EAST LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — For those shopping for a fresh tree, Bert Cregg is someone they would like to bring along.
Cregg is a professor with Michigan State University Extension in the horticulture and forestry departments. His version of a lab is a grove of trees on the south side of MSU’s campus.
Within that grove, an area is set aside for experimenting with potted Christmas trees, a growing niche within the state. Cregg and his team of researchers are experimenting with plant growth regulators, chemical treatments and ways to control the environmental stresses that cause the trees to produce cones.
Because the cones tend to die off, farmers are forced to prune away a stalk to preserve the tree’s looks. This labor expense is a large burden to farmers growing Fraser firs, one of the most popular selections for Christmas trees.
His research is important to Michigan, as the state is one of the largest producers of Christmas trees in America.
Cregg said Michigan is the third-largest grower in the country and two million trees are harvested annually.
With the holiday quickly approaching, reports of a hike in Christmas tree prices are coming out in other parts of the country due to a short supply. However, Cregg said prices in Michigan will remain steady.
However, for those who do fight an increased rate for their preferred type of tree, there are plenty of other options available.
“There’s a number of different species out there so this might be a good opportunity for people to look at an alternative to maybe what they had in the past, and kind of broaden their Christmas tree horizon, if you will,” Cregg said.
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