Surrey Christmas tree stock could be tight: lot owner

If you’re hoping to get a fresh-cut Christmas tree this season, you may want to act fast.

Some growers say there’s already demand around the Lower Mainland this year.

“We usually sell out in two or three weeks, quite a bit before Christmas there’s huge demand,” said Larry Whitehead, owner of Red Truck Trees in South Surrey, who’s been growing trees for 10 years.

He expects his lot will be empty by the end of the month, noting supply this year — and likely in years to come — has been affected by a number of environmental factors.

“The heat dome affected mostly the new plantings, like the younger trees — two, three years old — don’t have the root structure yet to withstand drought, and the floods, primarily floods, interfered with the transportation of trees from back east,” he explained, adding about 40 per cent of stock has been lost due to weather, including this year’s drought.

Whitehead says it’s not just climate events that have affected supply either.

He tells CityNews many growers retiring and the high cost of land are contributing to longer-term challenges.

“There’s a lot of land that’s being unused,” Whitehead said. “We need to probably work with the province to see if we can at least lease some of this land, that younger growers could lease some of this land, or maybe Crown land. Even trees can grow on BC Hydro ridgeways or mountainous conditions.”

The trees being sold this year are about six to eight years old, he says, adding trees are also brought in from out of town.

Related article: Closed B.C. highways cause Christmas tree shortage in 2021

“There will be trees, certainly, but you’re probably wise to pick up yours early.”