CityView Magazine

FEATURE An Annual Treedition Go green this Christmas with a homegrown North Carolina Pine S By Kelly Twedell ap runs in his blood. No, really, those close time giving the trees a nice deep green color in time for to Mike Pate say it's true. Pate has been in the Christmas tree farm business since his youth and to quantify the fruits of his labor, there are one million Christmas trees in production in his successful operation. Pate first developed a passion for the Christmas tree industry during his years at Southview High School when he worked at a tree lot. Following high school he started going to the mountains in July and August selecting and tagging perfect trees for his own tree lot. His vision really took root during the late 80s when he started planting 10,000 trees a year. In the 90s he planted 50,000 trees a year. Currently Pate's thriving business plants 100,000 trees a year. Talk about going green. "We ship trees to garden centers, farmers market and tree lots across the U.S. and into Canada. Growing top quality Christmas Trees has became a life long dream," said Pate. "What started as a hobby has now become a monster." According to Pate the lifecycle of a Christmas tree begins with a five-year old transplant and takes 8 to10 years to grow a mature 7 to 9 foot tree. Growing Christmas trees is a year-long project and labor of love. In the beginning of February, they start testing soil fertility to ensure premium growth quality Fraser fir trees. In March the new seedlings are planted, in April the other farms are fertilized, in May, the spraying for insects begins, in June the ground cover is maintained. In July and August they start tagging and shearing trees to sell in the coming season. "Every tree is like  a person," said Pate. "Each tree has its own genetics and has to be sheared differently." In September they fertilize for the second Christmas. In October they go back through the crop to make sure they have been tagged correctly. The trees are tagged according to height and quality. The harvest begins in November and continues through the first part of December. After harvest the loading yards are cleared and all the trailers, tractors and bailers are gathered and put in storage for the next season. The fresh-cut trees arrive weekly bundled up from acres of tree farms from the mountains of North Carolina, a centralized location in West Jefferson where most of the trees ship from, and even across the mouth of Virginia. North Carolina ranks second in the nation for Christmas tree harvest. Before the season is through, whether from word of mouth or repeat business, Pate said they raise top-sellers like Frasier Firs, White Pines, or the Blue Spruce variety for those who hail from the North. Skinny and tall, or short and stout, each family has their preference according to their family tradition with what they grew up decorating. Picking out the perfect tree is part of the annual holiday preparations. Frasier Fir is the most popular Christmas tree with its lush green needles and heavy branches. It has a strong pine smell and the best needle retention. Although Frasiers are grown in other parts of the country-they are native to North Carolina and perform better in  our high elevation than anywhere else in the world. During the ice-age, on Rome Mountain and Mount Rogers, the Frasier Fir survived on the top peaks. These are the seed source for the lush Frasier Fir, which are delivered across the country today. Each year it's like a family reunion between his local buyers and the family and staff here in Fayetteville. The CityViewNC.com | 51

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