A local greenhouse owner says there are enough Christmas trees to meet demand this holiday season, despite national shortages being reported. Back in 2008 and 2009, many growers didn’t end up planting trees due to the poor economy. Those trees would usually take about 12 years to grow, and now the impacts are now being felt across the board.
Praill’s Greenhouse Owner Ian Praill said thankfully, they were able to prepare and be proactive when it comes to sourcing trees.
“This year, we’re at just over 1,000 trees, and we’ve been increasing,” said Praill. “Three years ago, we were probably at around 700 to 800. So, we have been able to keep up with demand locally, and hopefully, that continues. There’s nothing more disappointing than having somebody come in, and they don’t have a tree for Christmas.”
Praill said the Balsam Fir used to be the number one evergreen in demand. They were grown right across Quebec and through Nova Scotia.
Praill predicts it’ll take another two to three years before trees are back up to satisfactory levels. He notes prices haven’t increased much, and most trees are selling for about $5 more than normal.
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