A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 18, 1999
‘Five Crazy
(Continued from Pag* A 1)
clay, he said, because the trees
can’t stand “wet feet”), and want a
lot of moisture. “The drought had
the biggest effect,” Koch said, on
survivability. During the drought,
which lasted from May 1998 until
Hurricane Floyd in September this
year, the Frasers and the Hemlock
trees did the poorest
Koch's father purchased the
farm, about 102 acres initially, in
1945. The first trees were planted
at the farm in 1947.
In those days, cabbage and
tomatoes were grown. It wasn’t
long after, until the mid-19505,
that the whole farm became entire
ly Christmas trees.
Through the years, small sur
rounding farms were purchased,
about five in all. Now the Koch
family, including Buddy’s brother
Gary, owns about 500 acres and
leases another 100 acres or so.
About 300 acres on the farm are
in Christmas trees.
Mostly, the Kochs grow Fraser
and Douglas firs. But they also
grow Blue Spruce, White Pine,
Norway Spruce, Hemlock, and
Serbian Spruce.
In late November, about 15 full
time employees were busy cutting,
spraying, wrapping, and loading
trcCvS to delivery to retail outlets
and nurseries. About 10 wagons
per day are loaded each with about
150-180 trees.
Sprays are used to code for tree
height. Koch uses blue for 6-7 foot
Tobacco Auction Dec. 20
NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster
Cc.) The first tobacco auction
of the season is scheduled Mon
day, Dec. 20, at 10 a.m. here at the
Orion Industrial Park, in a new
building on Jalyn Drive.
■■ißalaaU
LEBA
Mat
X High Quail
Weeks’ Comprise Christmas Tr
high trees, red for 8-9 foot, green
for 9-10 foot, and blue again for
10- 12 foot Orange sprays are
placed on the tree “butt,” said
Koch, for special, premium, large
trees, from 10-12 feet in height
Purple paint marks trees more than
12 feet tall.
Indiana County has been known
as the Christmas tree capitol of the
world, Koch noted. But Schuylkill
County offers good competition.
A key is obtaining good, quality
seedlings, Koch said. That was
something he learned from his
father. They purchase seedlings
from Berkey’s, Slrathmyers in
York, Carino’s from Indiana
County, and Abraczinskas in
Bloomsburg.
Most seedlings are “two-twos,”
Koch noted, meaning they spend
two years in a seedbed and two
years in a transplant bed. The qual
ity Frasers are “three-twos,” mean
ing they spend three years in a see
dling bed before they arc moved to
the transplant bed.
Customers for the trees include
Kuss Brothers, Allentown; Big
John’s, Atlanta, Ga.; Walt Whit
craft, Cherry Hill, NJ.; Kuperus
Farmside Gardens, Sussex, NJ.;
and Rhoades Garden, North
Wales.
For quality trees, Koch noted
that the farm uses a preemergent
herbicide in the spring. Roundup
in the fall, and fertilizer is used in
the fall. The trees are sheared once
per year.
The auction was rescheduled
from its original dale of Wednes
day, Dec. 15, because the building
construction wasn't finished.
Dennis Hess is manager. Con
tact him at (717) 355-5336.
The two biggest keys, Koch
said, are “shearing and herbicides
to keep the weed competition
down.”
Koch pointed to woods cleared
about 20 years ago that will have a
first cutting. The trees were
planted in 1991.
Thanksgiving week is the big
gest week of the year, he said.
“Everybody wants their trees,” he
said. The Koch family starts cut
ting Nov. 8 and cuts until about
Dec. 12. That comprises the “five
crazy weeks” for the holiday
Christmas tree selling season,
Koch noted.
For shipping, the business uses a
bank bam. One side the trees are
loaded from hay wagons and are
dropped out the other side onto
waiting tracks. This minimizes
handling, saves labor, and also
reduces amount of manpower
needed.
The week of Thanksgiving, the Koch farm was baling Christmas trees. From left,
Hugh Daullary, Bruno Calai, Jerry Lawell, Bill Hartranft, and Roger Freed.
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