Over the past few years, the live Christmas tree industry faced several challenges, ranging from the supply chain to climate. One issue affecting many businesses across the United States is continuing freight/shipping/logistics/supply chain slowdowns. In addition, some places that sell Christmas trees, but purchase them from other sources, like farms, are experiencing issues with getting enough trees shipped to them in time. Another reason for a potential shortage is the climate and weather.
The summer of 2022 was arid, with many countries experiencing drought. These drought conditions significantly impacted plant development. Growing Christmas trees requires, patience, as trees take around ten years to mature and need specific soil conditions to thrive: if the soil is too wet, issues like root rot occur; if the soil is too dry, the trees can get stunted. Because of the dry summer earlier this year, Christmas tree farmers had to tap into other irrigation methods to keep their supply healthy. As a precaution, farmers often plant more trees than necessary to mitigate losing trees. However, the length and severity of this year’s drought may have resulted in limited Christmas tree stock.