FORT MILL, S.C. — The first weekend in December is a very popular time for families to buy Christmas trees which makes it a busy weekend for tree growers.
This season you can expect to shell out a few more bucks for your natural trees.
Chris Yambryck said nothing beats having a fresh tree in your home.
“The smell, the look and I think it just makes the holiday spirit come out,” said Yambryck.
His loved ones are ready to deck their home for the holidays and that means finding the perfect tree.
“We brought her last Christmas when she was about a month old, so we decided to bring her back to the same place,” said Audrey File.
After a fresh cut, the trees are wrapped and secured on top of your car.
Donald Potter is the owner of Potter & Son Nursery.
“You have the whole family coming out to pick a tree out and it brings me lots of joy to see that,” said Potter.
He grows these trees on his land in Avery County, a business he's run for the past 30 years. He said it takes about 6 to 8 years for trees to mature and the cost to grow them has gone up 10 to 15 percent.
“In the last two years labor has gone up, it has just skyrocketed," said Potter. "Fertilizer, the chemicals that we have to use for these trees... everything. Shipping has also gone up.”
On average he sells a 7 to 8 ft tree for about 90 dollars. He said that is up 10 bucks compared to five years ago.
Some people are shopping around for the best deal.
“We went to a place down the street, and they were really expensive the same 6-foot tree was like 140 dollars there,” said Quade Lasslie Crabtree.
Potter said the higher prices however are not impacting sales and families say having a natural tree is worth the extra few bucks.
“Just the experience of going to get it with your friends and family. Just being together and making a different memory every year and going to a different place,” said Lasslie Crabtree.
A tree to decorate and bring home the holiday spirit.
A tree to decorate and fill their home with the holiday spirit.