Weir Tree Farms Homepage

WEIR TREE FARMS LLC
Colebrook, New Hampshire

Members:
NH-VT Christmas Tree Association, National Christmas Tree Association

Quality
Balsam, Fraser, and
Fralsam Fir Christmas Trees

Todays Farm In Operation Today, quality in Christmas trees starts with preparation of the ground for planting. Trees in the exhausted plantation are cleared. The ground is conditioned with fertililzer and treated to prevent the growth of weeds and brush which might compete with the Christmas trees for nutrients and moisture.
Seedlings are started in beds from seed carefully selected from our own seed trees. These seed trees have been allowed to mature due to their desirable genetic characteristics, such as deep color, fullness, and overall appearance. In other words, the best trees are left to provide seed for the next generation. Seedlings are left in beds until 4 or 5 years of age, and then transplanted into a plantation on a 6 foot grid to allow for growth. Balsam has a very fragrant odor while Fraser has extraordinary needle retention. The Fralsam© cross, which Weir Tree Farms played a major roll in developing, inherits the best qualities of both species.
	Machine planting from the transplant beds into our fields.
William C. & son Jay check growth using very sophisticated equipment.
	After transplant, young plantations are constantly weeded, fertilized and maintained in much the same way one would care for their own vegetable or flower garden, of course on a much larger scale. At approximately 5 years of age, young Christmas trees are introduced to the shaping process. Shaping controls growth of the young tree to assure that they are full and well proportioned. Natural growth of the plantation is rapid due to the excellent conditions provided for the trees. Left unattended, the young trees tend to grow very tall, very quickly.