The harvesting season has passed its peak, though some growers will continue to cut and ship trees for a week or two more. An estimated 35 million live trees are sold per year in the United States, according to industry experts. Michigan, which was first in the nation in the Christmas tree industry in the 1980s, has slipped to maybe fourth place, according to some estimates.
Local growers say they are doing well, though, and shipping their trees all over the country.
The weather has been good for harvesting, Stephen VanderWeide, owner of Dutchman Tree Farms near Manton, said. It's easier to cut, tie and ship trees when it's warm and dry out. Yet it shouldn't be too warm, particularly while they're being shipped. That can dry the trees out and make them lose their needles prematurely. Last year, it was 20 degrees warmer than normal all across the country.