Growing Christmas Trees is a Year Round Job

New trees are planted in January and February to take advantage of the rain, which will give them a good start; irrigation is now used at Crest Ranch to help sustain & promote growth of our seedlings. The decomposed granite at Crest Ranch is a perfect medium for growing coniferous trees native to the northwest. First, holes 6 inches in diameter are drilled into the soil

Stump Shearing.

With proper care a single stump can generate many Christmas trees over the years.

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First, our guests leave the bottom branches on the stump when cutting their tree.

Shaping.
All trees must be shaped by careful shearing, or pruning in order to have the characteristic "Christmas Tree" shape by the selling season. This is the part of the job that requires skill, knowledge and experience.

New seedlings are placed into the holes and the soil is compacted around them.

The branches grow towards the sky over the next few months. We monitor the growth looking for a dominant branch/sprout.

The "Shearing Machine." It takes skill, strength and precision to properly use this tool. We also use poll hedgers & machetes to help shape and shear.

Screens are placed to protect the young tree from direct sunlight. Seedlings are at times planted near old stumps, which also provide shelter from the sun.

A dominant branch or sprout is chosen, and the rest are cut off. This new branch will become the next Christmas tree.

Shearing takes place at different times of the year, depending on the type of tree. In March Sequoia are pruned and in May, shaping of the pines begins and proceeds into June. In July and August, Douglas firs are shaped. White fir stumps are pruned in September.