The current drought conditions in the Northland can't help but make us wonder how our Christmas trees will look come December.

A local tree farm owner said the dry weather and frost during Memorial Day created difficult conditions for new tree seedlings to grow.

"We have been having to cut down more compared to previous years," said tree farmer at Farmer Doug, Allison Hoffbauer.

The ongoing drought has caused a higher mortality rate for newer trees, killing more than half of their trees. 

The concern moving forward is the "hole" in the harvest five to six years from now with today's conditions.

According to Doug Hoffbauer, owner of the farm, the drought makes it difficult for seedlings to take root.

He is hoping more rain is on the way.

However, as for this year, the tree supply "is fine" since Christmas trees for the upcoming holiday season were planted five to seven years ago.

The tree owners are wary of a possible shortage five years down the road as these new seedlings face a severe drought.

To stay updated on the business, you can find a link to the farm here.

To watch the video version of this story and see related reporting, follow this link to the KBJR-Tv website.  https://kbjr6.com/2021/08/05/treeless-christmas-tree-seedlings-struggling-to-grow-during-northlands-...