In August, KOCO sent meteorologist Joseph Neubauer to Wells Christmas Tree Farm in Norman to walk the rows and ask how the trees were taking the heat. Owner Jesse Wells told KOCO that the young trees take the most damage, "just because their root systems haven't developed enough to withstand the drought." A few years ago the farm lost 400 young trees to heat and drought.
The farm is at 4091 E Franklin Road. Carrington Lakes sits at the southwest corner of 36th Avenue NW and Franklin Road, on the same section-line road. Your yard has the same heat, the same rainfall shortfall and the same heavy red clay. So the way the farm kept a field of pines alive this summer works as a field test for the oaks, pines and new plantings behind your house. It is also the best answer to what those trees need over the next few weeks, a stretch when, according to the farm, hoses tend to get put away.
The field grows the one tree that can live here
The trees you cut yourself at Wells are all Virginia pines. The farm trucks in pre-cut firs for anyone who wants one. Its tree guide lists Fraser, Noble, Nordmann, Grand, Balsam and Douglas firs. In KOCO's report, Wells called the Virginia pine "the only type of Christmas tree that grows from start to finish in Oklahoma."
The farm's September post, Virginia Pines, an Oklahoma Drought, and How to Water a Tree, says the choice "isn't a preference." It describes Virginia pine as a tree that can handle heat, poor ground and "the heavy red clay most of Cleveland County sits on." According to the same post, a Fraser fir "would be dead in that field by its second July."
The farm is upfront about the downside. Virginia pine has stiffer, shorter needles and a more open natural shape than a fir. It needs heavy shearing every year to hold its form, and it won't carry a heavy ornament the way a Fraser will. That tradeoff shapes the whole operation. Jesse and Katy Wells bought the land in 2013 and planted their first trees after a Christmas tree conference in 2015. They now grow about 1,500 trees on 2 of their 12 acres, mostly Virginia and Scotch pines. If a tree can't survive an Oklahoma August, it isn't in that field.
What this summer did to the ground under both addresses
The farm's numbers were extreme even by local standards. During one 16-day stretch in late August, it ran about six inches short on water, hit sixteen straight days of triple digits and got 1.8 millimeters of rain, all on a single day. Four inches down, soil temperature reached 102 degrees.
The county-wide figures show that the dry spell didn't end when the heat did:
| Measure | Period | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Norman rainfall | September 2026 | 0.15 inches |
| Cleveland County rainfall vs. normal | September 2026 | 3.19 inches below, 6th-driest on record |
| Cleveland County rainfall vs. normal | January–September 2026 | 9.65 inches below, 9th-driest year to date |
| Cleveland County in extreme drought, D3 | Data valid October 6, 2026 | 65.39% of the county |
| Cleveland County in exceptional drought, D4 | Data valid October 6, 2026 | 11.76% of the county |
The Norman and county rainfall figures come from the Oklahoma Mesonet's September review, published October 1, and from Drought.gov's Cleveland County page. The drought percentages come from the U.S. Drought Monitor map released October 8.
Early October rain did help the state as a whole. Oklahoma's share of land in extreme or exceptional drought fell from 55.43% on September 29 to 42.54% on October 6. Cleveland County, though, was still 100% in drought, and Drought.gov's county page showed "No change" from the month before.
How the farm decides when to open a valve
The Wells field runs on drip irrigation: two zones on manual faucets, with drip tape along the rows and an emitter every twelve inches. The setup is simple. What changed this year is how the farm decides when to water. It keeps a running water balance, which is the day's reference evapotranspiration, the amount of water the air pulled out of the ground, minus any rain that fell, totaled day over day. Once that number gets big enough, the zone gets a long soak. In the farm's words, "'It's 104 out' and 'the ground is dry' are different facts, and only one should open a valve."
The farm is also clear about what the method can't do. The deficit measures atmospheric demand, which isn't the same as what a given tree actually drank. And with one- to five-year-old trees mixed through about forty rows, the farm waters to suit the youngest trees, since they can die within a week without water. The mature pines get by on their roots and on rain. For the seedlings, the answer turned out to be a long soak about once a week instead of a short daily sprinkle.
That once-a-week soak is the lesson for a backyard on the other end of Franklin Road.
The same rules, scaled to a backyard
The farm's guidance for home trees leans on OSU Extension and is written for Norman's clay. Here is what it recommends:
- Water deep and seldom. According to the farm, "most people get this backwards." A daily fifteen minutes from the sprinkler keeps only the top inch damp and trains roots to stay shallow. One long, slow soak every week or two pushes water down to where roots can use it.
- Water slowly, because of the clay. Norman ground absorbs water at its own pace. Put it down fast and most of it ends up in the street. A hose on a trickle, moved around the tree over an hour or two, works better than a sprinkler. So does a five-gallon bucket with a nail hole in the bottom.
- Water the drip line, not the trunk. The roots that take up water spread under and past the outer edge of the canopy, in the top foot of soil. Soaking the trunk can lead to rot at the collar.
- Mulch two to four inches deep and keep it off the bark. Wet mulch against bark leads to rot and borers. The farm sums it up as "Doughnut, not volcano."
- Water early in the morning. Less water is lost to evaporation than at midday, and the foliage dries before dark. Evening is the next-best time.
- Hold off on fertilizer and hard pruning. Both push new growth, and new growth needs water that a stressed tree can't find.
For Carrington Lakes yards, the farm's warning about evergreens is especially relevant. Deciduous trees show stress quickly, with wilting, scorched edges or early fall color in August. A stressed pine or spruce just looks dull, and its green fades to a flat gray-green. Needles brown from the tip inward, starting with the older inner needles, while the tips still look healthy. By the time the whole tree turns brown, it is often too late to save.
Why mid-October is the window
The farm's post singles out fall watering as "the one people skip." Trees go into winter on whatever moisture is already in the soil. Evergreens keep losing water through their needles all winter, and frozen ground can't replace it. The farm calls this winter burn and says it "shows up in February on a tree that looked fine in September." It recommends a couple of deep soaks in late fall, before the ground freezes, especially for evergreens and anything planted in the last two or three years, because those trees still have "a root ball rather than a root system."
That advice was written in early September. With 77% of the county still in extreme or exceptional drought as of October 6, it applies even more now. Norman's standing conservation policy calls for odd/even watering year-round, and the City of Norman's water conservation page explains how added drought stages can be triggered. A slow weekly soak on your assigned day fits within that rule.
The farm's 10th season, on the calendar
The farm's season starts before the tree field opens. Its 2026 hours and events page lists these dates:
| Date | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Saturdays, Oct. 17, 24 and 31 | Fall Vendor Market, free, with coffee from The Pines |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Christmas Vacation Under the Stars, the kickoff to the 10th season |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Choose-and-cut opening day, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Closed for Thanksgiving |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Reindeer Day, free |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Elf Under the Stars, last day of the season |
The start times for the vendor markets and Reindeer Day vary between sources. Visit Norman lists the market at 8 a.m.–2 p.m., while the farm's own calendar says 9 a.m. The reindeer visit is listed at 1 p.m. on the farm's calendar and noon–2 p.m. on Visit Norman. Check the farm's page before you go.
On movie nights, gates open at 4:30 p.m. and the film starts around 6 p.m., just after dark. Admission is $6 per person, free for kids 12 and under, with a $20 maximum per carload. During the tree season, the farm is open Monday 4–7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 6:30 a.m.–1 p.m. and again 4–7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–7 p.m. It closes December 24, December 25 and January 1.
The Pines, the farm's year-round coffee and gift shop, is open Tuesday through Friday 6:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., and closed Mondays. On weekends from October 3 through December 19, it stays open until 7 p.m.
A few house rules apply on cutting day. The farm provides saws and sleds and doesn't allow outside saws or tools. Outside food and drinks aren't allowed either. Pets must be on a leash, and you can cut only trees that have tags and prices on them. Once you cut a tree, you've bought it. The farm hasn't posted 2026 tree prices yet, so the price tags in the field are the place to check.
Whatever you bring home from that field grew on the same clay and through the same August as the trees in your backyard. If your yard trees made it through this summer, or a few of them look gray-green and you're wondering what that means at listing time, Alaina Legendre is happy to walk the lot with you and talk through which fixes actually add value. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
