BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — With the extreme heat over the summer and the drought into the fall we checked Severe Weather Team 11 checked in with local Lake Forest Gardens in Beaver county to see how they weathered the year.
Jason Dambach is the 4th generation at his family Christmas tree farm and says they have been in business since 1939. Dambaugh says “The moisture that we had in the spring actually helped us out a lot, it was timely rain when everything was growing we got really good growth out of every plant that we had.” And their prep work also helped “We like to think about our soil conditions before we plant and while we are growing the tree putting fertilizer down give them most energy and the most, the benefit of the doubt to grow in harsh conditions.”
>> Dry summer could bring Christmas tree shortages in the future
There are many different types of Christmas trees to pick from, but Dambach says there is one type that does a little better in our area. “So this variety here is a Canaan Fir, we mostly grow the Cannaan Fir for Christmas trees it’s one of the trees that do the best for us and our soil conditions we have a heavy clay based soil is western PA soil” says Dambach.
To get a mature Christmas tree, Dambach says, it takes about 8 to 9 years of growth. Once you pick your tree he recommends one extra step, “Once you cut your tree the tree feels like it’s wounded so it’s naturally going to seal itself. The sap will work its way down the main trunk and seal off the tree. Once the customer gets their tree home, cut it up to 2″-3″ high get a fresh cut and put it into water immediately.” He also says that the tree may soak up the water in just a few hours at first so make sure it has plenty of water and then check it daily.
Jason Dambach says the farm is a family tradition for some that have been going with their families for 50 years and all are welcome. They have hot chocolate, a gift shop, food trucks with doughnuts, pizza and kettle corn on the weekends for all to enjoy in the holiday fun.
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