Arbor Day. What exactly IS it and how did it get started?
Photo courtesy of MN DNR
“Arbor” is Latin for “tree”. It’s a day dedicated to public tree-planting. This day is celebrated in many countries at different times of the year. But it all started in Nebraska… ????
J. Sterling Morton started Arbor day in 1872. He got a job as a journalist and moved from Michigan (the land of many beautiful trees) to Nebraska (the land of prairies). He and his wife started right then and there planting shade trees, then orchards, then encouraging others through his newspaper columns. Then, finally, organizing a fun day to get everyone to plant one tree.
Photo courtesy of caseytrees.org
They gave out prizes to the organization that planted the most trees. It was supposed to be just that one day back in 1872 but it was such a success with over one million trees planted that day, that, well, the rest is history.
Organizations in all 50 states take part in Arbor day celebrations in one form or another every year. This is the 2nd best time of year to plant trees. The soil has thawed and your trees will get a great start!
Dig a hole at least twice as wide as the root ball. If you’ve got the stamina, then dig it 3 times bigger but keep it shallow. You do NOT want to plant too deep. Prune the roots, making certain you don’t plant with any roots circling the tree. Whether your tree is potted, balled and burlapped or bare root, plant so the graft or trunk flare is about 1 inch above the soil line. Don’t bury the tree! Trees are an investment, plant wisely. Here’s more on planting potted trees. Be sure to check out all our How-to’s on trees. There’s a link below.
Our LEARN section is filled with tons of great information on all things trees! And, of course, we HAVE all kinds of trees, nearly all of which are Gerten Grown!
PS, the best time to plant trees is in Fall! The heat of summer is past, but the ground is warm. Trees grow their roots without spending energy leafing out. The following spring, their roots grow even further before using their energy to leaf out. Still, spring is a great time too! Just be sure to follow the instructions on watering.
Dig it,
Ooo, I almost forgot… remember those little saplings kids would get in school or would come in the mail? Well, this little fella was stuck in the ground for years at the place I purchased, hidden in a HUGE pile of dirt, leaves, compost. I discovered him and replanted for the heck of it. Two years later this 10 inch sapling grew to 4 ft and I knew I had to give it away. I found a great home for this Eastern Red Cedar to grow into it’s 40 ft. height and 20 ft. width!
Barely room here for it at THIS height!