Drought and Heat Cause Crop Losses for Christmas Tree Growers

Record-breaking summer heat and prolonged drought killed thousands of newly planted trees and damaged established crops across Britain. Oliver Combe, who works at York Christmas Trees, reported that about 2,000 of the 15,000 trees he planted were lost. Older trees were also affected because the lack of rainfall prevented fertilizer from being properly absorbed into the soil.

The extreme conditions have led to concerns about future supplies of Christmas trees, a staple crop that typically takes about eight years to grow before harvest. Growers are now considering implementing irrigation systems to protect fields against increasingly dry summers.

Drought conditions caused by extreme heat are currently affecting crops and local agriculture.