Tag Archives: tree sales

5 ways to abuse your tree seedlings (and how to avoid them)

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By Amy Grotta, OSU Forestry & Natural Resources Extension – Columbia, Washington & Yamhill Counties

Tree planting season is upon us. Once the deep freeze departs western Oregon woodland owners will be heading out, shovels and seedlings in hand, to plant the next generation of forests.  The saying “green side up” implies that tree planting isn’t rocket science; but inevitably, come late summer some people will return their planting sites to find that their trees didn’t fare so well.  Weather and other uncontrollable factors cause seedling mortality some years more than others.  But, it’s also easy to unintentionally harm your trees before they even get in the ground. So before you go to a seedling sale this year to pick up a few trees, here are some common cases of seedling abuse and how to avoid perpetrating them.

A balmy sunny day might entice you outdoors, but it's not ideal weather for tree planting.
A balmy sunny day might entice you outdoors, but it’s not ideal weather for tree planting.

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Cooperative seedling purchases – a proactive approach for and by woodland owners

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By Amy Grotta, OSU Forestry & Natural Resources Extension – Columbia, Washington & Yamhill Counties

Recent posts on this blog have examined the problem of forest seedling supplies for small woodland owners, and the compromises that sometimes come with limited seedling choices. While the situation has gotten worse in the last couple of years, it is not a new dilemma. Cooperative seedling buying programs, where a group of landowners collectively contract with a nursery for their seedling needs, are one way that small woodland owners have worked to ensure a reliable seedling supply for themselves and their neighbors.

Loading seedlings into WCSWA trucks and trailers. Photo: Bob Shumaker
Loading seedlings into WCSWA trucks and trailers. Photo: Bob Shumaker

Both the Columbia and Washington County chapters of the Oregon Small Woodlands Association (CCSWA and WCSWA, respectively) have organized annual seedling programs for their members for the last 15+ years. The two programs have much in common, with a few differences. They each sell about 50,000-70,000 seedlings/year, distributed among dozens of members. Paul Nys (CCSWA) and Bob Shumaker (WCSWA) have been organizing forces behind these programs since their outset. I talked with Paul and Bob to shed some light on the benefits and challenges of keeping these programs going for the benefit of groups in other areas that may want to consider this approach. Continue reading →

Tree and Plant Sales this Saturday!

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This is the big weekend for tree sales. Here’s the rundown for three sales, all happening Saturday, March 12th.

Columbia County Small Woodlands Association tree sale: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at Lawrence Oil in St. Helens. Bareroot seedlings including Douglas-fir, western redcedar, grand fir, ponderosa pine,coastal redwood, port orford cedar, noble fir,  Oregon ash, and a variety of ornamental species. First come, first serve – arrive early for best selection!

Washington County Small Woodlands Association native plant sale: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, Bales Thriftway in Aloha. A wide variety of container size trees, shrubs, and forbs. See the full list and details by clicking this link.

Weyerhaueser Public Seedling Sale: 8:00 am – noon, Aurora Forest Nursery. About a dozen conifer species of various stock types on sale as well as some hardwoods. Major forest species sold by the bag or in small quantities. All the details are here.

Happy planting!