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Top-Stop Nipper Reduces Leader Growth in Fraser Fir Christmas Trees

¹ Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 27695-8008

Additional Index Words. Abies fraseri • shearing • consumer preference • crown density

The Top-Stop Nipper (TSN), a four-bladed, hand-held tool used to reduce leader growth in Christmas trees, was evaluated on fraser fir (Abies fraseri). The TSN placed incisions (nips) on the previous year's leader to reduce the amount of photosynthate transported to the developing leader. Treatments consisted of a control (zero nips), and one, two, three, or four nips at each of three stages of leader elongation (pre-budbreak, 2–3 cm, and 6–9 cm). The TSN significantly reduced leader elongation. The percentage of leaders that were within the target range of 8 to 14 inches (20.3–35.6 cm) increased from 18% for the control (no nips) to 46% with four nips. The TSN, when combined with traditional knife shearing or growth regulator treatments, might offer a method to produce dense trees with minimal shearing or to leave longer leaders to produce a more open "European-style" tree during a shorter rotation time.