Christmas tree lots are reporting supply shortages and higher prices this holiday season.

People looking for live Christmas trees should start shopping sooner, according to a press release from Evergrow, a Fraser Valley company that delivers potted trees and then replants them after the holidays.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e talking to farmers who are telling us over a third of their trees for the season are damaged so badly they can害羞草研究所檛 sell them,害羞草研究所� said Evergrow CEO Paige Wheaton. 害羞草研究所淢any farms are planning to open for only one or two weekends in November because they know they will be sold out by then.害羞草研究所�

Joan Fleming said that while her Vancouver Island farm, Saanichton Christmas Tree Farm, has plenty of supply, many tree lots that import trees rather than grow them are struggling to meet demand.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of wholesale lots, they害羞草研究所檙e having a hard time getting trees because there is a shortage because of that heat dome and those trees got scorched, whereas luckily, mine didn害羞草研究所檛,害羞草研究所� Fleming said.

Happy Holidays Christmas Tree Co., a pop-up holiday shop in Langford that sells trees and other gifts, said the two B.C. tree farms they have worked with have had some setbacks as well.

While extreme heat is partly to blame, Debbie Stroshein the owner of Happy Holidays Christmas Tree Co., said there are many reasons for low inventory and high prices, including fewer local farmers.

害羞草研究所淢ore and more of the tree farmers are retiring with no longevity plan,害羞草研究所� Stroshein said. 害羞草研究所淭wo large producers I害羞草研究所檝e worked with in the last five years have closed or drastically reduced inventory. I am seeing more and more trees grown in the U.S.A. showing up on racks here.害羞草研究所�

Stroshein said that the cost of getting trees to Victoria has also doubled in the past two years, which is contributing to the spike in prices for consumers.

For previous seasons, Stronshein said she was able to source locally, but with shifting dynamics in the industry such as older farmers retiring and U.S. markets buying Canadian, she害羞草研究所檚 had to import some of her trees from other places.

According to the press release, farm owners and experts are citing 2021 as one of the worst growing years since the 害羞草研究所�80s, but Kelly Chashai from Metchosin害羞草研究所檚 Down to Earth Nursery said today害羞草研究所檚 tree supply is still being impacted by wildfires from years ago.

害羞草研究所淓ven though the fires weren害羞草研究所檛 so bad this year, that did have a big effect as trees take about seven to 10 years to grow before they are cut,害羞草研究所� Chashai said. 害羞草研究所淪o the events of five years ago and three years ago are really impacting today.害羞草研究所�

Most of the trees that Down to Earth Nursery is selling this season come from the Fraser Valley and across B.C., and they are not having issues keeping up with demand. However, for smaller and less established Christmas tree lots, keeping prices low during inflation and maintaining supply is a struggle that Stroshein anticipates being around for a while.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 changing,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not sure what that future looks like for a lot of small businesses. Some really small ones I know of have disappeared altogether.害羞草研究所�

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