It is the busy season for Prior Pines Christmas Tree Farm at 1700 N 98th St. in Lincoln.
Owner Marsha Prior says they opened their doors the Friday after Thanksgiving and did a a lot of business that day. They raise white and scotch pines locally but have Frazier firs to be shipped in from Wisconsin every year because they don’t grow well here.
Prior says, “They had experienced a drought 7 or 8 years ago so they shorted us. We only got 40% of our order and we sold out of Frazier firs on the first weekend. That never happens but it did happen this year. Now, people are only buying trees from the field. People can come out and choose their tree. All are pre-priced for people.” This is likely the reason for reports of tree shortages and people having to pay more for certain trees this season.
Once you select your tree, Prior’s staff, mostly family members, will cut it down, bring them to the shed, shake them, clean them out, bail them and people are on their way.
Prior says they planted their first field of trees in 1986 and started selling trees in 1993. She says it takes from 7 to 8 years to grow the trees for the season.
If you haven’t gotten your tree yet, don’t wait too long. Prior says, “if you are looking for a Charlie Brown tree and can handle any tree that is okay, you will find a tree in our field. If you have to have a perfectly shaped tree, they are gone. If you have to have a really tall tree, they are gone. People will still come out every day through December 20th but there will be less and less selection.”
Once they close their doors for the season, Prior’s work isn’t done. She says they will get busy in the spring planting about 1,500 trees to replace those sold this year.