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Christmas tree growers prepared to branch out By GREG STILES Mail Tribune Any day now, Christmas tree lots will spring up around the Rogue Valley, filled with Noble, Douglas and White firs, spruce and scotch pine among other varieties. Those trees - along with those spotted in the wild or at tree farms - will receive as much attention as the new grandbaby as entry ways, living room, family rooms and even bedrooms are re-arranged to make room for the center piece of holiday decorations. Former Jacksonville resident Bob Thrush got into the Christmas tree farm business 40 years ago and will harvest 1,500 trees from his Camas Valley plantation this season. "That's down from last year," admits Thrush, a wholesaler who also once cut in Jacksonville and Grants Pass. "The demand is up, the supply down and the wholesale price is up, depending in the species," says the 61-year-old Thrush, who will begin cutting today. He says the wholesale price for a bundled 7- to 8-foot Grand Fir is about $10. Thrush, a former Boise Cascade employee and consulting forester before moving into commercial fishing, says he hasn't replanted in four years in anticipation of leaving the business. But this year's crop is a strong one. "We've had to solve some fertility problems," he says. "But we've found out what the trees need." Thrush says controlling nearby brush has helped his Grand fir and he doesn't plant Douglas-fir because they're eaten by deer. "They don't eat the grand, they just rub their horns against them," he says. "We've been growing noble, because deer aren't supposed to eat them, but they've been eating them." Deer aren't the trouble at Yuletide Trees off Madrona Lane west of Medford, where nibbling jack rabbits have a habit of turning foot-high seedlings into inch-high plantings. "I've had one deer looking at the tomatoes in the garden, but absolutely no trouble with them eating the trees," Steve Andrews says. "But with all the jack rabbits, the coyotes have been getting friendlier and friendlier. I imagine they'll take off as soon as the chainsaws start running." Andrews and his wife, Cindy, have harvested existing silver tips and Douglas firs for six years. They annually have been planting 3,000 trees, with the first crop due for harvesting next year. Steve Andrews says the 700 trees earmarked for this year could be gone within a week of their Dec. 1 opening. All of their trees are $20. They also do wreaths and garlands. Ron Clark has a neighboring U-cut site on Madrona Lane as well. Another popular site for Christmas tree selection is Bob-U-Cut, off Interstate 5, near Blackwell Road. Bureau of Land Management and national forests offices are selling personal use permits. The $5 permits are available at BLM offices in North Bend (1300 Airport Lane in North Bend) and Medford (3040 Biddle Road), and from the Medford office of the Rogue River and Siskiyou national forests (333 W. Eighth St.). Of course, if you're not into tromping in the woods, wandering over to one of the U-cut farms on the edge of town or checking out tree lots, there are less-adventuresome - but more spendy options. At the Medford Target store, you'll find about 20 styles - predominantly Timberline-brand trees, grown in China -selling for $19.99 to $199.99. Some, ranging close to 10 feet are the plug and play style, with their own lights. "Depending on how you treat 'em they'll last at least a good 10 years or more," says Mac McConville, a Target employee. "We've already had a lot of guests in picking them up." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.