By Clint Thompson
The calendar finally says it’s fall, but with it may come a prolonged drought in the Southeast. That’s what happened in 2025 and has a tendency to occur no matter what year it is.
An extended period of dry weather could have a negative effect on Christmas tree production in Alabama, especially with young trees, according to Jeremy Pickens, Alabama assistant Extension professor in horticulture at Auburn University.
“I mean most tree crops, if you get a little over an inch a week, that’d be great. But, obviously, that doesn’t always happen,” Pickens said. “A lot of our guys, they don’t have irrigation and the plants that I would say are at the greatest risk would be your first-year trees.
“I would keep an eye out on my newly planted stuff. First year trees, they’ll probably be the most susceptible if we get into a bad drought situation.”
Pickens estimated that trees are planted between December and January in the southern part of the state. Trees are planted around late February or March further north in the state, to mitigate the impact of a late-season freeze.
Any tree planted in the past 12 months are at risk of being negatively impacted during an extend period without moisture. They simply do not have the appropriate root system in place.
“You know, these roots, it’s all based on surface area, and the larger the tree, the more water it uses. But also, it’s got more root surface area to go get that water. If they’re not rooted in completely and, you know, haven’t ventured out into that soil outside of the planting hole much. That’s when you can get kind of in trouble with a drought situation.”