My Earth Day tradition is to plant trees at my house in Sunapee, New Hampshire. In renovating and restoring the classic ski chalet-style house, it was necessary to remove more than a dozen trees surrounding the house, so I vowed to replant the exact number every year!
Each Fall since then, I place an order for tree seedlings to be planted the following spring and every year I choose a new variety. This year’s trees included Eastern Hemlocks native to New Hampshire and Paper Birch revered for white papery bark.
This past holiday I made the commitment to buy a living Christmas tree to plant this Spring as well. I chose a potted Blue Spruce and a Koreen Fir as Christmas trees this year to add to my growing forest menagerie.
The seedlings are shipped bare root and need to be planted within days of shipping, so timing is everything. It is vital to keep the root system moist (not submerged) with wet newspaper, while keeping the tops dry to prevent mold.
Planting techniques vary and more detail planting information can be found at the seedling planting and care tips link below. Following planting, it is necessary to mulch around the base of the tree to cover the entire soiled area that was distrupted while planting the tree, making sure to overlap the hole to ensure moisture retention. Watering twice weekly until the tree begins to exhibit new growth.
Links:
University of New Hampshire – seedling planting and care tips
Cold Stream Farms – White Birch Seedlings
New Hampshire Nursery – Eastern Hemlock Seedlings
Foliage Garden – living Christmas trees
Koreen Fir Tree
Blue Spruce
Paper Birch Trees
Eastern Hemlock
