Christmas tree farmer braces for the silly season and offers tips to make your tree last
Updated
"I'm giving them a nip and tuck."
That is how Ron Junghans described his pruning technique on this year's Christmas tree harvest.
Surrounded by some 4,000 trees on his farm at Duffy's Forest in Terry Hills, there is no masking the pine-fresh scent of the festive season.
"You don't need an artificial tree, get a nice fresh one and put that smell through the house," he said.
Christmas tree care tips
- Bring an old sheet to wrap the tree or tying rope for the drive home
- Get the tree into water ASAP
- Take a small slice off the bottom so water is easily absorbed
- Make sure the tree isn't in an air-conditioned area
- Don't put it in direct sunlight
Mr Junghans, a retired school teacher, planted his first pine radiata in 1979.
There are only three left from that year and they stand on the edge of the four-acre paddock, reaching 40 metres tall.
The trees that will decorate people's homes this year though range from one to three metres with the smallest having taken just under five years to grow.
Photo:
The tallest Christmas trees on the farm have grown to 40 metres. (702 ABC Sydney: Amanda Hoh)
Each tree grows about one foot (30 centimetres) a year in its early stages then grows at a faster rate as it matures.
"They take quite a while to establish themselves," Mr Junghans said.
"I don't water so they go at a smaller rate, but it makes for a better tree I think — looks a bit more natural."
Tree selection 'hectic'
The trees are pruned throughout the year so they "throw off side shoots and thicken" in the middle and take on the favoured cone shape.
Smaller shoots require constant maintenance in their early growth to stop bugs "chomping" them, and antifungal fertiliser is used to avoid root rot.
Mr Junghans expects to sell about 500 trees this season which are priced from $60 to $150 each.
Half of those went to homes on the weekend at the farm's first opening of the season.
Mr Junghans said it "was very hectic" with families vying for the best looking tree, while others had reserved their trees weeks in advance.
"They're looking for that conical shape, nice and green of course, plenty of branches and bushy," he said.
"Everyone is always quite excited about getting their tree ... it's all joyous."
While Mr Junghans is yet to choose one for himself, he said his preference was a bushy natural-looking tree.
He takes a step back with the decorating, though.
"That's mainly my wife's role," he laughed.
"But you need to start at the top — have plenty of bells and memorabilia."
Topics: community-and-society, lifestyle-and-leisure, gardening, tree, sydney-2000
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