Ground Cover Management Ground Cover Management Weed control is very important to producing a high quality Christmas tree. Competition from grasses and other vegetation can kill young trees, or limit their growth by blocking sunlight and competing for soil moisture and nutrients. Tree quality can be reduced by vegetation that restricts lower branch growth or from vines growing into trees and bending tops. Some weeds, such as briars, thistles, or poison ivy, can also restrict worker's ability to care for trees. However, totally eliminating all weeds and leaving the soil bare is just as bad.
Bare soil is prone to erosion and deterioration of soil structure and organic matter.
The warmer soil exceeds the temperatures at which Fraser fir roots can function, causing the tree to draw nutrients and water away from the soil surface where fertilizers are applied. Bare ground also increases weeds like pokeweed, ragweed, field bindweed and others that require bare soil to germinate. Properly managed ground covers can also promote water penetration rather than runoff, and provide a firm surface for walking or driving. Eliminating all weeds may also eliminate native predators. Predators feed on insect and mite pests, but most of them can also feed on, or may even require, pollen and nectar to complete their life cycle.