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A Family Christmas Tradition By Rachel Harper
Andy and Jennafer Johnson wanted to do something with their land, but did not want to raise livestock
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Andy Johnson and his wife Jennafer purchased a home with 40 summers. This year was the first they have not had to deal with the fungus. Andy acres in Webb City, Mo., in 2003. Neither one of them had an agricultural has worked with a Jasper County forester to help diagnose any diseases or pests background, but they had a desire to do something more with the land they just they might have. “When we were fighting the fungus, the forester was really good at coming out, purchased. “We didn’t want to have livestock and didn’t have the equipment to row crop,” taking samples to send off to the nursery, and helping us put together a treatment Andy explained. “We could have leased it and even tossed around the idea of plan,” Andy said. They now proactively spray an insecticide/fungicide mix starting in early spring blackberries or blueberries. We thought, how fun would it be to have our own when the trees are starting to put on new growth and then continue to treat them Christmas tree farm since we both enjoy getting a real Christmas tree each year.” every four weeks for up to four treatments. They never had real Christmas trees growing up, but it started when “You have to time it just right as it needs to be on for about 72 they married in 1999 and began their own family tradition. hours before rain,” Andy explained. In the spring of 2006, Andy and Jennafer planted 1,000 Andy often sprays by hand but also uses an ATV spraytrees to begin the Bridgestone Christmas Tree Farm. They er on a trailer with a boom behind the lawnmower or joined a Christmas tree growers association to collect golf cart to go down the rows and spray the small information and learn more about their new adventrees early on. The larger trees are pretty drought ture. resistant. “It takes six to seven years for trees to grow. “We don’t spray for weeds but mow between Christmas trees are really resilient, but they do the rows, which takes about 12 hours every not like to be wet. They like rocky and acidweek to every other week. I pass every tree ic soil, so you do not really have to treat the four times when I’m mowing, so I get the opsoil, and we have fairly good topsoil about portunity to look and inspect the trees on a 16 inches down then it’s clay right underregular basis through the summer.” neath and no rocks.” “In early September, I know the trees we For four years, they continued to plant are selling and spray them with a green around 500 to 1,000 2-year-old, 12-to-16colorant and mix it with an insecticide to inch seedlings each spring. help the trees. The colorant also has needle They have 100 Christmas trees in their retention built in, so the tree holds its neefield awaiting the perfect family this year. dles even if it dries out once you cut it down. “I go through and mark the holes ahead That is the last thing I do to them.” of time, then start digging a couple of hours Andy said they also host field trips throughbefore we start planting,” Andy said of the out the year sharing information on how trees planting process. grow, various parts of the tree, how long it takes They have a tractor with a post hole auger to to grow trees and what it takes throughout the dig the holes, but they plant each tree by hand. entire year, not just at Christmas time. They space each seedling 8 feet apart to allow for The Christmas tree farm opens each year on better wind flow. p Thanksgiving weekend for two to three weekends; how“It helps dry them out and has helped fight fungus. It ar lH e h ever, they sold out the second weekend last year. Their avis double the mowing but in the long run, it was the best c a y R erage trees are about 5- to 8-feet tall, with some precuts 10- to decision,” Andy said. They have about 8 acres planted in ob t o Ph 12-feet tall. trees, but Andy said they can always expand if needed. The Bridgestone Christmas Tree Farm offers fun activities for the whole “Our main trees are Scotch pine,” Andy said. “Four years ago, we family, including a kids train ride, a family hayride, handmade crafts from started planting Virginia pines as they grow faster than the Scotch local vendors, free hot cocoa and cider and a kid’s corner where the kids pines. They must be pruned three times a year versus once a year becan color a Christmas picture and write a letter to Santa to mail at the tree cause they grow so rapidly. The Virginia pines should be ready next year.” farm. They also buy up to 300 each year from a large tree farm in Michigan. Webb City, Mo. “We have several families that come quite a distance. It’s just fun seeThey began they began to buy precut trees to sell after about give years. ing the same families come back year after year,” Andy said. There have been a few challenges through the years. At one point, they were losing 500 to 600 trees a year due to a fungus brought on by the wet DECEMBER 6, 2021
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