PEI·NewDespite the the dry summer P.E.I. experienced this year, Island Christmas tree farms expect to have enough stock to go around.Some farms faced seedling losses, but that won’t affect stock this ChristmasRyan McKellop · CBC News · Posted: Nov 17, 2025 3:54 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Summer drought won’t dampen Christmas tree seasonIslanders hoping to get a tree for the holiday season won’t have to look far. Christmas tree farmers on P.E.I. say despite a drought this summer, trees are full and ready to go – but there are some worries for next year. CBC’s Tony Davis reports.Despite the the dry summer P.E.I. experienced this year, Island Christmas tree farms will have enough stock to go around.Nancy Smith, who runs the Emyvale Ranch on Kingston Road with her husband, said that the lack of rain this summer meant their balsam fir trees were growing a little slower than usual.But when fall came around, so did the rain they needed.”When we were having the drought and it was really super hot, we were very concerned,” she said.”But as the colder temperatures came in, and the rain comes in, the trees seemed to suck up that moisture, so we’re happy [with] the way they look right now. But we still had our losses.”Nancy Smith of Emyvale Ranch says the rain this fall has helped the ranch’s Christmas trees grow to usual size, but they did have some losses as a result of the drought this summer. (Tony Davis/CBC)Smith said while this season looks promising, she does have concerns about the future. Some of the ranch’s newer trees are a lighter green than they should be, and some are dying in just their first or second year of growth.”I was just checking [last year’s seedlings] and you know, say if we planted 100, we may have like easy 10 that they’re quite brown.”Losses seen elsewhere in the MaritimesP.E.I. isn’t the only province seeing losses on Christmas tree farms due to the summer drought. The Red-Robin Christmas tree farm in New Brunswick saw losses of 80 to 90 per cent of the 1,300 seedlings that were planted in May.WATCH | New Brunswick Christmas tree farm faces seedling losses:N.B. Christmas tree farmer loses seedlings to droughtGerald Redmond of Red-Robin Christmas Tree Farm in Keswick Ridge says drought claimed 80 to 90 per cent of the seedlings he planted this year. He says he has lots of mature trees for customers to choose from this year, but “eight years from now it might be a little different story.” Gerald Redmond of Red-Robin Christmas tree farm in Keswick Ridge said that this year he has many mature trees for customers — but that could change in the next few years.“It’ll be interesting if I’m still kicking around in eight years, you know, I may be dealing with a problem of a lack of trees, you know, in the seven or eight-foot range.”Back on P.E.I., Drummond’s Christmas tree farm also lost seedlings planted this spring. Bryce Drummond is a co-owner of the farm.Bryce Drummond, co-owner of Drummond’s Christmas tree farm, says he saw between 30 to 40 per cent mortality rates for seedlings planted this spring due to the extremely dry summer on P.E.I. (Tony Davis/CBC)”The ones I did plant this year, I would say there would be 30 to 40 per cent mortality on them.”He said that in previous droughts, like in 2001, they experienced mortality rates between 60 and 70 per cent.As for this year, Drummond said he, too, will have enough Christmas trees to meet this year’s demand.”The trees are looking pretty good… The established trees have deep enough root [systems] it didn’t affect them,” he said.”It takes 10 to 12 years for a Christmas tree to grow, the ones I planted this year aren’t going to affect this year’s business… “We have lots of nice trees and we should have the supply for the demand.”ABOUT THE AUTHORRyan McKellop is a graduate of the Holland College journalism program and is working as an Associate Producer and Web Writer. Got a story idea? Email ryan.mckellop@cbc.caWith files from Tony Davis
P.E.I.’s Christmas tree supply remains strong despite summer drought
