Pennsylvania’s tree farms get boost from new extension educator

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — At one time, Christmas Eve was the most popular day to buy and decorate a Christmas tree. The evergreen would stay up through the holiday season and into the winter, offering a symbol of life during the darkest months.

For Penn State Extension Horticulture Educator Kelly Piccioni, Christmas trees are a family legacy. Her roots in the Christmas tree business stretch back four generations, starting with her great-grandfather, who bought trees off the railroad and resold them. Her grandparents grew trees in Schuylkill County and sold them from their backyard on Centre Avenue in Reading, Berks County.

“On Christmas Eve, we’d have dinner and get ready for church, but the doorbell was always ringing, and we were running out back to help customers,” she said. “All the cousins would argue over who got to work the register — it was a big event.”

Her father, one of five siblings, continued the tradition by growing his own trees on land in Leesport and Bernville. He expanded into producing other nursery stock, including shade trees, flowering trees and shrubs.

“Growing up, we did every job on the farm,” Piccioni said. “There’s even a special ‘Christmas tree waddle’ we learned as kids for planting seedlings.”

Today, her father runs a full operation with wholesale, cut-your-own and pre-cut sales. Piccioni and her sisters — and now their children — help out on weekends.

Piccioni joined Extension in January as a horticulture educator in the Schuylkill County office. She provides educational resources and support to commercial producers of Christmas trees, cut flowers and other horticultural crops in the region. Her role is especially significant given that Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation for Christmas tree production.

A Berks County native and graduate of Delaware Valley University, Piccioni has embraced the opportunity to work closely with growers.

“I’ve hardly been in the office,” she said. “I’ve been out as much as possible, which has been so fun. You see the challenges people face, their strengths and the progress on their farms.”

Unusual weather this year has presented challenges for producers, she noted, with drought conditions and a cold winter. Through on-farm visits, consultations and diagnostics, Piccioni helps growers address problems early in the growing season. She sends plant samples to Penn State’s Plant Disease Clinic to help producers get answers and formulate management plans.

“Christmas tree growers are some of the best people,” she said. “That’s always drawn me to the green industry and ag world. I get to geek out every day as they let me walk around their farms.”

Among her contributions to the industry, Piccioni has revived scouting reports for Christmas tree producers, which previously were issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Each Thursday, growers subscribed to the Christmas Tree Production Area of Interest list receive a new report noting pest and disease activity observed in the field, along with pesticide guidance and management tips.

“There’s been a gap in Christmas tree education and information, and that’s what drew me to this role,” she said. “When I saw the job description mention Christmas trees in Schuylkill County, I thought, ‘That’s me! I know what we need.’”

Piccioni explained that growers rely heavily on the weekly reports to guide pest management decisions.

“Without the reports, small networks of growers would collaborate, but it is nice to have a statewide report available to all growers, once again,” she said.

She added that the growers print out the reports and use them year after year and week by week, tracking weather trends to plan their treatments.

“It’s the most effective way to manage pests and diseases — using less product, saving time and money, and making applications more impactful,” she said.

Piccioni collaborates closely with the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association to deliver content and support grower meetings and information sharing.

Recent winter weather caused some plant injury, but fortunately, most larger trees have not been affected, and recovery has been strong.

“I feel like I’ve taken out some of the guesswork for the growers,” she added. “They’re getting answers quickly and can act with confidence. This has been extra valuable for new growers and has facilitated conversations with veteran growers.”

Piccioni also is monitoring for Cryptomeria scale, a pest that requires precise timing for effective treatment. Her goal is to make technical information accessible and practical. Instead of simply listing insect stages, she describes signs to watch for, explains where pests may be hiding and offers tips for detection — such as tapping branches over a white piece of paper.

“They’re gaining better control of the pests in their fields, because now they know what to look for and what’s active,” she said.

For new growers, tree farming can be overwhelming. Young trees are vulnerable, and dense plantings can conceal early pest activity. It takes eight to 10 years to grow a Christmas tree.

“Until someone goes through a full cycle of their fields, there’s definitely a learning curve,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Piccioni said most growers take deep pride in their work and the role they play in family traditions.

“Every grower I’ve met takes so much joy and pride in being part of families’ traditions and helping kids get outside,” she said. “They’re honored that people come back year after year — and especially touched when they see children grow up and return with families of their own.”

Christmas tree farms also provide environmental benefits, including habitat creation, erosion control and preserved green space.

“Yes, we’re always competing with artificial trees, but so many people keep coming back to a real tree because they miss the tradition, they miss the smell, and they want their kids to experience it,” she said.

Piccioni cited a 2024 consumer survey by the Real Christmas Tree Board, in which more than 80% of respondents agreed that the scent of a real Christmas tree makes their home feel festive, relaxes them and enhances their holiday experience.

“I think everyone feels a bit of the innocence of childhood seeping away with technology,” she said. “There’s so much pressure and chaos at that time of year, but going out to get a real tree forces you to slow down. It’s childlike in the best way.”