WITH THE CBS17 MOBILE NEWS APP.
WE HAVE REAL-TIME TRAFFIC
INFORMATION FOR YOU.
NORTH CAROLINA IS THE TOP
PRODUCER OF FRASIER FIR
CHRISTMAS TREES IN THE NATION.
THIS YEAR THERE ARE FEWER TREES
TO BE TRIMMED.
THE ROOT OF THE SHORTAGE CAN
BE TRACED BACK A DECADE.
Reporter: A TREE LIKE THIS
DOESN'T GET THIS BIG AND FALL
OVERNIGHT T. TAKES ABOUT A
DECADE FOR IT TO GROW AND BE
HARVESTED.
AND ABOUT TEN YEARS
AGO, A LOT OF FREE FARMERS
DECIDED THEY WERE GONNA STOP
PLANTING TREES.
AT MISTLETOE
MEADOWS IN GARNER, DEBORAH WAS
ON THE HUNT FOR THE PERFECT
TREE.
I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING
TALL, FULL, SLENDER, SOMETHING
TO FIT MY HOME.
Reporter: SHE ENDED UP WITH
A 7 TO 8-FOOTER, THE MOST
POPULAR SIZED TREE, AND THE ONES
THAT DWRING TO GROW -- GOING TO
GROW INCREASINGLY HARD TO FIND
NATIONWIDE.
THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF
ESPECIALLY THE PREMIUM TREES.
BACK IN 2008 WHEN THE ECONOMY
WENT SOUTH, A LOT OF GROWERS
DECIDED MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T PLANT
ANY TREES RIGHT NOW.
Reporter: TREE FARMING IS
LABOR INTENSIVE, AND A DECADE
AGO, FARMERS WEREN'T WILLING TO
PUT MONEY INTO TREES DURING THE
RECESSION.
YOU STARTED FROM A SEED, AND
THE SEED BED, AND YOU MOVE IT
FROM A SEED BED TO A TRANSPLANT
BED.
AND ONCE IT'S ABOUT THREE
YEARS OLD, THEN YOU PUT IT IN
THE FIELD.
THEN YOU'VE GOT ABOUT
ANOTHER SEVEN YEARS TO HAVE A
GOOD, STRONG, 7 TO 8-FOOTER.
Reporter: THE NATIONAL
CHRISTMAS TREE ASSOCIATION
ESTIMATES MORE THAN 27 MILLION
TREES WERE SOLD LAST YEAR IN THE
IS WITH THE 7 TO 8-FOOTER BEING
THE MOST POPULAR.
TREE FARMERS
SAY THOSE SHOULD START APPEARING
ABOUT MID-DECEMBER.
AND YOU CAN
EXPECT TO PAY ABOUT 10% MORE FOR
THE CHRISTMAS TREE YOU'LL BE
BUYING THIS YEAR.
PRICES FOR
TREES ARE DICTATED NOT ONLY BY
THEIR AVAILABILITY BUT ALSO BY
HOW MUCH WORK WENT INTO THEM.
PRICING IS BY THE FOOT.
WE
KNOW WE HAVE IN A TREE WHEN WE
CUT IT.
Reporter: EXTERIORS TELL US
YOU -- EXPERTS TELL US YOU CAN
EXPECT THE SHORTAGE TO LAST A
