CHRISTMAS TREES YEAR-ROUND WORK

For 40 years, the National Christmas Tree Association has provided a tree for the White House. Last year, the tree came from a Missouri farm.

But unlike the first family, some American families choose their own tree from a lot or farm. However, it's often a difficult task to find one that fits inside the house but doesn't resemble Charlie Brown's needle-bare tree.

"It's fun because everybody always finds the perfect tree," said Teresa Meier of Horseshoe Pines Christmas Tree Farm.

Sometimes the customers stay only 15 minutes while others take up to several hours to find their tree.

"With a larger family it always takes longer, because there are more people to decide on one tree," she said.

To make the job easier, there are dozens of lots and cut-your-own Christmas tree farms in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. But Missouri farms don't rank high on the tree producers' list. There are 15,000 tree growers in the United States but only a few hundred in Missouri.

Of the 1 million acres of Christmas tree farms, Missouri accounts for about 5,000 acres.

One of the oldest tree farms in the state is the Wonderland Tree Farm in Oak Ridge. It was started in 1953 by Eugene and Hazel Seabaugh who operated it for 40 years as the Seabaugh Tree Farm. Richard Bradshaw and his wife, Pat, bought the 77-acre farm in 1993.

Each year Bradshaw donates several Christmas trees to the needy.

"Anybody that needs a tree, we make sure they get one," he said, adding that the farm donated the 20-foot tree used in this year's Salvation Army Tree of Lights campaign.

The busiest day for Christmas tree farmers is, obviously, the first weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday. But business is steady until the weekend before Christmas, farmers say. And selections should be good this year after a bumper growing season.

Like other farm crops, Christmas trees are subject to the same conditions -- seasonal changes, disease and dry or wet weather. "It's like any other crop, it's just a longer process," Bradshaw said.

It takes about seven or eight years before a tree reaches mature retail height, which is about six or seven feet. After a few years, the tree is trimmed and shaped.

Although it sounds like a fun job, Christmas tree farming is tedious. It requires some planning because farm owners have to determine what types of tree will be popular in 10 years, said Joan Geiger, associate executive director for the National Christmas Tree Association.

Operating a farm isn't just planting a few trees and watching them grow, said Joannie Smith, owner of the River Ridge Christmas Tree Farm near Commerce. It requires work year-round.

Smith plants seedlings in February and March and mows the eight acres of field during the summer. At least 3,500 trees are planted on the farm.

When the trees are planted as two- or three-year seedlings, "it's just a little whip," she said. During the summer she spends most of her days mowing and pruning the trees.

Despite the long hours and work, Smith still enjoys the Christmas season. She operates the Yule Log Cabin, a gift shop, near one of the retired fields on the farm. The cabin started as a place to stay warm, she said, but quickly evolved into a big business.

And Christmas tree farming is a big business in the United States. About 33 million real trees were sold last year, compared to 41 million artificial trees. Missouri growers usually sell about 500,000 trees each year.

Scotch, white and Virginia pines are grown at the River Ridge Farm, but Fraser firs are often the best-sellers, said Mike Davis, who operates the River Ridge farm with his wife, Jan.

The trees were shipped from North Carolina just before Thanksgiving, he said, adding that one customer even bought a tree before the shipment was unloaded from the truck.

Christmas trees are sold pre-cut or dug and balled, which mean they can be re-planted later. And with the right care and attention, 90 percent of the dug Christmas trees will live through the year, Bradshaw said.

Prices for trees vary depending on the height and variety, but the average cost is around $20.

Al Franke, who has been in the business for 22 years, even sold some trees before Thanksgiving this year. He sells Christmas trees at his landscaping business outside Jackson.

The busiest weekend is the second weekend after the holiday, he said, adding that it's typically the weekend people tag the trees they want dug.

Before planting balled trees outdoors, they should be put outside or in a garage for a few days so they can adjust to the change in climate. Replanting trees can be tricky.

"I had one couple who came last year and said they had 12 trees growing and hadn't lost one yet," Franke said. "Another couple said they had eight and some tried it two years in row but it didn't last."

In October, Meier begins choosing trees to sell.

"There are some that just don't want to be a Christmas tree, so we use them for greenery," she said. But the trees that are sold are chosen for their straight stems and full branches.

Although there isn't one variety of tree that will last longer than another during the season, there are some tips for keeping a tree healthy.

Before placing the tree in a stand, make a fresh cut across the stump, which will allow the tree to drink up water, Geiger said.

"Keep water in the stand the whole time it's decorated," she said. "Treat it like you would a bouquet of flowers."