm in our town retired and sold it to housing development but what Ive heard they couldnt keep up with inventory.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

That seems to be what's happening! Tree suppliers are also selling out, so we may have to start growing our own just to make sure we always have product!

[@1993Ell]

My family has been raising Christmas trees for 23 years now I’m going to start the process of taking that part of the farm over. We always do bare root seedlings usually cheaper and grow just as fast. Living in Nebraska some years the new plantings do well other years not so much do to dry weather, regardless don’t give up!

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Good to hear, and even better to hear that you will be taking over! Too often I see farms closing with no kids wanting to carry on the tradition :(

[@M4Younes]

where do you get em?

[@BornRandy62]

you have a couple years to figure it out. There are three means to trim the trees. A long knife that you swing in an arc to shape the tree. A Battery or electric hedge trimmer or a Gasoline powered hedge trimmer similar to a chain saw. The bare knife is a sure way to have a shoulder injury after several years or shorter depending on the condition of the shoulder to begin with . If you find a buyer you can also sell whole rooted tree specimens. In the city they sell for as much as 50 bucks a foot (a 5 foot tree for 250) but you need a mechanized tree spade to transplant them . Tress that people want in their yards are conifer Firs and Blue Spruce. Conifer Firs are light blue and have soft needles you can pet.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Ugh. Yup, we saw some videos on trimming and the guy did use a big knife . . . I told Erik the same thing that we'd both need rotator cuff surgery after a few years, lol! We've been looking at lightweight trimmers!

[@grogery1570]

As a young man I was a backpacker and got a ride from a man in Maryland who turned out to the local expert on the Abonibal Snowman and a Christmas tree farmer! As a guest I tried to be polite about the idea of farming Christmas tree but he was a scientist at heart and talked about annualized returns and witness statements. An interesting evening seeing as 30 years later I still remember it.

[@jeffd1919]

I'd have scored the root ball on every potted tree to promote new growth and prevent root bound. After years of planting potted plants / trees etc., very worthwhile. The hand dug holes are best, as the auger can tend to polish the wall of the hole, retarding root growth.

[@steveboom635]

For sure retarding roots is a big Nono

[@robbiefarmer9243]

I wish you guys the very best. I've raised Christmas trees and put up hay both for years. Trees are a LOT of work. I had several acres of Fraser Firs that I planted as bare root seedlings. You have to fertilize, mow, shear, sometimes water, spray for insects - aphids love Fraser's, deal with deer, disease, etc... It seems to never stop. Then, like in your video with your new growth buds popping, you have a late frost and BANG - your new growth for the year is gone and your suddenly a year behind. Before the buds mature and get hard they are susceptible to frost. Then, in our area, everyone raises Fraser Firs and the market gets flooded thus bringing down the value. It can be done and by having the trees close to your home you'll likely do well because you can "work" the trees when convenient but just know they are a LOT of work. I would agree with the comment below - trees are more work than hay. Good luck.

[@JudgeGuns]

THATS FARMING! It follows Murphy's law to the 'T' ! Farmers are tough!

[@denmar355]

Totally agree! Been there done that. Lots of labor involved.

[@eddiejohnson3458]

what i like seeing is how everyone came together to help out but also the patience with training new helpers

[@terrymcguire8476]

Dig your holes 3 times the size of the root ball. Use Rootmaker and Super Thrive and they'll grow 3 times as fast. Evergreens like Spruce and Firs need Rocky / sandy well drained soil. Wet soil causes root rot and eventually decline / death.

[@ronskancke1489]

I live on the sioux River bottom with the thickest blackest fertile soil you have ever seen. I have planted more than 100 spruce trees here over the last 15 years and only lost 1 tree. The first planted are 20 feet tall now.

[@clintonwhite2966]

You don’t dig a hole for bare root seedlings, hence the dibble bar he was using. You’d never get a mass planting of 600 seedlings planted that way.

[@terrymcguire8476]

@@clintonwhite2966 You see him digging a hole with an auger don't you. If the auger was an 18 inch or maybe 24 , then the hole would be larger and the roots would take hold far easier.

[@30dayride67]

I had a neighbor that tried raising Christmas trees and on the second or third year he had major health issues that kept him from pruning. The trees were all deformed with bald areas once they were ready to harvest. Being a smaller community, we all had less than perfect Christmas trees for a few years to help him out. After that he had a very thick windbreak south of his house. He used to joke that he wished he'd have planted the fields to the north and west of his house instead. Before he tried it I had no idea just how labor intensive growing Christmas trees was. There's a lot to it and if something goes wrong it can be devastating.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

That's why with most of our endeavors we are trying to get a handle on them while we are still young. Unlike all of our peers, we don't go on vacation, or trips or weekend getaways. We work, work and work some more, so that when we are old, we won't be struggling to figure things out :)

[@serenitytrek]

The same thing happened to my GrandDaddy. He planted 20 acres of Xmas trees for each grand kid, had health issues & all trees were deformed, useless, had to sell land, no inheritance. 😒

[@rickwilson5611]

@@This1LifeWeLive dont listen to all the nay sayers, I trimmed trees for many years you just need a good whippy bladded machette and it takes literally 20 seconds to trim a tree anyone else that says diff is a idiot. They are not hard to grow, they grow everywhere by themselves all the time. Ive seen sandy areas planted that were very low nitrogen that didnt do much for the first 5 years but grew like weeds after and were ready in 3 more years. First few weeks using the machette wear a hockey shin guard on both legs though you will thank me. first day I took mine off I sliced the thin muscle on front of my shin that lifts your foot.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

@@rickwilson5611 yeah I could see that 😆! Thankyou for the tips!

[@matthewhardin9622]

@@This1LifeWeLive I own and operate a successful fireworks company with my family. My kids work with me and have made substantially more money than working at a grocery store or fast food ect. Has worked for 20 years or better and I imagine my grandkids will benefit as well.

[@tommyfrancis7174]

10 years, and a little plus, it's a good choice and you will not regret it, I have a lifetime of memories that are priceless. Stay steady with it and keep it clean, mowed. it's a therapy you can't pay for ;-)

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I think so. It will be excting to see our first group get bought and sold, and the atmosphere we can create for people :D

[@____________________________.x]

It's very important to get the planting at soil level, if you bury even an inch too deep they tend to fail. Also regular watering - WranglerStar tried this too but didn't apparently water at all, and his entire planting (2000?) failed.

[@ruralridez6165]

We will try our best to keep these little guys alive and I heard watering for the first year is very important. This is a test run to see if this species of trees work with our soils.

[@____________________________.x]

@@ruralridez6165 Yep, your soil conditions look promising, I hope it works out well 🙂 At least you won't have to deal with any hay bailer issues 😹

[@ruralridez6165]

@@____________________________.x When we first moved to the property we planted around 30 4ft norway and blue spruce they have all done really well except the 4 we planted in sandy soil. They are still alive but have half the growth the other do that were planted in the heavier soil. In 7 years they went from 4ft to now 15-20ft tall.

[@____________________________.x]

@@ruralridez6165 my area is heavy clay and we have a lot of conifers, blue spruce looks really nice

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I remember him planting trees!

[@backfill9183]

There’s a tree planter built by blue line. It’s designed as a orchard tree planter but will work for what your doing with proper set up

[@chris77777777ify]

I prefer to grow opium poppy, it’s about £200,000 per kilo I believe. Per acre

[@ericpowell4350]

😂😂😂❤❤❤

[@andrewgee241]

But you have to spend all those extra profits on Ak-47s

[@247KW]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@ericsautos]

I came home from school at the end of my junior year of high school and my dad had gotten 30,000 pines to plant for my brother and I and it took several months it was the hardest thing I think I have ever done in my life, and I still have that tool as a reminder of hard work.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

oh gosh, that's a lot of pines!

[@ELIRAXPRT]

What ended up happening with the trees? Have they been harvested yet?

[@aguaponics]

Instead of cutting the roots on bare rooted, dig your hole wider and build a cone in the center of the hole and drape roots down side of cone. So much stress and water gathering ability lost to cut roots. New subscriber, keep up the great work!

[@ruralridez6165]

We watched other videos on youtube about planting bareroot trees and they all trimmed the roots to keep from J-rooting this is our first time planting bare root trees we are new and learning thank you for the helpful information.

[@70washington]

I worked on a Christmas tree farm and we would chop about half of the roots off after counting in 5's, 10's bundles depending on the size of the trees, we would put anywhere from 100 - 200 trees for out field per bag to 200 - 500 for transplant back into the nursery. Sometimes it seems like you chop off too much but the trees recover quickly. To speed up your process, get a machete, 18" or so and a chopping block, get a handful that fits in one hand, lay the roots across the block and chop, keep count!

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I was doing in groups of 3-4, lol

[@whorhaydelfuego7190]

I hope you have a better result than my family did. We planted thousands of trees over probably 10-15 acres. In the end keeping up with the constant mowing and shearing was too much. Luckily the land ended up being a much better investment in the long run. The trees are still there, can see a giant grove of evergreens from the highway whenever I go home for a visit.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

We are in prime christmas tree area, but I also have a background in marketing.

[@denmar355]

Lots of labor involved to do well. Good luck.

[@mikeskidmore6754]

Looks like Conifer Trees to me. Two Weeks late this year might still be Early. The snow melted very late this year. Trees started to bloom much later this year.

[@LtColDaddy71]

You set up a Christmas atmosphere with lots of offerings, a great display of lights that local businesses can sponsor, and develop the space for multi use as a pumpkin patch and all those offerings of activities and hospitality, then follow up with a haunted farm maze, and you’ll make a great living.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Business sponsorships is a great idea!

[@JbestWI]

Awesome! Great to see the whole family planting together building the character of the youth. Hopefully they continue the tradition down the road!

[@Blazer02LS]

I have about 4 christmas tree farms around me. They plant in stages yearly then add fillers as they harvest. A new plot they will plant a full field. Then they harvest some of the smaller ones for mini trees and let the rest grow. As they harvest they plant new ones after removing the stump. One is a small farm about your size, the others have multiple stands all around the state and in a few states to minimize transport losses. Plan ahead and get a tree wrapper and if you are doing a stand on the property a flocking set-up can be handy.

[@ruralridez6165]

If these trees do well we will plant 1100 trees for 7 years so they have a staggered growth. I watch a good video this guy sells 4000 christmas trees per year. what he does he starts a new tree a foot away from a tree that will be ready to be cut in 2 years. He said thats giving him a 2 year head start on a harvestable tree.

[@Blazer02LS]

@@ruralridez6165 That's similar to what these folks do, One has a tree spade and does it a bit different, they will go in, harvest a tree and then use the spade to remove the stump, then they set another tree that they remove from the "garden" into that spot, the "garden" is just a smaller stand where they plant trees closer together to use as filler trees. That place also showed me some software they used for the trees, basically a grid with each tree tagged like A1 or C23, lets them keep track of what trees are planted where and when they are harvest ready. Lot's of work in it if you want nice trees. Good luck.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I ahve a plot map of our 7 year plan. thinking about starting our own from seed too. if tree farms can't keep in stock for sellers, that might run us out of business fast! So we are planning for the future!

[@articmars1]

Flocking a tree prevents it from being recycled. People really need to give that up. Its not necessary for a beautiful tree

[@Blazer02LS]

@@articmars1 True, but some folks want them. After the sale it's their problem.

[@TheGspencer]

Learning is always good, no matter the outcome. Your fields look great,,, therefore you probably already know these comments... but they may help one of your readers. To minimize risk, I suggest spacing the tree rows 16 to 30 ft apart to allow for a secondary crop between rows. Also I suggest aligning the rows with the sun's travel in order to provide max sun to the secondary crop. Grazing could be allowed with the trees protected by electric fencing. A used water wagon, for pond water, fertilizer and Ph, would be a good investment. Very important to keep track and correct the soil's Ph to get that 18" of growth. I wish you success.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Thankyou! I am currently looking into something like geese, ducks or turkeys to both eat the grass and fertilize the ground :) Also would like to do radishes in the fall to break up hardpan and feed the soil :)

[@dalehawkins503]

Good luck to a north Carolina Christmas tree producer! We grow cannan and Fraser both here! Very enjoyable crop !!!! Always glad to see a new producer

[@This1LifeWeLive]

How very cool! We'd love to hear your experiences with growing them! I know our climates are quite different, but any info is always a benefit ;D

[@dalehawkins503]

Don't get discouraged! It's going to seem like forever until the first harvest!!! Then it all becomes easier

[@christophersmith8014]

I'm curious as to what you expect your total time budget will be for bringing these trees to market. As far as I understand, you planted 1,100 trees on an acre and expect a gross revenue of $60,000 over a crop cycle of 7 years, so first there will be a margin of crop failure of say 20%, that leaves 880 trees to sell for something like $68-70 a piece if they reach six feet or so by year 7? And, then say you have $5 in each tree initially, which then leaves you with a budget of $65 for labor per tree if you don't invest anything in irrigation or fertilizer. $65 might cover an hours worth of labor, so then the time purchasing, loading, hauling, distributing into the field, planting, six annual trimmings, digging (or probably cutting), loading and hauling again?, netting?, marketing, customer interaction (selling and settling the transaction, post accounting), and potentially loading for the customer all need to happen within a 60 min total time frame per tree to make a minimum profitable return. There's also the consideration of whether or not you can still mow and bale hay from between the trees, since you will still need to maintain the grass one way or another and if the maintenance can't produce a salable good then it becomes an additional cost. You could consider rooting cuttings taken from the trimmings for use and sale, also the tender new growth of most (all maybe?) fir trees is edible and often delicious and could be marketed to some restaurants.

[@codybrackett812]

Dude I'm a mainer and we don't eat fir lol wth...

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I didn't know about eating them, lol! The bareroot trees were $1, and the potted were $5. If we grow our own from seed it would greatly reduce our costs too. There are always ways to add more work and money to any crop. The tree farm we usually bought from never pruned, and likely never fertilized. They were just trees ina field, lol. We will likely join ourlocal tree farm association and implement a few of their suggestions :)

[@markjohnson8824]

@@This1LifeWeLive My dad planted Christmas trees in the 80s during the recession. He didn't prune them and they grew too tall and lanky for christmas trees. It's just a pine forest now. That tree farm likely does prune them.

[@angelofamillionyears4599]

@@markjohnson8824 They were not the same type of trees as these.

[@angelofamillionyears4599]

Chris, What type of farming and gardening have you done? Thanks

[@HorstFarms]

If there are other growers in your area, borrow a tree planter for your tractor. It’s much faster. On nice flat ground it would only take a couple of hours to plant your trees.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

We almost bought a tree planter (used), they are VERY hard to find, even new ones. Problem was, they only plant bare root trees (at the time the nursery we bought from was no longer selling bare roots), and the trees must be small (our bares were too big). BUT, that's still something to consider for down the road ;)

[@HorstFarms]

@@This1LifeWeLive Tree planters are nice, but of course they do only work on a clean field. Once you are interplanting on the second rotation a earth auger works well. It’s faster then the post hole digger, but a lot harder on the back. Watch the Fraser in real wet areas, Phytophthora is definitely a concern for them. Good luck.

[@rayclark8920]

Approximately 30 years ago my wife and I purchased a Christmas tree farm full of the number one selling Christmas tree scotch pine trees. We did it for probably seven years. There are a lot of work that goes into Scotch Pinetrees don’t know about the furs that you plan it. But you have to go around every tree and trim them annually and when you do this it is the hottest time of the year. We only showed a profit one out of the seven years. Very little profit The problem lies here competition Walmart our farm is probably about 15 to 20 miles away from Walmarts. Cheap trees. I hope for you folks the best I hope you come close to that profit figure. Our farm is located in Southern Illinois still living there today I forgot to tell you you also had to walk around each tree and spray it with a die if you really wanted them to look nice.

[@kellymorgan4783]

I'm curious - could they raise chickens/ducks amongst the trees once they're established? That could help with soil fertility, mowing the lawn and increase profits per acre?

[@rayclark8920]

@@kellymorgan4783 Maybe worth a try. My concern would be if they try to eat any of the pine needles it would ruin the lower part of the tree if they did. I believe the chickens would have a better chance of prospering and doing well out there because of the bugs in the tall grass they would enjoy that.

[@dg83collectibles33]

@@rayclark8920 was your farm Wiswells? Kinda funny to randomly see a comment from another southern Illinoisan.

[@rayclark8920]

@@dg83collectibles33 no it was not it was owned by the Gump‘s. We named it His creation tree farm. South of Wiswells was in Carterville I believe. We are south of there. We are located between the two lakes little grassy and devils kitchen. Makanda IL .

[@dehavenfamilyfarm]

Nice to see some family coming to help! You may want to look around this Fall and see if anyone is offering wreath making classes. Wreaths are an easy way to add extra income during the Christmas season. You also may want to consider starting to sell fresh, already cut trees on you farm at some point. This will help you start to build a customer base so when your trees are ready you already have customers :)

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Erik was talking about the wreath thing too. My next door neighbor actually is GREAT at making wreaths, so I'll see if she wants to make a bunch and sell to us at a wholesale price ;D years ago I did make a GIANT 5ft wreath for the front of the barn. I used that rectangle welded wire fencing to make a shell, then tied in long garlands and giant ornaments. Still ahve it in the barn :D

[@ghostridergale]

I make my own Christmas wreaths too, only I use artificial tree limbs and other decorations so the wreaths are reusable year after year. Everyone that sees my wreaths always want one, but they usually change their minds when they find out what it costs just in the materials to make these wreaths. Sure their expensive, but considering how many years you can use them over and over for decades as long as you take care of them you’ll never need to buy another wreath ever again! In the long run their actually cheaper then buying another wreath every Christmas! Since I make my own I have quite a few wreaths all different looking and different sizes too. My next wreath I make I want to add Christmas lights to it with some artificial snow on it too. But if the snow holds up will have to see? I do have wreath cases to keep my wreaths in that work out really well too! Myself, I can’t see putting all that work into making a real wreath with tree limbs that you’ll be throwing away at the end of the year if not sooner? Wreaths in the stores for sale just look horrible to me, I never buy those, but they are cheaper for sure! Guess it’s true you get what you pay for!

[@DavidJohnson-nw3dz]

We did 300 acres for a CRP program and trenched it like you did then used post hole diggers to clean the hole out for each and every tree

[@earlyoung2863]

Good to see you guys doing what you need to do to survive economically. It took guts to make this turn. Someone I knew had a son, a doctor. The doc decided to plant 80 ac of Christmas Trees. Kinda iffy in SW OK. The trees were beautiful. Well the Dr, of course, wasn't going to get dirty. Their biggest challenge was finding LABOR when the time came to harvest the trees. This is gonna be interesting!🙄😎 Bareroot trees, many times, do better than the potted ones. I have reservations about pruning the roots, though. I might've rented a skidsteer with tracks and an auger on the front. It would've handled the mud.....maybe? And all the roots could've gone in the hole. Your trees may be set back some, but they'll recover Best of luck, you two!

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Labor IS a huge issue! And why so many tree farms are having to quit. We might end up growing our own from seeds. The root cutting came from a few videos erik watched on planting trees . . . but it's KZbin, so . . .. lol!

[@KentuckyFriedFixes]

I planted about a dozen fruit trees in 2021. After the first couple of holes being dug by hand, I ordered a post hole auger with the 2 cycle engine. Made quick work of the rest. I can't believe you guys dug out that many holes by hand. Much respect!

[@This1LifeWeLive]

LOL, yupp I hand dug 600 holes! Took about a week :(

[@leezap]

@@This1LifeWeLive But why when you can get a tool?

[@FarmallFanatic]

When I planted mine, the deer nipped some of the top buds. I took 3x5 index cards and stapled to the top buds...game over.

[@ruralridez6165]

really thats interesting did you put some sork of smell on it to keep them away?

[@FarmallFanatic]

@@ruralridez6165 nope...the cards alone worked

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Very curious! We will ahve to look into that!

[@FarmallFanatic]

@@This1LifeWeLive you don't put the staples in the top buds themselves, but staple around the top bud

[@This1LifeWeLive]

@@FarmallFanatic ohhh ok!

[@willcullen8415]

I live in the heart of the "Balsam Fir Christmas Tree Capital Of The World" and about 15 acres of my 30 acres is old tree farm. Most folks around here say " The only way to make money at trees is to not grow trees" but mind you, they keep growing them every year.

[@jeffmareksr4637]

That’s why you take the roots and fold them to the left and the right fold them outwards you’ll be fine but don’t cut them off

[@This1LifeWeLive]

We cut them off based on a few videos of other tree farms on KZbin :) But we do plan to get into a local christmas tree association to get plenty of tips!

[@ssocar96]

That drainage ditch is potentially good to keep around as it can help recharge the ground water.

[@jasonbusch3624]

Looks like you had fun! I only plant in the spring because it gives the trees time to root all summer before they get froze.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

That was my thinking too. All my fruit trees survived, so . . . :D

[@billyshumate853]

Hey Suzanne wishing y'all the best of luck with your new adventure. Only time will tell. Take care and have a blessed day and I'll see you on your next video. Happy Mother's Day to you.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Thankyou Billy!

[@OutontheRanchwithDrLee-xb4lo]

I think this is one of the smartest things you could do! Best of luck with this great adventure! Fun video!!!

[@This1LifeWeLive]

We think it will be a lot of fun, and provide the community with plenty of memories :D

[@embodiedconducting]

I wish you luck with the trees. Christmas tree growers in NC have struggled for the last several years. How about planting hemp on your farm? It's a great component crop for regenerative agriculture, and it's profitable!

[@gr8H8er]

And it doesn’t rape and acidify the soil. 1 acre of hemp = 7 acres of pine - that’s pulp lumber.

[@koltoncrane3099]

Hemp is really iffy. We had a local farm in the area rented by a guy from the city and he tried hemp and lost money. Maybe if you have a contract and someone has put a deposit down for your hemp sure then it's probably fine, but some do lose money in hemp. It's probably just more profitable to grow weed if ya can. Or muchrooms as some states may legalize them. That'll be way more profitable for small time farmers.

[@gr8H8er]

If you need an awesome consultant to offer assistance in hemp farming, I know of a really great, dedicated person.

[@ivanyurkinov]

its a great n2 fixative if used every 3 years in rotation , this eliminates a lot of chemical fertilizers. and you can always dilute the pee an place right in the field if thats the end goal. no need to bother with piles and buckets.

[@SawmillerSmith]

I always found trees as a good investment. I use to but cut over timber land and let the trees grow back naturally. Never owned a Christmas tree farm though.

[@gertebert]

My family grows these tress for half a century now. I grew up in these trees! Here in the south of Netherlands, quite a lot of farmers plant "christmas trees" as a sidecrop. Because in the south you have places with sandy, slightly acidic infertile soil that dries out fast. Not suitable for vegetables but ideal for pines. Cultivars used overhere are Picea abies, Picea omorika, Abies nordmanniana, Abies alba, Picea pungens, Abies fraseri. Even Pseudotsuga menziesii is planted. In short everything that 'looks' like a christmas tree ;) But especially Picea omorika seems to be the best for our climate and soil. In 6 years it is ready to be sold. You did absolutely the right thing by buying potted trees!! Initially a higher cost but you have almost no dead trees due to all kinds of rooting problems. Harvesting is also more easy because roots branch out in all directions which they absolutely don't if you buy young bare rooted pines. Plant different cultivars and look which does best in your soil. Once you made a selection start to make your own cuttings! They root quite easily, use some rooting hormone. I planted at least a million of these in my life :) Good luck! The way we do it: sorry only Dutch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZOWi6WMlK5se5Y / kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZqoqqKuo66Ua5I

[@morgansword]

Susan, Morgan here in alaska. I live on a place my brother owned .. a rental now but their concern is not renters but privacy. They call the place High tide farms and raise pot in a large building about three times the size of your barn just guessing. I turns about three to five million dollars a year in revenue. They have been in business for about four years and can't spend the money fast enough. Every three months a room comes down and is manicured to get ready for sale.. sold out in days an some times in hours. Its big business and takes so little to get started compared to what you have laid out so far. It would take you a little research to learn the ropes but its almost idiot proof as the folks out there, ones you would never suspect smoke pot. Who knows maybe you have tried it but wouldn't say it as it still holds a stigma. Medical grade pot can give you the most bang for dollar, takes the same amount of time but the rewards are higher.. a touch harder to do as its a more intense job. You kids would be a millionaire in a short hurry just using the barn for your business... just saying

[@ruralridez6165]

3 of them shops just opened up in our town.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

We actually have talked to some of the growers here in Michigan. There are hemp growers, CBD oil growers, and the THC growers. each has a different set of regulations here in Michigan. Evene CBD has massive profit margins. One lady near us had a 5 acre field and someone came through the day before their scheduled harvest and TOOK IT ALL. But Christmas trees are something we can GIVE BACK to the community. Create a destination for them and memories :) real ones, not trippy ones, lol! But that is something in the back of our mind :)

[@morgansword]

@@This1LifeWeLive Very happy to hear this reply... I live on a farm that grows in a building n they are on my now deceased brothers land, a homestead. High tide farms... I have never went into see what or how they do their stuff as stories start with people who think they know something and I ain't going to be the one for that... after all, at seventy three nearly, I just keep to myself, they think I am the greatest just cause I got my butt drafted in 66 and took a trip to asia. Not my idea of fun an never asked for another one either. I do hope that the tree thing works well, it just takes a lot of patience to do an then there is some trimming to make sure they grow nice and shapely. I helped my dad as a kid do it an it made him enough money in one year to pay off all his bills. Very large bills and get back into logging again where he mismanaged again and went broke again... dad was a very slow learner. He loved working even if it cost him everything

[@KarasCyborg]

Why does family disappear during hay season? The way you reminisced on this point was the cutest thing ever.

[@colinbateman8233]

I hope your planting some with thoughts of timber for the future generations if you plant a fir or spruce between poplars the leaf coverage will force the fir to fight for light and make it grow straight

[@WarpFactor999]

Farming Christmas trees is a lot more work than you might think. You will probably lose 5-10% of your trees in the first two years. Just replant. Once the trees get about 3-4' high, you have to start trimming them. Twin swords (long blades) are used for trimming as they make a clean cut. I've seen hedge trimmers used, but they don't do as good a job IMHO. You'll need to trim the trees for their best shape every year. You'll also want to keep track of the soil. You may need to adjust the PH as well as fertilize. As Gord Baker stated, you MUST keep a 2-3' radius weed free around each tree. Either by using heavy mulch or landscaping material set down in rows on either side of the trees. You'll need to mow down the rows both ways to keep the grass and weeds down all summer long. I wish you the best of luck. After planting the trees, the hard work doesn't stop... In the summer, deer and rabbits can do a lot of damage. You may need to put up an electric fence around your trees. Also, be on the look out for tree blight and treat it promptly. Depending on your area, you may need to treat all of your trees in the spring and fall. If you have a dry summer, you may have to put in an irrigation system (could be just furrows to pump water down) to keep the trees alive. I worked two summers and two fall seasons at a Christmas tree farm growing up (many many years ago). It was a LOT of work and big investment for a relatively low profit margin. If tree prices fall too low, you can hold them over for a year, but not much more. You also lose any sales for that year. Start looking at HOW you will market your trees when it comes time. WHERE will you sell them? Don't forget, you will need to bring the trees to the customer cut, trimmed, and bailed in netting. Once cut, their shelf life isn't that long. So, you don't want to cut all of that season's trees in one swell foop. Plan out your cutting plans, which can change each year. Once the trees are cut (which is a LOT of work), you'll need to pull stumps to replant. More work. You'll lose soil, so you will want compost or get fresh soil to replace what is lost. A big chipper would be a good investment after your first harvest. (Burning stumps is not good and many areas won't allow you to.)

[@This1LifeWeLive]

We actually are on the opposite end, we started with a marketing plan FIRST and then designed our farm around that. Same thing with the hay. So we are not doing a commercial cut farm, we are doing a u-cut business. We ahve always gone to u-cut farms local to us, our favortie being just outside of town, but a bit of work to get to. There was a farm IN TOWN, but it was always a nut house of people and traffic, and we don't like being in town anyway. Both have retired, and hence the idea. We are off a 2 lane highway, 5 minutes from two different towns. I'll begin my marketing campaign 2 years in advance by word of mouth and facebook ads. We have a much more scenic area than the last two farms, and could offer snow shoeing and cross country skiing for those with supplies. A light show of christmas lights would also be a good idea, as would reindeer (still working on that one). The one farm we went to never shaped or trimmed their trees, and I'm not sure about the one in town. We likely will shape ours, and Erik has already been busy watching videos on it :) But I plan to contact the one in town and see if I can interview them and get some helpful tips on growing in our local area :)

[@CarlEdward]

I think improving soil health should be the primary focus in farming. Profitability will follow.

[@avibhagan]

no it, won't. if it did, Monsanto would be broke and out of business

[@CarlEdward]

@@avibhagan the change is in who receives the profits. In chemical agriculture, profits go to those selling the inputs. When soil health is improved, reliance on chemical fertilizers is removed and profits go to the farmer.

[@CarlEdward]

@@avibhagan Growing a Revolution by David Montgomery is a book that offers many examples of farmers doing this and becoming profitable.

[@Theoatob]

@@avibhagan For the sake of informing the audience: Manufactured fertilisers which the likes of Monsanto sell have allowed for widespread farming in nutrient poor soils. That might sound like a plus but the plants lack healthy immune systems and are relient on their manufactured pesticides. When the price of inputs increase and become inaccessible to farmers the soil is then so damaged its unsuitable for whatever it was best used for originally. When consumers eat these crops the chemicals ingested mean they have net negative effect on their health and we wonder why we have a global health crisis.

[@locolalo1364]

@@avibhagan I'm leaning more on Carl's argument.. Higher Yield != Higher Profits unless you can prove it based on real numbers (percentages) rather than a simple dollar amount. Chemical and Seed inputs at the cost of land degradation which leads to more chemical dependency... vicious cycle instead of focusing on fixing the soil and maintaining stability. whether small or mid size yields at a consistent price is way better long term.

[@warrenpuckett4203]

The proper crop for the climate and soil works the best for sustained production. Peaches, sweet potatoes, peanuts and cattle are good for around 150 miles around Chattanooga. South of Atlanta, GA substitute Pecans on farmed out soil. But around Grayling Michigan? Cherry and Apple orchards, soy beans, corn and cattle. Further North Trees. But the problem with trees is you take nutrients out and have to put it back into the soil.

[@ricksanchez7459]

A friend we cut hay off of had frazier firs. Had a 7ft fence and deer still got in every once in a while. Be careful with those loppers.

[@xXGENDAMAGEXx]

I don’t understand?? Does this mean the deer eat on the trees. Or just do other things that are problems.

[@ricksanchez7459]

@@xXGENDAMAGEXx Yea they eat the young tender shoots and sometimes the bark. Some trees worse than others.

[@510Redneck]

Boy I bet a old paper shear/cutter would work great for cutting the roots. We used to cut tons of shingles with one while roofing so I know they are plenty durable 😁

[@TheWabbit]

I hope this works out great for you guys, Pin, er fir trees are a good business once you get to cutting. I like the idea.

[@caauwer]

I could never do such a venture. I grow and harvest and sell hay also. They fields I do I think of all the hard work people before me did to clear the land. No it was not done with dozers and excavators but hard labor. Tree and rock removal a lot of hand digging some horse pulling later tractor pulling but to say the least they worked hard to clear the land, I could never plant it back into trees. But that’s just me. Wish you the best of luck.

[@toma3773]

Hope your field is fenced in. In the winter the deer will be after them like flies on potato salad. Even if its not their preferred food they taste everything and that can really damage or kill small trees. The kicker is even if they don't like the taste the bucks rub them and knock the branches off which make the trees unsalable. Been there..

[@paulsteele9150]

My great-aunt was running a Christmas tree farm in Northwest Cadillac Michigan in the 1960s and 1970s. I met the man in Irving, TX. In 2004, selling tree's from the same land, after he bought it from my great-aunt.

[@GemstonePhilosophy]

I live in the Arizona mountains at about 6000 feet. I've considered planting a number of hardwood trees on other landowners properties, with the hope of harvesting 30-40 years later. Trees such as mahogany, sycamore, ash, black walnut, and even apple, cherry, and pecan can yield a significant sum for their wood, and for some, it can be considered a retirement investment. When you think about the risks in investing in IRA, 401K, stocks, etc., I would bet on mother nature.

[@MuzixMaker]

Forest fire you could lose 40 years of investment

[@GemstonePhilosophy]

@@MuzixMaker you aren't wrong, but a house fire could burn your most critical assets too. Not to mention war, economic or social upheaval, or scammers who steal your personal information. Id still bet on nature.

[@maxi-me]

@Crystal Dragon when you say "on other people's land" do you mean _contract lease_ ?

[@mikeoxlong3224]

Planting trees on other land owners land for retirement plan. Please reread what u wrote and think a bit of what could go wrong

[@GemstonePhilosophy]

@@mikeoxlong3224 what could go wrong? That's not exactly productive. Think about what could go right. You can never go wrong with planting trees, and if there is a contract agreement that I plant and maintain them, as well as harvest and market them, the worst that can go wrong is a breach in contract, and some lost trees to landowner ignorance (obviously no deal to be made if they are ignorant to the agreement). Leasing land for timber production happens all the time. Think of what might go wrong if the economy collapses and you lost your entire retirement overnight. At least this idea generates food and useful textiles to survive with.

[@digitaldan8223]

My neighbor did this about 25 years ago when we lived in Michigan. The trees still haven't been harvested, as of a few months when I was visiting.

[@fenrirgg]

Good, he planted a tree park.

[@timrobinson4058]

good luck with your new tree farm can't wait to see how it progresses.and God bless

[@deemushroomguy]

You could grow these more effectively per the space with a diamond planting pattern, as opposed to square. I can prove this very simply, with pennies (or any same-sized coin): place 25 on a table in a square pattern, as closely as you can to one another, then try them offset, in the diamond pattern, as closely as you can to one another. This is more efficient, as you're growing trees to take up a round space, as opposed to a square one, and this allows for more even spacing per tree, overall.

[@deemushroomguy]

This technique also allows for baking more cookies at once on your baking sheet, if you're a smart baker.

[@ruralridez6165]

this pattern allows for much easier mowing around the trees.

[@deemushroomguy]

@@ruralridez6165 🤣... You're still mowing? Talk about doing it Wrong. Grow local wildflowers between the trees, instead. It's a lot less maintenance than grass. Bonus: benefits local wildlife. Second major bonus: nectar source for bees. If you have the brains to learn something new, you can produce your own honey w/those bees. If you drink, you can brew your own mead with that honey, even. All this requires very little input in comparison to mowing grass every week or two.

[@scottganjon6895]

Suzanne, Looks like a lot of work. Good luck with the new endeavor. You have picked the two best smelling crops . Hay and Christmas trees🙂

[@This1LifeWeLive]

haha, never thought about that!

[@ericsautos]

You want to leave the hole behind when you close up the tree where the roots are. The spade hole behind where you close the hole up is used for catching rainwater to feed your roots on the tree.

[@billpollock1763]

I have seen some Christmas Tree farms put tomato cages around the smaller trees

[@kevinjohnson4418]

I worked on a Christmas 🎄 farm for a couple yrs yes it hard work and labor intensive but every yr when a small child run to find that special tree it all worth it

[@MikeSmith-rj7le]

Looks good. Walk your fields often watch for pests such as bag worms or tent caterpillars. Also don't be afraid to prune your trees to get the shape you want. It's a lot of work each year but nobody will buy an oddly shaped tree. I've raised my own trees and worked on a tree farm.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

There are a few right now I gotta "fix" as they have two leaders!

[@caseG80]

Hey Mike are these seedlings or cuttings? Seems learning how to produce your own to have trees to replenish would be a good idea.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

@@caseG80 agreed... that's our longterm plan since suppliers are in short supply..

[@Hoffman-Creations]

What crops are you adding in between the trees? You can do full light plants but after about 3 years you have very little space and do partial light plants.

[@lightneko]

Be careful with soil acid levels. My dads farm used to grow trees and then couldn’t grow anything else without major PH balancing afterwards.

[@MrBlair19727]

Tips for Healthy Root Systems and the Beauty of Fraser Fir For many of us, the Christmas tree is the centerpiece of holiday celebrations, bringing warmth, joy, and tradition into our homes. As someone who has dedicated much of my life to cultivating these festive symbols, I've come to appreciate the importance of a healthy root system in producing magnificent Christmas trees. One of the best methods I've found for growing Christmas trees, especially when using pots, is to prioritize the development of a robust root system. Just like the foundation of a house, a strong root system is essential for the overall health and longevity of the tree. The more roots a tree has, the better it can absorb water and nutrients from the soil, leading to healthier growth and a more vibrant appearance. When cultivating Christmas trees in pots, it's crucial to give the roots ample space to spread and grow. This encourages the development of a dense and healthy root system, which ultimately translates to a more resilient and thriving tree. By providing enough room for the roots to expand, you're setting the stage for optimal growth and vitality. Among the many varieties of Christmas trees, one that stands out for its beauty and resilience is the Fraser fir. With its striking silver bark and deep green needles, the Fraser fir is a favorite choice for both growers and consumers alike. Not only does it boast an attractive appearance, but it also retains its needles well and has a pleasant aroma, making it a popular option for holiday decorations. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the Fraser fir is known for its excellent overall quality. It tends to have a strong and sturdy structure, making it ideal for supporting ornaments and lights. Additionally, its needles are soft to the touch, making it a safe and family-friendly choice for homes with children and pets. In conclusion, cultivating healthy Christmas trees starts with nurturing strong root systems. By providing ample space for roots to grow and thrive, we can ensure that our trees flourish and bring joy to families for generations to come. And when it comes to selecting the perfect Christmas tree, the timeless beauty and resilience of the Fraser fir make it a top choice for holiday celebrations. Whether you're a seasoned grower or simply looking to adorn your home with a festive tree, remember the importance of root health and consider the timeless elegance of the Fraser fir for your next holiday centerpiece.

[@BowenOrg]

EXTRA INCOME IDEA (similar to what they do at pumpkin patches, corn patches etc) * When the trees are strong enough and tall enough, you make a "Christmas Lighting Display" on the "outside" edges of the tree farm (so you're NOT driving in-between the tree rows and compacting the soil). * Put lights on the trees and make your own displays with lights on metal displays and/or on plywood or ????? * Then you advertise to give rides on your hay-trailer around the outside!!! * AND you sell hot chocolate, coffee, snacks etc while people visit. CHA-CHING.... EXTRA PROFITS FOR YOU!!! : ) Amen Retired, Veteran

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I was planning to do just that! We will have lights up, a few animals to pet, areas to hike or snowshoe, and a small gift shop selling custom jewelry (no other tree farms sells custom jewelry out here).

[@BowenOrg]

@@This1LifeWeLive EXCELLENT!!! I hope your trees are doing well. I trimmed Christmas trees when I was a young lad (eons ago) and the owner of the trees (a NY State trooper and his family) made a lot of money! Take Care

[@had2galsinthebooth]

I don't suppose there is much need to drive out there but if ever there is a need or want to,what is the biggest machine you can drive down a row or even maneuver throughout? A garden tractor with trailer? A side-by-side? A quad? Whatever fits now might not work so good when they branch more. Basically just curious if you have given thought to that as it might be handy to get whatever you need and modify it to specific tasks ahead of time. One example might be a small rig and trailer to take older tree shoppers out to let them choose their tree without having to walk. Another might be applying fertilizer and pruning.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Erik pretty much chose his dimensions based on what others who run tree farms have set-up. He planted so that he could get his mower through. But yes, they will branch out and prove tricky to mow between, down the road ;) I think right now we can fit a quad and a side by side between :)

[@glennwerst]

Congratulations on y’all’s new venture!

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Thanks Glen!

[@geodegroot8310]

Frazier Fir is the bomb and a beautiful two-tone tree. We had success growing them in the loamy sand of Michigan. After moving to the St. Louis area, they were virtually impossible to propagate in the nasty clay, and were attacked by root disease. I wish you the best of luck with Fraziers in the wet clay! This clay-infested region accommodates your first trailer discovery at Van's....the Norway spruce. The St. Louis Botanical Society claims that Norway spruce is the ONLY conifer to reach full natural height in this region.

[@ruralridez6165]

I heard the Fraser can be difficult to grow. The Canaans are suposed to be hardier and less prone to root rot and they break bud alot later only time will tell i guess.

[@jeffmareksr4637]

You know if you leave your drainage pond you could buy a pump gas pump gas powered pump to irrigate your trees with the water from the pond but also filling the pond might create flooding of your trees

[@ruralridez6165]

yup we just bought a trash pump and pumping water for the trees. I think we will keep a smaller deeper pond this one now is like 2ft deep and spreads out a long way.

[@jeffmareksr4637]

Didn’t realize you had a channel too looks like it’s both cars well now what are you and maybe I need to watch some of your videos body guy or paint guy either way cool and I think it be cool to meet you all and I like your Dooley used to see it a lot when my kids went to Cedar Springs school

[@ruralridez6165]

@@jeffmareksr4637 ya there not very good they are just a live stream.

[@ruralridez6165]

@@jeffmareksr4637 Ive been painting for 30 years hoping the trees can be my retirement from cars job.

[@jeffmareksr4637]

Look up vice grip garage that’s right up I think your alley and you probably have the knowledge from what I’ve seen on different shows but I think a video on car working bodywork paint work could take off but look up vice grip garage I think that you could be you

[@blackopsrocks]

I have 13 acres of trees planted in rotations here in WI, we cut about 620 every year and sell them at a good friend of mines business parking lot. Facebook advertising has been just perfect for doing that. Not every tree is a seller so my family makes wreathes as well. We sell a wreath I would say about every other tree. I sell trees for 60-85 per, wreathes are 50 (but they are large and very nice) I rotate through 3 acres every year. We water and fertilize as necessary so they grow like crazy. We did 53k this year which is better than last year and the year before. I was out of trees for the first time on Saturday morning. My big difference is we buy them at 18-24" Yea its an extra two bucks, but its also one less year. Also we use a 12" auger, the soil disturbance helps aerate and allow growth. Only do that if your watering trees, if you dont then disturbing less soil is better, though they take an extra year (5 or 6 versus 4 to 5).

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Great job! Yes we are planning to get more of the auger planted trees (gallon pots). I think it's a bit faster than doing the bare root trees ;D

[@blackopsrocks]

@@This1LifeWeLive saturday morning after thanksgiving i mean. Lol

[@jeffnelson2899]

Can't wait to see more videos like this one. I really love your channel and I am looking to see how ya'll are doing on your new project hopping for the best for y'all.

[@66bigbuds]

We buy the rooted seedlings for $170 per 1000, both Doug fir and blue spruce. When I started it was $30 per 1000 they ship in a box that's not all that big. Have to spray for tip beetles. Cause we raise them for Christmas trees. We use a single bottom plow. Be sure to water the. In good. And water them once a week for the first couple months. Unless you get good rain.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

WE wanted to buy the smaller size but they were all sold out :( Every farm wa sold out :(

[@lylestavast7652]

Any ideas on maybe using the gap between rows for something while the trees grow to saleable size ? some sort of annual plantings

[@510Redneck]

I'm certainly no expert but my initial thoughts (until proven wrong) is that one probably don't want anything robbing the nutrients much and once they reach a certain size I'm not sure much would grow between them but that's just a guess however when looking at my trees. They block out much of the sun rather well so would have to be something that grows with little sun, shrooms perhalps? lol idk Nevermind I almost forgot they have to trample in there to trim them also. hmm

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I'm thinking maybe strawberry plants . . they are relatively small and very few u-pick farms out here. Plus they grow WILD like crazy in that field, lol

[@ericsbraun]

One farm model I have heard about is rows of blueberry in between walnut. after 20 years the walnut is worth a lot of money as lumber and the berries keep you going until then. however, one has to metal detect the land very well to keep nails out of the wood.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I do like the idea of cross cropping. Had considered maybe strawberries between the rows . . .

[@mannurse7421]

It should probably be a cane fruit like blackberries or raspberries that is shade tolerant. And you might look into chestnut. American chestnut is about to make a huge comeback (it’s been basically de extincted by university of Syracuse) you would be ahead of the curve. Chestnut is a better wood with a better nut crop.

[@mannurse7421]

Why would you have to metal detect the land to keep nails out of the wood? The nails aren’t going to leap out the soil and implant into the trees…

[@mannurse7421]

@@This1LifeWeLive strawberries love lots of light

[@ericsbraun]

@@mannurse7421 Actually, over time, the roots of tree do, in fact, suck up materials from the earth.

[@davidfarley1175]

I hope you know you'll suppose to break up the root ball before planting, no one told you that or didn't know it will help the roots take hold of the soil around it.The hole should be at least twice as big as the root ball when planting in a lot of clay

[@This1LifeWeLive]

These didn't have root balls. My fruit trees certainly did though. These trees nearly fell apart as soon as they were pulled from the pot. It was sand and wood chips . .

[@davidfarley1175]

I watched the video to completion and the way you were planning your tree and you said the soil was clay I worked on a state tree farm and we had trees that came in bundles and or plastic containers we always cut or pulled the roots apart so they would take faster and we watered even if the ground was wet I guess you will know in time how they turn out

[@travis6191]

@@davidfarley1175 no way. You’re absolutely wrong

[@davidfarley1175]

@@travis6191 Well after reading all of the reviews below am I still absolutely wrong you even had a second-generation nurseryman saying what I and several others tried to tell you Dead tree won't bring much income in

[@travis6191]

We’ll I’m a third generation nurseryman, and I made it past a 2nd grade English level.

[@caseG80]

Compost , manure wood chips ect feeds the soil life in return they feed the trees no need to put it in the hole some trees actually hate it. Poor potting soil is what kills most trees and plants from nursery’s and big box stores then people buy the crap sold in bags toss there native soil to the side and plant into it setting things up for disaster, great to see you all planting directly into your native soil and the fam all getting involved. Wish you all the luck and look forward to future videos cheers !!

[@jeffmareksr4637]

If you go through your local USDA they have programs where they’ll help you get the trees Help you pay for the trees and pay you so much a year while the trees are growing they pay you by the acre just like regular farm crops

[@This1LifeWeLive]

Even if you are farming to cut them in 7 years?

[@kenyonbissett3512]

We have a tree farm that is harvest your own and precut trees. They are only open about 3 weeks, starts the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year. Only 3 weeks because they sell out in 2-3 weeks each year. They takes branches from the lower part of the pre cut trees and make wreathes and garland that sell for about the same or more than the trees, lol. They have a local farmer run sheep thru the 20+ acres from spring to fall. They had a 7-8 year rotation because trees grow based on how much rain you get that year. They had the tree forms for cutting to shape. Only issue was different trees are popular each year. They sell trees from 5’-9’ with a few pre-orders for up to 12’. Because the community wanted the tree farm to continue, several local churches helped throughout the year as the owners got older. The youth group kids were paid, or a donation went to the church. Recently the owners died, but they already had a succession plan in place for the tree farm to continue.🥳 The farm is about 30 minutes from Annapolis, MD. But they sell out locally for the vast majority of the 🌲 trees. The area between them and Annapolis used to be nationally known thoroughbred horses 🐎 farms. Most are gone now, a lot of the remaining farmers are share crops, hobby farms, and people looking for the agricultural land tax and farm crops to break even or make a small profit. They make their money elsewhere. The tree farmer was a local doctor, I believe.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

@@kenyonbissett3512 what an amazing story!! Thankyou for sharing ❤💖

[@jdwilsun]

When you harvest the trees, graft a branch from your best trees on to the cut stock. It will grow faster & look best.

[@This1LifeWeLive]

***THIS*** yes, this is our goal to possibly try out! It's what orchard growers often do!

[@Theoatob]

I'm always horrified to see the degredation of soil health at every Christmas tree farm I've ever visited. The agrochemicals involved destroy the biodiversity of the soil and leave the land sterile and subject to heavy soil erosion when rain and wind comes. Please be mindful of the products and practices you use if you intent to farm like this. Ultimately the productivity of your land is based on the health of your soil if you want a truely long term profitable system

[@This1LifeWeLive]

I'm guessing all the sprays used? We are mostly organic on our hay farm (urea isn't really organic, so . . .), I will likely run the trees the same way :)

[@avibhagan]

and do you think it's any different when farming corn ?

[@Theoatob]

@@avibhagan Not at all. Conventionally farming cash crops like corn have done even more damage than the Christmas tree industry

[@Theoatob]

@@This1LifeWeLive I'm so glad to hear this and thankyou for replying. Remember the weeds that will grow around your trees are more your friend than foe. What they aid in creating a healthy soil ecology, increased water retention and reduced soil erosion will vastly outweigh any nutritient robbing.

[@avibhagan]

@@Theoatob Exactly