Christmas Tree Growers Warn Of Supply Pressures After Extreme Weather

The UK’s record-breaking summer heat, prolonged drought, and frost have resulted in significant losses for Christmas tree growers, with thousands of newly planted trees reportedly killed and established crops also affected.

The damage has prompted warnings of potential supply pressures in the coming years, as growers across the country assess the impact, reports LondonlovesBusiness.

With Christmas trees typically requiring around eight years to reach harvestable size, the losses could have long-term implications for production. 

The impact this year highlights the challenges facing growers as extreme weather becomes increasingly frequent.

This season has been a “tough year”, according to York Christmas Trees, which last month was crowned Grower of the Year 2026 the annual awards organised by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA). 

The family firm will supply a real British-grown Christmas tree for display outside No. 10 Downing Street this Christmas. 

“For the first time ever, we have had losses in what we planted last year,” Oliver Combe, who owns York Christmas Trees with wife Kirstie, told The Telegraph.

To allow young trees more time to establish their root systems before the summer months, Combe said the business had adapted its planting schedule by moving to autumn planting.

However, the change was not enough to protect the latest crop, with approximately 2,000 of the 15,000 trees planted reportedly lost during the extreme weather.

Established trees have also experienced difficulties since a prolonged lack of rainfall prevented fertiliser from being properly absorbed into the soil, which affected crop development and growth.

“This year, we have had no proper rain since Easter,” Combe said.

York Christmas Trees is now considering installing irrigation systems to provide greater protection against increasingly dry growing seasons. 

Combe also warned that conditions previously regarded as exceptional were becoming more commonplace.

“The summer of 2018 was pretty extreme,” he said. 

“We did think it was an exception before, but very, very hot summers are becoming the norm. In Yorkshire, we used to have drier Aprils and Mays, but it seems to be drier for longer. We all think ‘oh, it will balance out over August’, but one of my fields is still bone dry.”

Impact Felt Across The UK 

The financial implications have been substantial for other businesses in the Christmas tree production sector. 

James Wallis, who runs Sutton Hall Farm near Lewes in East Sussex with his wife Ruth, told the BBC that the couple had lost 20,000 trees which were planted two years ago. 

“The drought has made it harder for trees to absorb nutrients, and some have turned yellow,” he explained. 

Ruth Wallis described the year as “very difficult” year for growers after frost killed new shoots and drought slowed growth in May.

“The financial consequences are significant,” she said, adding that the harvest is anticipated to be 30% smaller than last year due to frost.

The growers’ concerns follow a summer confirmed by the Met Office as the hottest in UK recorded history. 

Average mean temperatures in June, July, and August reached 16.5°C, based on a dataset dating back to 1884 which incorporates both daytime and overnight temperatures.

In some areas, temperatures exceeded 38°C, with Hartpury College in Gloucestershire recording the summer’s highest reading of 38.2°C on 13 August. 

This marked the UK’s fifth-hottest day on record in terms of maximum temperature, although still below the all-time high of 40.3°C which was recorded in July 2022 at Coningsby, Lincolnshire.

Human-induced climate change made the heat this summer 130 times more likely, according to the Met Office.

'Sufficient' Supply This Year 

Despite the scale of the losses, the immediate availability of Christmas trees is not necessarily expected to be affected, according to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association

“There are enough trees, but it’s a challenge to keep them in good condition,” commented Russell Parkins, BCTGA chairman.

“We’ve applied more fertiliser into the tree so there is more moisture in the ground.”

Nonetheless, this year’s crop damage raises wider questions about the resilience of the UK Christmas tree supply chain and the ability of growers to maintain production in increasingly challenging climatic conditions.

With an eight-year production cycle, trees lost at the establishment stage cannot be replaced quickly. 

The impact of this summer’s weather could therefore be felt across future growing seasons, placing greater emphasis on planting strategies, soil moisture management and investment in irrigation.

The challenge for the industry now extends beyond maintaining supplies for the forthcoming festive season. 

Ensuring that the next generation of Christmas tree crops can establish and thrive under changing weather conditions will be critical to securing long-term production.