Small Biz Owner

ON TODAY. THANK YOU ERIC. NEW MEXICO AND OTHER STATES ARE SEEING THE BEST CHRISTMAS TREES IN YEARS, BUT THEY MAY COST YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE. PEYTON SPELLACY IS LIVE IN ALBUQUERQUE. TO EXPLAIN WHY. GOOD MORNING PEYTON. GOOD MORNING TODD AND RURAL. YES, SO MANY OF THE CHRISTMAS TREES THAT YOULL FIND HERE IN NEW MEXICO ARE ACTUALLY FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THATS BECAUSE THE GROWING CONDITIONS OVER THERE ARE MORE RELIABLE. HOWEVER, ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, THIS REGION WAS HIT BY A FIRE. NOW, FOUR YEARS LATER, THE CHRISTMAS TREE INDUSTRY IS MAKING A STRONG COMEBACK. YOU MIGHT NOTICE THAT YOUR TREE COULD COST MORE IN THE LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND RISING TRANSPORTATION COSTS, BUT WITH THE REGIONS RECOVERY, PRICES SHOULD BE GOING DOWN IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. AND IF YOURE STILL SHOPPING FOR A CHRISTMAS TREE, EXPECT TO SEE BIGGER AND BETTER ONES. IT CAN TAKE A NUMBER OF YEARS FOR TREES TO COME BACK FROM A DEVASTATING FOREST FIRE LIKE WE SAW A FEW YEARS AGO. SO THIS YEAR, WERE TREMENDOUSLY EXCITED TO SEE ALL THE GROWTH THESE TREES HAVE DONE. THEYVE THEYVE COME IN AND REALLY OUTDONE THEMSELVES. THEYRE COMING IN TEN, 11FT THIS YEAR. ITS THE TALLEST TREE SEASON WEVE SEEN IN RECENT HISTORY. YEAH. HE SAYS THOSE TALL TREES SELL OFF THE LOT FAST IF YOU GET A REAL CHRISTMAS TREE. HE RECOMMENDS PUTTING IT UP ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS. AND TO KEEP IT FRESH AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. MAKE SURE THE TREE IS IN WATER WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF BUYING IT, AND KEEP THAT WATER TOPPED OFF. HE ALSO SAYS YOU CAN ADD A TREE PRESERVATIVE TO THE WATER TO HELP IT LAST LONGER, AND MAKE SURE ITS AWAY FROM ANY HEAT SOURCES, LIKE A FIREPLACE OR A SPACE HEATER.