City folks think growing Christmas trees is easy. Plant them and let nature take care of the rest. Come November, open the fence and invite customers in with a chainsaw.

Randy Rapetti knows better, and he has the hands to prove it.

For 14 years, Rapetti and his family have tenderly cared for 15 1/2 acres of firs near Camino. They're among several farmers on Apple Hill who grow something other than the namesake crop.

"Thanksgiving weekend, there's an explosion of activity," Rapetti said. "But every week, we're busy with Christmas trees all year round."

Rapetti's hands bear the scars of countless encounters with sharp needles, splinters and saws. "I keep the doctor in town pretty busy," he said with a laugh. "My daughter Jana and I hand-prune every tree."

That's no small job; the Rapettis have 12,000 firs on their small farm. Besides pruning, their business also needs patience. It takes a fir six years or more to grow six feet.

"They can grow wild, and some farms do grow them that way, but then the trees look wild," Rapetti said. "When you're hunting for a Christmas tree, you should look for farms that show some cultivating of their trees. They should be cared for."

But at farms throughout the area, this crop is something to behold, he added.

"I can't believe how beautiful some of these trees are," Rapetti said. "I know I'm prejudiced, but they are exceptionally unbelievable this year. At other farms, I see great trees, too. It looks like an excellent year."

Which could make the trek to tree farms worth the mileage and the effort. This area is a mecca for choose-and-cut trees. Scores of small tree farms are scattered across El Dorado County and the region.

"We've had Christmas tree growers since the 1970s," said Ann Wofford of the Apple Hill Growers Association. "It's not a new thing for this area at all.

"This is our shoulder season," she continued. "We're loved to death in October (for the apples), but people can still come up in November and December and have a good time. Besides trees, you can get pies, fresh nuts and fruit, and wine. Most places are staying open through Christmas Eve."

Now, all they need are customers. Growers on Apple Hill near Placerville hope lower gas prices will encourage the hour-drive from Sacramento.

"Two-dollar gas; that's very helpful," Rapetti said. "I'm very excited about our season now."

All local tree farms planned to be in operation by Friday, the traditional opening the day after Thanksgiving.

"Trees are a way to expand the season," said Wofford, whose family owns Wofford Acres Vineyard. "It's hard to make a living when people only come in October."

For these small farmers, good weather and plummeting gas prices salvaged the local apple season, which was hit hard early by frost.

"Actually, it turned out to be a good year for apples," said Pat O'Halloran, owner of O'Halloran's Apple Trail Ranch in Camino. "Our sales were up; we had a lot of customers, probably the most we ever had."

O'Halloran, who also grows about 6,000 fir trees on his 30 acres, has been in the Christmas tree business for more than three decades to supplement his family's apple business. He expects a strong tree season, too.

"Every year, we have more trees," he said. "They're looking good."

With the current economy, choose-and-cut tree farms have held steady on their prices, which range between $5 and $10 per foot.

"Nobody's talking about what they're charging," Rapetti said of his fellow farmers. "Because of the economy, they don't know what to do. Most people should plan on spending $50 or $60 for a good tree. But you can also find a good $30 tree including tax. I know you can on our farm."

Customers will find a great variety of trees: Douglas fir, Monterey pine, white fir, incense cedar, Scotch pine, silvertips, Colorado blue spruce, noble fir, even sequoia redwood.

Nordmann fir, a recent introduction that is extremely popular in Europe, is expected to draw interest, too.

"The best way to describe it is ornament friendly," said Rapetti, who has about 5,000 Nordmann firs on his property. "It's like an explosion of little firm branches just everywhere on the tree. There are so many places to hang ornaments.

"It's a deep dark tree with silver on the underside of the needles," he added. "It's also very insect resistent, so we're able to grow them organically. It's just about a perfect Christmas tree."

Call The Bee's Debbie Arrington, (916) 321-1075.