Danny Moulds owns Kris Kringle’s Trees just north of Cedar Falls. He says the hot dry summer took a harsh toll on newly planted seedlings. He says he lost around 15 thousand Christmas trees on his 46 acre farm.
Had those young trees survived they would have been ready for harvest in 2019. Because the drought was so widespread, Iowa Department of Natural Resources District Forester Mark Vitosh says it may be harder to find the more popular varieties in the future.
The good news for now is that most of the mature trees are ok . Danny Moulds says there will be plenty of Scotch and White Pines available this season and he’s made arrangements to supplement his supply of Firs, which are popular for their silver green branches and their aroma. They will truck in freshly cut trees from a supplier in Wisconsin. Moulds is among dozens of growers affected throughout the Midwest. He says fortunately not all those suppliers are suffering, in fact he’ll be turning to them for his replacement stock.
