Christmas Tree Course

Growing Christmas Trees in New Hampshire

Growing Christmas trees on a few acres or on large acreage can be a great deal of work, yet very rewarding. This course was designed with you in mind. After completing this self-paced course, you should be ready to not only start a Christmas tree farm but also ready to take the NH Private Pesticide Applicator exam in Christmas Trees.

In this course we will cover basic information that will help you diagnose and manage pest problems in your plantations. We will walk through a plantation and focus on recognizing potential pest problems and discuss different management techniques that will help keep your plants healthy and striving.

This course will cover information pertaining to getting started with Christmas trees, site selection, species selection, pests and pest management using Integrated Pest Management philosophies.

Objectives:
Once you've completed this course, you should be able to:

• Understand which Christmas tree species are the most appropriate for NH’s climate
• Choose the proper site for planting
• Understand the importance of a soil test
• Become familiar with the many pests that attack Christmas trees
• Determine the most appropriate management strategies for managing these pests  

If you are planning on selling your Christmas trees to the general public, and you plan on using any pesticides on your farm/plantation, you must obtain the appropriate pesticide license from the state. More information can be found here: Pesticide Licensing and here: Obtaining and Maintaining a Pesticide License in New Hampshire. 

Viewing Directions:

Each category has a series of subjects. Hover over the i icons  to see the subject. Click on the i to view the subject. Some subjects have documents to download while others have videos and links. Move around the screen to view all of the sections. When you are done click on the i to close the subject area. Do the same with each category.  Click on the Menu tab at the top to return to the main menu.

Please note: The number of sections is listed at the bottom of each category. It will let you know how many you have viewed and how many you have not.

1. Getting Started (3 topics)
   1. Site Selection
   2. Soil Testing
   3. Tree Species
2. What is a Pest? (5 topics)
   1. Disease Identification
   2. Abiotic Disorders
   3. Insects and Mites
   4. Wildlife Damage
   5. Weed Identification
3. Manage and Maintain (5 topics)
   1. Proper Mowing
   2. Fertilizing
   3. IPM Principles
   4. Pesticide Application
   5. Shearing and Pruning