Due to the dry summers of the last two years, trees in Drenthe are growing less rapidly. The Christmas trees are somewhat shorter this year than in previous years.
Translated by Charlotte Hardy & Hans de Preter
Although it might not seem too alarming, the short trees may have financial consequences for Christmas tree sellers, as Robert Tuinjer reveals to regional broadcaster RTV Drenthe: ”You have months of slower growth and taller trees are simply more expensive than lower ones”.
According to Tuinjer, it’s not only due to the drought, but also ”due to larvae of the Rose beetles and May beetles. They live underground for three years and every year are eating from the roots of the trees. This is normal, but due to the drought of recent years, the roots no longer recover”.
This and last summer saw temperatures in the Northern Netherlands reach record highs, with the longest drought on record occurring in 2018. These even uncovered medieval artifacts due to soil erosion, whilst in 2019 Drents potato farmer sounded the alarm about a lack of water, and Northern Dutch geologists even predicted permanent landscape change in the region.
