Basal Pruning Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

Abstract

<jats:p>Fraser fir [<jats:italic>Abies fraseri</jats:italic> (Pursh) Poir.] Christmas trees were basal pruned (branches were removed from the lower 15 to 25 cm of the stem, i.e., handle) at heights ranging from 0.6 to 0.9 m up to 1.5 to 1.8 m tall, and were harvested 2 to 4 years later. Basal pruning reduced cutting time ≈25%, and baling time ≈10%. Commercial height and stem diameter were unaffected, but the average harvest weight of pruned trees 2.1 to 2.4 m tall (2 to 4 years after basal pruning) was reduced ≈1.4 kg.</jats:p>

Interspecific Differences in Postharvest Quality on Mexican Christmas Trees

“…2). Christmas tree species have shown different degree of leaf abscission (HINESLEY, 1984;CHASTAGNER, 2002).…”

“…Christmas tree species have different water retention (CHASTAGNER and RILEY, 2003), postharvest drying (SEI-LER et al, 1988;HINESLEY andSNELLING, 1995, 1997), flammability (WHITE et al, 1997), hydric stage (CHAS-TAGNER, 1986;CHASTAGNER and HINESLEY, 2002), storage time, leaf color, needle loss, drying time, water absorption, stem wilting (CHASTAGNER, 2002), density (USDA, 2002), aroma loss, and branch flexibility (HINESLEY, 1984). Although there is a considerable amount of information on postharvest characteristics of some species, information from others species is required (BATES, 2002).…”

“…Postharvest evaluations have been conducted in species of Abies (14), Pinus (5), Picea (3), Chamaecyparis (1), XCupressocyparis (1), Cupressus (1), Juniperus (1), and Pseudotsuga (1) genera (CHASTAGNER, 1986(CHASTAGNER, , 2002CHASTAGNER and HINESLEY, 2002;CHASTAGNER and RILEY, 2003;ELIZALDE, 1979;HINESLEY, 1984;HINESLEY and CHASTAGNER, 2002;HINESLEY and SNELLING, 1991, 1995MITCHAM et al, 1988;MONTANO and PROEB-STING, 1985;SEILER et al, 1988). But, there are no studies in several Mexican species.…”

Postharvest Drying of Leyland Cypress, Eastern Red Cedar, and Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

“…The critical MC (CMC) is the MC below which a tree will not rehydrate fully when recut and stood in water (Van Wagner, 1963), and the damage threshold is the MC where tissues experience irreversible damage (Montano and Proebsting, 1986). Reported values for several Christmas tree species are -3.0 to -4.9 MPa (Chastagner, 1986;Hinesley, 1984;Hinesley and Snelling, 1988;Montano and Proebsting 1985, 1986Seiler et al, 1988). A tree reaches the damage threshold first.…”

Comparison of the Postharvest Quality of Noble Fir Boughs from the United States and Danish Provenances Grown in Denmark

“…are unique among Abies spp. that are commonly grown for Christmas trees and bough material in that they rarely lose any needles as they dry (Chastagner and Riley, 2003;Hinesley, 1984;Hinesley and Snelling, 1995).…”