MENDON – The drought in Massachusetts might not hurt Christmas trees sales this year, but a few years from now, it could be a major problem.
500 Christmas trees have died
At Vandervalk Farm in Mendon, there are about 10,000 Christmas trees on ten acres. The trees that are thriving at more than 7 feet tall were planted 10-to-15 years ago.
As for the 2,700 trees they planted back in the spring, they’ve lost 500 of them so far.
“I shouldn’t lose that many. I should lose ten trees,” manager Chris Moran told WBZ-TV. “We lost 20-to-25 percent of the trees that we planted this year. In ten years, I have 25 or 20 percent less of my product to sell.”
Last year , there was a shortage after the farm was hit with too much rain and trees died. This year, it’s been too dry.
“We can’t grow anything”
“They’re all yellow on the inside. The needles are falling off,” Moran said of the trees planted this year. “No farm needs no water, so without water we can’t grow anything.”