CHRISTMAS TREE LOTS OPEN TODAY; GROWERS UPBEAT

From tree farms to tree lots, area residents have a lot to choose from in picking out the family Christmas tree. Some Cape Girardeau area tree lots opened Wednesday, while others officially open this morning.

Prices generally range from $3 to $4 a foot, with a seven-foot tree typically costing about $25 to $30. Most of the trees range from 4 to 10 feet in height, although larger trees can be found, particularly at the tree farms.

Many of the tree farms and tree lots are open seven days a week until Christmas.

The Scotch pine crop in much of the Midwest, including parts of Missouri and Illinois, was damaged by this year's early cold snap. But most area Christmas tree growers say their trees were not damaged as temperatures were not as severe here.

"In Iowa, northern Missouri and northern Illinois, it had been so warm and then all of a sudden the bottom dropped out of the thermometer overnight and the trees didn't have the period they needed to go into dormancy, so a lot of those tree needles just froze," said Paul Schnare, owner of the Accu-Grow Christmas tree farm.

"We are a lot farther south and the temperatures weren't as extreme," said Schnare in explaining that the Scotch pine crop in this area was not harmed.

Schnare's Accu-Grow operates a choose-and-cut operation at its tree farm at 926 W. Cape Rock Drive. "Our trees are just now getting into production size," said Schnare.

The farm has about 5,000 to 6,000 trees. "We probably have got about 500 to 1,000 ready for harvest," said Schnare, whose tree farm will be open today, Saturday and Sunday, and the weekends of Dec. 7 and 8, and 14 and 15.

Joannie Gunther, who operates Gunther's Christmas Tree Farm and Yule Log Cabin store south of Scott City, said the early cold snap a few weeks ago damaged Virgina pines at her farm. "I probably lost about $3,000 worth of the trees."

She said the Scotch and white pines were not hurt by the early cold snap.

"Scotch pine is the biggest seller," said Gunther. But she said white pines, which have soft needles, are increasing in popularity.

Gunther has been selling Christmas trees since 1985 at her farm off Route N, five miles south of Scott City. This is the third year for her Christmas store. Because of the store, the holiday season at the Gunther farm began Nov. 1.

Gunther said business has been booming this year. "I tell you what, people are really buying this year.

"Usually I sell one or two trees before Thanksgiving where people actually take them home. I bet we have moved out 20 trees already this year."

She said many others have already been out to place tags on the trees they want.

Gunther had not intended to be open for business Thursday, but she opened the farm so an employee could get a tree.

"I had five carloads of people show up while I was back there getting her tree," said Gunther.

Gunther said she had a turkey in the oven at home, but she couldn't return to it until the customers had picked out their trees.

"People definitely want a fresh tree," she said. "There is no doubt about it."

She said that people enjoy choosing Christmas trees and cutting them down. "People come out with their video cameras and their kids."

Gunther said, "People just seem to be in a good mood this year. Everybody is just smiling.

"I am having a ball this year. It has been really fun," she said.

The Cape Girardeau Evening Optimist Club's tree lot opens at 9 a.m. today in front of Town Plaza on William Street.

"We like cold weather," said Bill Ramsey, the club's tree lot chairman. "It puts everybody in the Christmas mood."

Ramsey said people "don't like to come out when it is too warm and they don't like to come out when it is too cold." Temperatures in the 20s or 30s at night are ideal, he said.

The club sold about 900 trees last year and Ramsey said he expects sales will be good again this year. Proceeds go to benefit Optimist programs for children.

David Kinder of Kinder's tree lot, set up on the Schnucks parking lot, said he expects tree sales will be better this year than last. The earthquake scare kept down tree sales last year, he said.

Nearly 1,000 trees are generally sold each year at Kinder's tree lot. Kinder said he sells both Scotch pine and Douglas fir trees.

The typical Christmas tree is a Scotch pine. "Nationwide, it is one of the most popular types of Christmas trees," said John Koch, a Cape Girardeau veterinarian who sells Scotch pines from a tree lot set up next to his Cape Small Animal Clinic on Christine.

This is the second year for Koch's tree lot. "We have been growing trees going on 10 years, so last year was the first year we had any to sell. This year we will have a few more," said Koch.

Koch grows about 20,000 Christmas trees on a 30-acre site in Bollinger County. "We have several different varieties of trees, but mostly we have Scotch pine. They make an awful nice Christmas tree. I like the fullness of the Scotch pine."

Koch said his lot offers freshly cut trees. "We will cut once or twice a week. That way we have as fresh a tree as possible for the customer."

Koch said that with a shorter time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, tree sales will be more concentrated. "I think the selling may be a little more concentrated this year because there is less time to buy a tree."

Raising Christmas trees is hard work, said Koch. "But at the same time it is satisfying to watch these things grow and develop," he pointed out.

"Christmas time is made a little happier, a little merrier by decorating a tree," said Koch.

For Phyllis Schwab of rural Jackson, there's no shortage of Christmas trees.

Schwab is co-owner of Schwab's Pines, a major supplier of Christmas trees in this area.

Including wholesale and retail operations, Schwab's sells about 4,000 to 5,000 Christmas trees during the holiday season, she said.

"We have already shipped out about 1,200," said Schwab, adding that the family often spends its nights loading trucks with Christmas trees.

Schwab's has a tree lot at the corner of North Kingshighway and Broadway in Cape Girardeau, and Schwab trees are also sold at other area tree lots.

In addition, said Schwab, people can visit the Jackson area tree farm and choose and cut their own Christmas trees.

About 100,000 trees are grown on the Schwab farm. Most of the trees sold are Scotch pine, although some white pines are also sold, said Schwab.

With the demand for Christmas trees this year, Schwab said, "I feel like it is Christmas already."