Soil Test Note 23: Christmas Tree Crops

Christmas trees, like any other crop, require balanced nutrition for best health and growth. Christmas trees are unique among most crops, though, since their value is based on their aesthetic quality and not their biomass yield. In order to assure balanced nutrition, it is necessary to insure that the soil contains enough available nutrients to satisfy the trees’ demands. Routine soil tests can provide this information for unplanted fields or plantations that have not been fertilized recently. Christmas tree fertilization is generally considered at the time a new crop is planted (Establishment) or periodically during the course of the rotation (Maintenance).