KINGSTON, Jamaica — The true essence of home on a Christmas morning is waking to the smell of fresh pines. For more than 20 years, the family-owned Watson’s Christmas tree farm has been spreading that homely warmth and holiday spirit to families across Jamaica.

Nestled in the cool, misty forestry of the Blue Mountains, Watson’s Christmas Trees operates a two-acre farm in Penlyne Castle where 65-year-old Rudolph Watson and his family grow and harvest Christmas trees.

What began as a transportation service in the 1980s has blossomed into a thriving seasonal operation, providing not only trees but jobs to members of the surrounding community.

Founder of Watson’s Christmas Trees, Rudolph Watson. (Photo: Gavin Jones)

“My dad used to transport Christmas trees back in the 80s and then he just decided that why not plant his own Christmas trees and make some of the money also,” Watson’s son Ragell told Observer Online. “It’s a good business in terms of making money and providing for the family and also providing jobs for persons in the community.”

The business sells between 100 and 200 Christmas trees annually, and with a growing market paired with a three-year maturity period for the trees, Ragell stressed the importance of planning their harvest to meet the demand of their expanding customer base.

“We supply the farm every year because we cut Christmas trees every year and if you don’t supply it, then you’re going to lose the market. And every year, the market keeps on getting bigger and bigger… A friend tells a friend, they come and get a good tree so they’re going to keep on telling persons and the business keeps on growing so we have to be planting more trees every year to supply our customer base,” Ragell explained.

Founder of Watson’s Christmas Trees, Rudolph Watson (centre) with his son Ragell Watson (left) and his nephew Romane Spaulding share a moment on their family owned and operated Christmas tree farm. (Photo: Gavin Jones)

“When you plant a Christmas tree, it normally takes three years for it to be ready and mature enough for the market. So for the three years coming up, you have to prepare it, trim it and all of that. For the year when it’s ready, we come and we prune like probably three times for the year to get it ready for the market in December,” he added.

Harvesting begins around late November and stretches into December, leading up to Christmas Eve. The family carefully inspects each tree to determine if it’s ready for harvest based on its size, fullness, and appearance.

“You look at the tree and determine its size and fluffiness. Sometimes, we have to let a tree grow a bit longer to meet the demands of customers who want a larger tree,” Romane Spaulding, Ragell’s cousin, who also helps in the running of the business, told Observer Online.

Romane Spaulding points to a Christmas tree on his family owned and operated Christmas tree farm. (Photo: Gavin Jones)

“We have year-to-year customers who call. They will actually put in their order as to what size tree they want, how tall, how broad, and we’ll cut it,” he added.

The trees grow in the ideal climate of the Blue Mountains where the cool temperatures and ample sunlight help them thrive. Unlike agriculture farmers who have had a rough year, the recent heavy rains have been favourable for Watsons’ tree farm, nourishing the soil and allowing the trees to flourish.

However, several landslides along the mountain roads have made access to the farm more difficult, something that is likely to impact prices this year.

“There have been various landslides along the route… Normally we would drive to the nearest point to the farm but now due to the road being impacted by landslides the vehicles can’t come to the farm so going forward we’ll have to employ persons to transport the trees from the farm to the main road which is approximately half an hour worth of walking, so the transportation is going to be a big issue for us this year,” Spaulding explained, adding “That’s going to increase the price.”

The cost of a tree varies depending on its size, with a four-foot tree typically priced around $10,000 — at an anticipated rate of $2,500 per foot. This price can increase with additional delivery and setup charges.

“It all depends on where the person is, probably $5,000 or more for transportation and then to set up the tree now you know that’s going to be an additional cost of $2,500,” Ragell said.

He noted, however, that customers have the option of picking up their own trees in Half Way Tree, where they sell them yearly at Lane Plaza right in front of Burger King and Sakura.

Christmas trees on the Watson’s Christmas Trees farm located in Penlyne Castle, Blue Mountains. (Photo: Gavin Jones)

Though the farm is a far distance, customers do have the option of visiting and picking out their own tree. And for those who can’t make it to the farm, Ragell noted that technology makes it easier to choose a tree remotely.

“Customers can call or we send a video or so forth so they can choose a tree,” he said.

With the Christmas tree business being seasonal, the farm also grows coffee throughout the year for sustainability while Ragell and Spaulding balance other jobs and school.

As for why to purchase a natural Christmas tree, Ragell explained, “It’s the scent. Once you smell the Christmas tree then you just know that it is Christmas.”

Spaulding added, “What better way to wake up on a Christmas morning than with your gifts under a natural, live Christmas tree?”

Customers interested in ordering from Watson’s Christmas Trees can do so by contacting the business via 876-591-0046, 876-468-6436, 876-412-2629 or 876-442-5048.