Our story
Based in the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, we have been farming the rugged land of Legananny for 5 generations (80 years). Farming has been in the blood, with the original family surviving on rearing a diverse range of livestock. Like most rural families throughout Ireland, what they reared was what they survived on.
Christmas trees were first trialed on the farm around 1990. It was soon realised that the elevation and soil type were particularly suited to the new enterprise. As demand for the product has gradually increased the scale of production has also grown steadily.
Lifecycle of a Christmas Tree
Before reaching your family, a tree is usually 10 years old. The tree undergoes continuous maintenance throughout its life. Basel pruning, bud picking, leader control, weed and pest control are all necessary to achieve a full, symmetrical, and conical tree. Hover over the icons below to see the each step in the lifecycle of a Christmas tree.
Step 6
At age 10, after 4 seasons of regular pruning and maintenance, the trees are ready for sale. These trees are usually 6-7ft in height. Bigger trees require more time.
Step 1
Seeds are selected from a mother tree in the seed orchard around the Black Sea and planted in a nursery.
Step 2
After spending 1-2 years in the ground, the plants are uplifted and replanted for another 1-2 years.
Step 5
At age 6, the trees are approximately 2ft in height. Trees begin to receive regular pruning in the off season to control width and stimulate growth in the right areas of the tree.
Step 4
Trees are planted and fertilised, with minimal maintenance for the first 2-3 years on our farm.
Step 3
Already the tree is 3-4 years old before being planted on our farm. Plants are uplifted from the nursery and transported to our farm. We focus on buying UK & Irish grown trees.