Stunning pictures show a farm with 20,000 Christmas trees getting ready for the festive rush.<br /><br />Sholach Christmas Trees is a family-run business in Scotland - with everything from young saplings planted this year to 18ft trees planted back in the 90s.<br /><br />It was established in 1994 and its plantation lies in rural Perthshire, around one of the many lochs in the Lunan Valley area, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). <br /><br />Kelly McIntyre, who took over the business from her father, says the busiest time for the business depends on which day Christmas falls on.<br /><br />Kelly said: "It sounds weird because usually the first and second weekend of December is the most manic.<br /><br />''But because Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year - we might still have some stragglers who think 'oh gosh it's Christmas let's get a tree', the weekend before.<br /><br />"It is mixed because some come to us this weekend - they want the perfect tree and so wish to choose it before anyone else and want to be ready as soon as December comes.<br /><br />"For most people it's a tradition and they come with family, it's nice to see."<br /><br />On average, most people want a six foot tall tree - which takes between six and 10 years to grow.<br /><br />Kelly says the penultimate week of November - is the 'worst' in terms of stress for her employees.<br /><br />Kelly explained: "This is the lead up week - its the worst one because we are all rushing around making sure we have got everything sorted.<br /><br />"We have six employees - and every family member kicking and screaming!"<br /><br />The journey of how Sholach gets their trees ready for customers is a lengthy and complex process.<br /><br />First, the business buys their young trees from a reputable nursery and leaves them to grow for a couple of years. <br /><br />Then, Kelly says they hand prune every tree "to enhance the density and shape of the trees". <br /><br />Every year in June, 'bud rubbing' also takes place - which is the practice of pruning stray shoots, helping the trees to grow bushier and in proportion.<br /><br />Then there is the marking and grading of trees ready for the harvest during November - or sometimes earlier but it depends on demand.<br /><br />The business also practices sustainability by planting more trees than they cut each year, working with the local environment to create wildlife habitats that increase biodiversity, and using oxo bio-degradable netting to net the trees.<br /><br />Kelly added: "The harvest period is very intense, often in bad weather but we like to think of it as character building!"
