Ohio Christmas Tree Producers Manual

Bulletin 670

Shearing for High Quality Christmas Trees

Pre-Shearing Care: The grower's main concern during the first, second or third year after planting seedlings or transplants is to keep the trees alive, healthy and growing well. The benefits of grass and weed control have already been described. Additional attention should be given to:

1. Replacing dead, dying or unhealthy looking plants with healthy stock within one or two years after the initial planting.

2. Removing all multiple leaders except one by cutting off extra leaders at their base and flush with the main stem. The single leader retained should be selected on the basis of size, vigor and straightness. The number of internodal buds is important on spruces and firs.

3. Shearing off the ends of any lateral branches growing to an abnormal length and extending outside the desired cone shape of the tree.

4. If a terminal bud dies or a leader is broken off at its base, a new leader will likely develop from a turned up lateral branch of the top whorl. However, multiple leaders often develop in this case. To replace lost or seriously damaged leaders throughout the production period, a lateral branch can be trained to replace a lost leader. In July or early August, select a strong, closely spaced lateral branch in the top whorl for the new leader. If possible, the branch selected should be backed up by a strong branch growing directly below it, especially on Fraser fir. If there is enough of the stub of the damaged leader remaining on the tree, the new leader can be tied to the older leader stub with a soft material such as plastic flagging. If the old leader broke off at its base, it may be necessary to tie the new leader to a wooden splint that has been tied to the stem at the upper portion of the previous year's growth. Some growers tie the lateral branch that is to become the new leader to a lateral branch on the opposite side of the broken base. On a true fir such as Fraser fir this may leave an open space in the whorl of limbs at the points where the two lateral branches were pulled together.