SAN DIEGO TIPS
All tips
Family
Sean Foster

Where to get a Christmas tree in San Diego, and where to recycle it

6 min read Checked October 28, 2026Best for Holidays 2026 Report a correction

Cut-your-own farms sit in Ramona, Julian and El Cajon and opened the day after Thanksgiving last year; 2026 dates aren't posted. Afterward, City of San Diego green bins take cut-to-fit trees, with free drop-off sites from Dec 26 (to Jan 16 last year).

Farms likely open
Fri, Nov 27

Day after Thanksgiving, per 2025 pattern; confirm with each farm

Cut-your-own price
$20/ft

Highland Valley, 2025; $70 minimum

City drop-off began
Dec 26

2025–26 program ran to Jan 16, 2026

Green bin
Cut to fit

Lid must close; no stands, lights or bags

The short version

  • Cut-your-own: Highland Valley and Pine Tree Acres (Ramona), Julian Christmas Tree Ranch, Family Christmas Tree Farm (El Cajon)
  • 2025 season opened Nov 28; the day after Thanksgiving 2026 is Nov 27, but 2026 dates aren't posted
  • Highland Valley charged $20 per foot with a $70 minimum in 2025; 10News put live trees at about $80 to $100
  • City of San Diego drop-off ran Dec 26, 2025 to Jan 16, 2026 at 16 sites; 2026–27 dates not posted
  • Keep the stand full, tree 3 feet from heat; never burn the tree

San Diego has a handful of real cut-your-own farms, mostly in Ramona, Julian and El Cajon, plus pop-up lots and nurseries in town. Most open the day after Thanksgiving, which is Friday, Nov 27, 2026. None of the farms had posted 2026 dates when this was checked, so the 2025 season is shown below as a guide. After Christmas, the City of San Diego takes trees in the green bin or at free drop-off sites starting Dec 26.

Cut-your-own and choose-and-cut farms

San Diego County tree farms (2025 season info)

  • Highland Valley Christmas Tree Farm

    Where
    18425 Highland Valley Rd, Ramona
    2025 season and hours
    Opened Nov 28, 2025; last sales Sun, Dec 21. Sat–Sun 9–4, Thu–Fri noon–4, Mon–Wed by appointment
    Notes
    Choose and cut, $20/ft with $70 minimum; cutting, shaking, drilling and netting free; 10% off for teachers, firefighters, military and seniors

  • Pine Tree Acres

    Where
    620 Haverford Rd, Ramona
    2025 season and hours
    Opened Nov 28, 2025 at 9 a.m.; listing says through mid-December
    Notes
    Monterey pine you cut; precut firs and living trees per a directory listing

  • Julian Christmas Tree Ranch

    Where
    1464 Highway 78, Julian
    2025 season and hours
    Opened the day after Thanksgiving 2025 (its 78th season); hours not listed
    Notes
    Freshly topped white firs 3–30 ft and cut noble firs; trees over 10 ft must be pre-ordered; call to reserve

  • Family Christmas Tree Farm

    Where
    300 Pepper Dr, El Cajon
    2025 season and hours
    Directory listing: day after Thanksgiving to Dec 23, 9 a.m.–8:30 p.m. daily
    Notes
    Monterey pine you cut, precut firs, living trees; also hayrides. Directory info, farm site gave no 2026 details

Sources: farm websites (Highland Valley, Pine Tree Acres, Julian Christmas Tree Ranch) and the pickyourownchristmastree.org San Diego listing, updated Nov 12, 2025. Checked October 28, 2026. Confirm 2026 dates by phone.

Tree farms, a nursery and City recycling sites
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors

Cut-your-own farm

Nursery

City drop-off (2025–26)

Farm and nursery locations use 2025 listings; recycling sites are the City's 2025–26 drop-off list. Confirm 2026–27 sites on sandiego.gov before going.

See these on the full San Diego map

Lots, prices and living trees

Prices move with size and type. ABC 10News reported in Nov 2025 that live trees ran about $80 to $100 depending on size and type, a tabletop live tree about $40, and a wreath roughly $20 to $50. Highland Valley's $20 per foot works out to about $120 for a 6-foot tree. In town, Pinery Christmas Trees (Bonita, Del Mar, Mission Valley, Rancho Bernardo in 2024), Purdy Tree Farms (Del Mar Fairgrounds and The Shoppes at Carlsbad in 2024) and Mission Hills Nursery are the established names; Mr. Jingle's runs pop-up lots in La Jolla, Clairemont and Balboa Park, per a 2020 San Diego Magazine piece. We could not confirm 2026 locations or hours for the lots, so check each company's site.

Living (potted) trees are listed at Mission Hills Nursery, Family Christmas Tree Farm and Pine Tree Acres. We found no 2026 prices, so ask the seller about the species, how long it can stay indoors, and where to plant it afterward.

Choosing and keeping a tree fresh

  1. 01

    Test it at the lot

    Pick a tree with green needles that stay on when you touch them.

  2. 02

    Make a fresh cut

    Trim about 2 inches off the base of the trunk before it goes in the stand. Farms like Highland Valley do the cutting and netting for you.

  3. 03

    Fill the stand right away

    Keep the water reservoir full and add water every day. A dry tree can catch and spread fire very quickly.

  4. 04

    Keep it 3 feet from heat

    Stay at least 3 feet from fireplaces, radiators, candles, vents and lights, and don't block an exit.

  5. 05

    Take it out when it dries

    Remove it after Christmas or once it dries out. Don't leave it in the garage, against the house or in the yard, and don't burn it in a fireplace.

Recycling your tree after Christmas

Where a San Diego tree can go (2025–26 rules; 2026–27 not posted)

  • Green bin

    Who
    City of San Diego customers
    When
    Collection day, year-round
    Rules
    Cut the tree to fit the automated container, lid closed. City page gives no length limit

  • City drop-off sites

    Who
    City of San Diego residents
    When
    Dec 26, 2025 to Jan 16, 2026 (16 sites; Chollas Lake unavailable last year)
    Rules
    Free. Flocked and green trees accepted; remove stands, bags, netting, lights and ornaments. No artificial trees

  • Miramar Greenery, 5180 Convoy St

    Who
    Anyone
    When
    Year-round
    Rules
    Disposal fees apply; City residents can take up to 2 cubic yards of free compost and mulch

  • Unincorporated county

    Who
    Residents on county service
    When
    Dec 26, 2025 to Jan 9, 2026 (Waste Management customers)
    Rules
    Cut into 4-foot lengths and put every piece inside the green cart; fee pickup (619) 596-5100 (per I Love a Clean San Diego)

  • Other cities

    Who
    Carlsbad, Oceanside, Escondido, El Cajon, La Mesa, Chula Vista and more
    When
    Windows vary, mostly Dec 26 to mid-January
    Rules
    Check WasteFreeSD.org by ZIP or call 1-800-237-2583 (cities) or 1-877-713-2784 (unincorporated)

Sources: City of San Diego Environmental Services (2025–26 program), I Love a Clean San Diego, WasteFreeSD. Checked October 28, 2026.

Never leave a dry tree in the backyard or garage waiting for a drop-off. The City asks for no dumping of other items at tree sites. For ornament boxes, lights and the rest of the holiday cleanup see hazardous waste and e-waste drop-off, the City trash fee and December holiday events.

Is this still right?

We last checked this tip against its sources on October 28, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.

Nature runs on its own schedule: seasons shift with the weather and the ocean, so treat the timing here as typical, not guaranteed.

This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.

KEEP READING

SOURCES

Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.

Follow @sandiego.tips on InstagramA new San Diego tip, three times a day.Follow

RELATED TIPS

How much do San Diego city pools cost, and how do you sign kids up for rec center youth sports?Who qualifies for transitional kindergarten in San Diego in 2026-27, and what free preschool is there?Can you keep backyard chickens in San Diego? The rules on hens, roosters, goats and bees

We use one cookie to see how readers find us and whether they come back. No ads, never sold. Details