photo by Christine Rucker

More than 50 years ago, J.I. Wagoner cut his first old red cedar trees to sell at the Greensboro Farmers’ Curb Market. He’d be amazed at what his grandson has done with Wagoner’s Nursery, LLC. Today, Bruce Wagoner harvests 275 acres of trees in Alleghany County and ships them from his farm in Sparta all over the Eastern United States.

The younger Wagoner has a permanent nursery on Friedens Church Road in Gibsonville, and come Christmastime, he and his brother also run the tree lot in the Sears parking lot on Friendly Avenue, near Friendly Center. The family has operated a lot in town since 1969, when it set up at Battleground and Green Valley. “Back then, we would sell trees until Christmas Eve, then pack up everything and go home,” Wagoner says. “Now, we usually sell out by December 19. Everyone already has the tree they want by then.”

That’s not all that’s changed. Wagoner discusses life in the Christmas tree business, plus what he thinks are the most important tips to pick and maintain a tree.

How long is your lot open each year?
We’ll start the day after Thanksgiving and be there until the 20th of December. It’s gotten a little bit earlier because stores are already putting up Christmas decorations before Halloween, and more people are going on vacations. They want their trees earlier. In the past we wouldn’t open until almost December 1, but now we’ll have people out on Thanksgiving Day wanting to buy a tree.

Do you stay overnight on the lot to protect the trees?
We used to, years ago. When we were on Green Valley Road, my uncle lived in Raleigh and would stay in a trailer. We don’t do that anymore. I have enough friends in local law enforcement who come by and check up on things. We haven’t had much trouble. You have to be pretty desperate to steal a tree. They’re hard to just carry off, and you have to strap it to your car.

When is the best time to buy a tree?
When it’s not crowded. It can get pretty busy on Fridays and the weekends. The busiest Saturday we have is that first Saturday in December. A lot of people want to wait until the kids are out of school to come out. From Wednesday on, it usually picks up at nighttime. Mondays and Tuesdays are probably best.

How often do you replenish the lot with new trees?
We bring them down from the mountains every three days. We keep just enough on the lot to get through the week. I’ll leave on Wednesday and come back on Thursday afternoon with a new load. That should get us through to Sunday. Constantly keeping fresh trees on the lot is a big advantage for us. We own the trees, so we can tell you exactly when every tree was cut. 

What should people know in advance of buying a tree?
Know where you want to put it in your house. It’s easy to underestimate how much space you need because trees tend 
to spread out over time. Last year, the biggest complaint we heard from customers was that their tree took up too much room when they untied it. Try to give yourself extra room for width if you can.

How do you keep a tree looking fresh all season long?
You have to constantly check the water. Every tree drinks a tremendous amount of water when it’s first put in the house. I tell people to use warm water because it keeps the sap at the bottom of the tree loose at all times. The sap can collect at the end of the tree and prevent it from absorbing water. If the tree runs out of water, you’re doomed. Don’t put any additives in the water, either. There’s no treatment that will make it last any longer. Coca-Cola, aspirin, whiskey — none of it works.

How do you get rid of your tree after the holidays?
We sell tree-removal bags for recycling. It’s basically a giant trash bag that prevents needles from getting everywhere. Greensboro also has a collection site by the coliseum where they collect old trees and chop them up for mulch.