How Ohio's drought could affect your search for a Christmas tree this year

Ohio’s year of drought could ironically put a damper on the holidays for anyone looking to buy a real Christmas tree this year or even in a few years.

Tree farms in central Ohio and other parts of the country suffered from drier-than-usual conditions caused by the drought, farmers and industry experts told The Dispatch.

Looking for a Christmas tree?Check out our map of central Ohio tree farms

Cackler Farms in Delaware will still have plenty of trees available this season for Ohioans who want the real deal. But the color of some trees might be slightly different, said Bill Cackler, one of the owners of the tree farm, which opened Wednesday.

“We don’t have good color, especially with white pines,” Cackler said. “The tips of the white pine turned yellow.”

Although Ohio’s drought has improved, much of the state was still in drought as of Nov. 19, according to a map from the U.S. Drought Monitor. The map shows that approximately 21% of Ohio is not experiencing unusually dry conditions.

Franklin County continues to experience moderate drought and unusually dry conditions. At the peak of the drought in September, Franklin County was experiencing extreme to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The drought gripping much of the country could also affect trees brought to Ohio from other states in the northeastern U.S., said Jami Warner, executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association.

This year’s drought, Warner said, is just the latest hurdle for farmers as climate change continues to impact agriculture of all kinds. As summers continue to get warmer and drier, Christmas tree growers have been advised to consider installing irrigation systems, among other measures, according to a Michigan State University agriculture bulletin.

“Climate change is very real for farmers and they are finding innovative ways to deal with it,” Warner said. “These are family businesses and they want to be able to pass these businesses on to the next generation.”

Of all the trees Ohioans might look for this holiday season, the most popular comes from another state.

The Fraser fir — a popular tree known for its soft pine needles — is grown primarily in the Carolinas, said Joe Breneman, owner of JOAT-MON Tree Farm, a 40-minute drive north of Columbus in Ostrander, Ohio.

Like Ohio, much of North Carolina and parts of South Carolina also experienced drought this year. And in addition to a drier year, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc this fall, particularly in North Carolina.

All of this has led to a shortage of Fraser firs this year, and that means Breneman’s JOAT-MON Tree Farm will not be supplying pre-cut Fraser firs to customers. However, Scots pine, a tree that Breneman’s farm grows locally, is still available.

“It’s a risky business,” Breneman said as he helped a customer Tuesday.

Read more:Looking for Christmas lights in the Columbus area? Check out our interactive map

Despite the drought, anyone who wants a tree this year will be able to get one, whether it’s real or artificial, Warner said. According to the American Christmas Tree Association, nearly 80% of trees in the U.S. are artificial and many are reused year after year.

In general, summer’s drought came at the right time for Christmas tree growers, said Mike Hogan, Franklin County agriculture and natural resources lecturer at Ohio State University. By the time the drought parched much of the state, year-round Christmas trees had already grown and gone dormant.

When this year’s drought might become a problem for tree growers remains in the coming years, Hogan said.

“The problem is the seedlings they planted this year,” Hogan said. “Given the heat and drought, the survival rate of seedling transplants will be much lower than normal.”

Evidence of burned seedlings at Cackler Farms in Delaware shows that Hogan may be right.

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How Ohio’s drought could affect your search for a Christmas tree this year

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