Christmas trees could disappoint this winter because of the drought

The heat and drought will mean disappointment for Netherlands residents looking for a natural Christmas tree this year. “The trees have remained small and look sad, with their branches down. As a result, they will become very expensive or unsellable,” Ingrid Kools of Kewkerij Kools in Zuiddorpe said to Omroep Zeeland.

Kools has about 5,000 Christmas trees on a plot on the outskirts of Zuiddopre, from large to small. The largest are green with here and there a brown branch or brown needles. “We call these trees bruised trees, which you don’t even tie to a lamppost at a fair. Nobody wants a bruise, so you can’t sell them,” Koos said.

And they are the best case scenario. The smaller trees are mostly brown. “These are two years old, and the needles have been burned by the sun or have turned brown. The roots are dried out and cannot extract any moisture. They can go to the compost heap.”

Kools expects to lose thousands of euros in income this year. And she is not the only Christmas tree grower in trouble, according to the broadcaster. A grower in Hulst is struggling with damaged trees but thinks he has enough good ones to sell this year.