It may seem like Christmas trees only pop up once a year, but if you want to become a Christmas tree grower, you will need to be prepared for a full-time, year-round job that will require skill, an investment of capital, and a lot of patience. Learn as much as possible about the types of trees you can grow in the region in which you live, and then find out how much land you will need to make this business worthwhile for you. The amount of land you will need to become a Christmas tree grower will vary depending on your equipment.
Christmas tree grower associations may be worth joining so you can get valuable information to help you become a Christmas tree grower yourself. Such associations can give you recommendations on equipment, types of trees, size of the land on which you will grow, marketing suggestions, and so on. It may be a good idea to make inquiries to such groups before you decide to become a Christmas tree grower so you can decide if this career path is right for you. You will need to have some knowledge and skills regarding farming or planting, and a knowledge of soil types will help as well. Consider taking a horticulture class at a community college if you are completely new to the topic.
It will probably be necessary to secure a business loan to purchase the equipment and land you will need to become a Christmas tree grower, unless you already have land on which to plant and equipment with which to cultivate. You will be planting many trees at once in most cases, so some specialty equipment will be necessary to make this process quicker and easier. The amount of trees you plant will depend on the size of the land you have purchased, though most growers plant 500 trees at the very least; larger commercial outfits will plant many times more.
Growing trees from saplings can take up to six years or more, and the grower will need to tend to the trees regularly to make sure they are growing up healthy and shapely. This six-year waiting period can be difficult to weather if you become a Christmas tree grower on your own; starting as an offshoot of another company may be a better option, or purchasing trees for sale in the meantime to keep your business afloat. Either way, it is important to have a plan to make a living while the new trees grow.
