Arbor Day

I support the basic premise of the Arbor Day Foundation so I gave them $20 and they were to send me 10 trees as a thank you gift. Now I knew the trees wouldn't be much as a thank you for a $20 donation. Well in the US mail there comes a plastic envelope about 6 inches wide and about 18 inches long. It has 10 seedlings in it selected as to varieties hardy and desireable in my area. I got flowering dogwood, redbud, maple, rain tree, and on and on. I'm instructed to either heel them in or temporarily plant, expecting to transplant in a year or two. I'll be happy if half of the little things survive. My 6-7 year old pine forest started out as 14 trees and dwindled in 2 years to just 2 trees. The remaining two look to have died in the current drought.

Planting trees is a GOOD THING.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Yep, planting trees is a good thing. Good luck with your Arbor trees - I received 10 several years ago, and have 1 that is still growing. I lost my planting order list quite some time ago, so I don't know if it flowers, weeps or does anything except just grow, but it is not an attractive tree. Not a nice shape, not nice leaves, not nice bark - but I am stuck with it. Chris

Chris, I have few illusions as to the % of success to be expected at my level of expertise as regards planting seedling trees. It was 93F yesterday PM and will likely be similar today and tomorrow, if not worse before temps will drop back to the low 70's. Two of the trees are flowering dogwood but I don't know which two. They will not make it in full sun, where all are planted. If 2-3 of the 10 survive the year or two till time to transplant I will be pleased. If more make it I will be happily surprised.

Previously out of 14 seedling loblolly pine there were 2 survivors after a couple years. Those lasted nearly 7 years and had just begun to start to put on some decent growth (over 3 ft tall) but our "worst drought in over 50 years" did them in and they are now everbrowns instead of evergreens.

"...now I am stuck with it." Chris, are you telling me that the tree is not only butt ugly but it is saw resistant? **** the luck!

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

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It was 93F yesterday PM

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Yep, the news folks say our 93 yesterday beat the old record of 92, and the forecast for today is 97 or 98, depending on which weather forecast you look at. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Well, our weather forecasters missed their guess at 97 and 98 'cause it's 101 right now. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Well, it isn't saw resistant, but I have guilt issues with cutting a tree without a good reason. I am hoping when we finish pulling down the old barn, some of the barn might fall on the tree. Or I might accidently skin the bark with the mower...I guess it isn't a crime to be an ugly tree. I just look at the housing developments pulling down good trees right and left, and never replacing them, and can't bring myself to destroy the dang thing. Always was a softie. Chris

Chris, Just plant from 2 to 20 replacement trees somewhere and in 100 years the net effect will be more trees and if your selection ability is any good the planet will be a prettier place as well. Being butt ugly is a not a crime for a tree but a good reason to be replaced by one or more good looking trees. In the l....o....n....g view, say 100 yrs from now, it won't make much difference that the replacement trees are 100 yrs old rather than 110.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]