Utah's First
Family Nursery
It’s never too early to start planning for Christmas, right? When it comes time to start decorating for Christmas the age-old question comes up. Do you buy real or artificial Christmas trees this year? People definitely have varying opinions on which they like better, but if you’re looking for the tree with the least environmental impact, you have to go with a real tree.
We are real tree fans for many reasons, one being: nothing beats the smell of a real, freshly cut Christmas tree. Christmas candles come close, but they just don’t cut it (pun intended). Real Christmas trees are also beautiful and come in all shapes and sizes, but beyond that choosing to buy a real Christmas tree has real economic and environmental impacts and it’s all good news!
When you choose a real Christmas Tree, you are choosing to support local farmers and businesses instead of big box stores. While 80% of manufactured trees are made in China, 350 million real trees are grown on 15,000 different farms here in the United States. The Christmas tree industry provides approximately 100,000 full-time and part-time jobs every year.
Did You Know? North American Real Christmas Trees are grown in all 50 states!
Check Out Our Favorite Christmas Trees here.
Land ConservationAs we mentioned before, there are about 15,000 farms growing real Christmas trees and they take up around 350,000 acres preserving green space. Christmas trees can grow in soil that is unfit for most other crops. They even enrich the soil and help the biome and nutrient base in the areas that they are grown by pulling out toxins. Plus you don’t have to fear the Lorax for cutting them down because for every tree that is chopped down at Christmas time 1-3 trees are planted in its place for next time!
Did You Know?: There are about 30 million real Christmas trees sold every year in the United States.
Just one acre of a Christmas tree farm provides enough oxygen for 18 people to breathe, every day. This means that the 350,000 acres provide enough oxygen for 6.3 million people per day. That’s a lot of oxygen! Of course with producing oxygen comes absorbing CO2 and other gases. One tree can absorb 1 ton of CO2 in its lifetime.
Did You Know?: In the nineteenth century Americans would cut their trees in nearby forests. Now Christmas Tree farms make the practice more sustainable.
Also check out: Christmas Trees Journey From Farm To Your Home.
They’re Recyclable There are over 4,000 programs across the country that help people recycle their real Christmas Trees and of the 25-30 million that are bought each year 93% of them are recycled through those programs! Other people opt to buy trees with their roots still intact so they can plant them in the yard after the holiday festivities are over. Ryan talked about the benefits of purchasing a real tree in our video here.
While real trees are a renewable and recyclable source, artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and even metal toxins. No matter how many times you use the tree, it’s still going to end up in a landfill.
Did You Know?: The carbon footprint of an artificial tree is about 40kg of C02 compared to a real tree’s which would have a carbon footprint of 3.5 kg-16kg of C02 depending on how you dispose of it.
We are excited to get our Christmas trees in this year and help you pick out the perfect tree for your home. Read Stay up to date on when the trees arrive to our garden center and more by signing up for our newsletter.
Three Live Christmas Tree Tips
For generations, the Glover family has been selling Christmas trees as part of our family tradition. We love helping other families find a tree for their home. It is such fun to see the familiar faces light up each year when “the perfect” tree is found. We appreciate the many customers who return year after year to visit with us to get their tree.
One question we are often asked is "Where do the trees come from"? It’s a great question as the industry has changed significantly from the days of forest harvesting. So, we wanted to share some of what it takes to get the high-quality trees we sell, as they are specifically grown to be enjoyed in your home throughout the holiday season. Also (because we just can’t help ourselves), a few tips on caring for the tree you select.
Our Christmas trees are grown on dedicated Christmas tree farms in the Willamette Valley, Oregon which is known for its rich soil and excellent farming communities. On the tree farms, with proper care and maintenance, trees will grow an average of one foot per season. A 6-8' tree can take 6 to 10 years before it is ready to harvest. The timeline depends on yearly growing conditions (i.e. rainfall, temperature, etc). However, it takes more than rain to help the trees thrive; they must be pruned to keep the correct shape, fertilized to keep them strong, and monitored to avoid pests or disease. It’s hard work, and the farmers we work with are the best in the business.
Each August I begin the yearly search to find the most beautiful trees for the upcoming season. Accompanied by our local vendors, I drive from farm to farm looking at quality, color, shape, variety and make notes of which pass my highly selective appraisal. I make one more trip in the fall to see how the remainder of the growing season progressed and to get a better idea of what sizes and quantities of trees will be available for harvests.
Just as my dad did before me, I personally select the farms, and often even specific trees, that you see in our lot each season. Because Christmas trees require long-term planning, is important to visit the farms each year to know what will be the future trees for the next 2 to 5 seasons.
When it’s time to cut the trees, the farmers wrap them up tightly to avoid damaging those beautiful branches they’ve cared for and crafted over the years. Then, they cut them quickly and stack them securely on trucks which are immediately shipped to our store. We unload them, unwrap them, and get them on stands so they are available for sale the day after Thanksgiving. It’s a long process, one that requires dedication and some foresight into what the industry will require years in advance. But, it is also one that brings so much joy to the festive holiday season, we just love being part of it all.
Now, a few quick tips for keeping your tree in its best possible condition:
I hope that helps take some of the mystery out of the Christmas Tree growing and harvesting process. And, as always, if you have any questions we are always here to help! We look forward to seeing you on our lot in November and December for your own Glover Nursery Christmas Tree.
Ryan Glover
Updates, Sales, and Gardening Tips
9275 S. 1300 W. West Jordan, UT 84088 Phone: (801) 562-5496 Fax: (801) 562-5595 Email: [email protected]
Updates, Sales, and Gardening Tips
