Dry summer could bring Christmas tree shortages in the future

BEDFORD COUNTY, Pa. — Christmas tree farms around the country are gearing up for the holiday season, but one Pennsylvania farmer said the dry summer weather could hurt farms in the future.

NBC affiliate WJAC spoke with Rick Koontz who owns Seller’s Christmas Tree Farm in Bedford County.

Seller’s opened in 1951, and Koontz told WJAC he’s only seen one other summer as dry as 2024.

“By mid-June this year, I could see problems. We had had the first two weeks of June were kind of cool, and then it got hot and dry and day after day of 90–95-degree heat with no rainI lost a tremendous amount of my first-year seedlings,” Koontz said. “The climate has changed and where we’re getting these more aggressive storms and we’re getting warmer weather in the wintertime here and it does affect the trees.”

Koontz said that while plenty of trees will be available this year, the problems have barely started.

“It doesn’t put me behind right now, but three and four years from now it might create a shortage depending on if we would have a second dry summer that would really hurt. I am set up to do some irrigating, but that’s very time-consuming and very labor-intensive,” he said.

Koontz advises anyone buying a live tree to put it in water as soon as they get home.

“I’ve been telling the folks as they come and get a Christmas tree that as soon as they get home, even if you’re not going to put it up, get it in water. Get it in water immediately. Keep it away from heat and you’ll be amazed how long they will last,” Koontz said.

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