UK Christmas tree shortage fears as extreme weather stunts growth and kills 20,000 saplings

Christmas tree farmers are fearing for their livelihoods after this year's brutal weather conditions stunted growth - leaving one couple facing losses of up to £80,000. A late frost, a scorching summer, and repeated droughts have wreaked havoc on Christmas tree crops this year, with saplings perishing and established trees failing to reach their full size. Ruth and James Wallis, who operate Sutton Hall Farm near Lewes, East Sussex, reveal they planted 20,000 trees two years ago, not a single one of which has survived.

The couple say they attempted to use fertiliser, but with no rainfall the trees were simply unable to absorb it. In total, James estimates they have lost between £60,000 and £80,000 as a result of the conditions, with the financial impact set to be felt for years to come. The 53 year old said: "We spent a lot of money putting those trees in the ground and nurturing them for two years. It is going to make for a very gappy harvest going forward.

"Seeing a lot of our young trees dying was quite painful. It is something that we will get over, but it is a worry, especially with escalating prices. Farmers are very resilient. We are just focusing on the trees we have got." Ruth and James began growing Christmas trees in 2017, having previously focused largely on dairy farming. While last year's droughts left their trees looking less vibrant than desired, things had largely remained on track - until a particularly late frost in May this year wiped out all the new growth on their trees.

This means they are restricted to selling trees at a standard grade rather than premium, slashing £15 off the price of each one. The farm was then dealt a further blow by fierce heatwaves and "extreme" drought conditions. Without an irrigation licence, Ruth and James were powerless to water the trees to combat the effects. The 20,000 new trees they had planted cost £1.50 per tree, amounting to a staggering £30,000 loss from those alone.

Trees due to be harvested this year were also badly affected, with yields down 30 per cent on what they had expected. Ruth, 53, said: "The problem with Christmas trees is that they take about ten years to grow, so the problem will be about ten years down the line when those trees should be maturing and won't be. "It will have a major impact on our Christmas tree income. It has hit us very badly. "Christmas tree growers all over the UK have suffered because of the drought.

"It is worrying. We have invested heavily in Christmas trees and at the moment the plan is to continue down that line." The farm managed to produce a large hay yield over the summer, which helped them stay afloat. Looking ahead, they are exploring water storage solutions to manage their water usage more efficiently and effectively. Ruth believes the government should be stepping up to support struggling farmers, including providing grant funding for water storage.

She added: "Farming is in our blood, it is a way of life. It is what we do. It has certainly made us think more carefully about how we will grow Christmas trees and what we need to do to protect them. "We believe that water is too precious a resource to put on what is a luxury item rather than a food source." It comes as a combination of blistering summer heatwaves and the El Niño weather system has depleted the UK’s Christmas crop, amid fears of a national Christmas tree shortage.

“This year we have seen European growers simply refuse to ship to the UK,” said Josh Lyle, founder of Pines & Needles. “They can sell their entire crop domestically without the paperwork. With the UK already in shortage, that gap becomes very real.” Importing from abroad is more complex than ever due to the additional bureaucracy and logistical challenges after Brexit . For many UK based suppliers, poor growing seasons have long lasting effects.

According to Pines and Needles, Christmas trees take around 8–10 years to reach a mature 6–7ft size. Unfortunately, Brexit and the weather are just some of the problems suppliers across the nation are facing. A shortage in labour is also impacting a number of tree farms. Josh said: “We have spoken to farms that have struggled to harvest their trees because they simply do not have the workforce available. This is not a demand issue; it is a lack of hands.

“Better access to reliable seasonal labour would make a real difference to the industry.” Pines and Needles operates 11 farms across Scotland. Josh said: “We see supply issues before most retailers do, and we act early." He said many retailers will not be 'fully stocked' this year.