Xmas tree plantations are susceptible to drought way more that wild trees of the same species because they generally are all amped up on artificial fertilizers to increase growth rates, and that requires ample water to do. shut off the water, either rain or irrigation, and they are hosed.
Or shut off the fertilizer, and deal with the economics of taking an extra couple years to reach market size. FOX news seems to prefer covering the ones that gambled on ammonium nitrate and lost.