WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST?
It’s that time of year again–Christmas. We got another nice fir tree for the living room from Bell’s Christmas Tree Farm near Kerhonkson, Ulster County. I counted the rings, and this tree was 9 years old. Good things take time I guess. Besides time, it also takes a tremendous amount of work to make these trees “perfect” for holding those decorations and ornaments. Visible on each tree are the number of pruning cuts. Also visible at the farm is the vegetation management to control weeds as well as irrigation. Although not edible, Christmas trees certainly are agricultural, with a 6 to 12 year harvest rate. Merry Christmas!
Ryan Trapani
Director of Forest Services
Catskill Forest Association