The smell of pine is not yet in the living room, but at Christmas tree grower Kees Poppelaars from Breda the Christmas spirit has been felt for weeks. “In October, the first customers already asked if they could come and pick up a tree,” he says in the Omroep Brabant radio program KEIgoeiemorgen! “But yes, they were still on plants at the time!” Although Kees has been preparing for months, the real hustle and bustle is only now starting.
Kees is very busy at the moment. “There are trailers loading and unloading one after the other,” he says. The nursery has more than a hundred thousand trees.
According to Kees, it gets busier and crazier every year. In recent weeks, people have also regularly asked if they could get a tree. “Yes, that can all be done easily, but whether it will last until January 6? I doubt that.”
Your tree is a little more expensive this year
This year the price of a Christmas tree is a few euros higher than in previous years. According to Kees, this has several causes. “Such a beautiful tree, which is only in the living room for three weeks, takes twelve years to grow big enough,” he explains.
Due to the drought of recent years, fewer trees are available. At the same time, demand is increasing because more and more people want a real tree instead of an artificial tree.
Real trees are degradable
People often choose this because of the environment, says Kees. “A real tree is degradable and absorbs CO2 as it grows. You cannot properly recycle a plastic tree, it ultimately ends up in the waste.”
Kees also notices that not only buyers, but also sellers are increasingly paying attention to the environment. “More and more growers use fewer pesticides and fertilizers and pay attention to environmentally friendly cultivation. This makes the trees healthier and ensures a more beautiful end product.”
First Sinterklaas, then Christmas
For Kees, the real peak pressure is only just beginning, and according to him it will last until mid-December. “Not everyone comes the day after Sinterklaas, but most do.”
According to Kees, this is typical in the Netherlands, while different customs apply in Germany. “They only put the tree up there a few days before Christmas. Here it is Sinterklaas first, and then the tree is put up for fun.” Also useful for the quality: “If you buy it around this period, it will remain beautiful until the new year.”
Tips to make your Christmas tree shine
According to Kees, the vast majority of Christmas trees sold are Nordmann. “It originally comes from the Caucasus,” he explains. That is an area at the very edge of Europe, towards Asia, and it freezes very hard there in the winter. ”As soon as the days get shorter and the tree gets less light, it stops growing. Then you can saw it off, but nothing actually happens.”
Anyone who places the tree indoors must be careful. “The humidity in the house is low, so it dries out faster.” So listen to Kees’s Christmas tree tip and don’t bring your tree inside too quickly and give it some water, so it will stay nice and fresh for longer.
