SWCD tree sale underway now
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- January 14, 2023
- 484
“Blessed are those who plant trees under whose shade they will never sit.” —Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet
The Tuscarawas County Soil and Water District is offering trees for sale. The district has selected two evergreens (conifers) — Norway spruce and white pine — and four deciduous trees — red oak, scarlet oak, white oak and sugar maple.
These six species grow well in our soil types and are fairly free of disease and insects. When considering a planting location for your new seedling, do your due diligence. Even though these are small seedlings, plan for their mature size in your landscape — 6 feet, 12 inches. Check for underground and overhead utilities, as well as sight clearance along roadways.
The evergreens, as the name suggests, retain their most recent growth of needles year round.
We have selected Norway spruce due to its lessor susceptibility to the fungus that are affecting the blue spruce. White pine is a fast-growing evergreen with lacy needles and is well-suited to this area. The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District planted this pine around its flood-control lakes in the 1930s.
The oak species all bear an annual crop of acorns. White oak likes a wide variety of growing sites, and its acorns are a favorite for a variety of wildlife species. White oak has the longest life span of all of the trees offered for sale, over 400 years. Red and scarlet oaks take two years for the acorns to mature and are more consistent producers of acorns than the white oak. The red oak has the largest acorns of the three oaks. Scarlet oak has the smallest acorns of the three oaks, will grow on dry sites and will have the most brilliant fall color.
So why plant a tree? In an urban setting, they act as air-conditioners and filters of the atmosphere. The trees will remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and provide oxygen during photosynthesis. Trees will sequester carbon in their cell walls as long as they are not decaying. This holds true for any wood product.
Trees will slow down rain drops and help the water infiltrate into the ground, lessening the strain on our storm sewers. Trees help with species diversity and enhance wildlife habitat. And finally, trees will add value to your property value.
To order trees from the TSWCD, call our office at 330-339-7976 or visit our website at www.tuscsoil.com under the resource tab to fill out an order form. Order forms can be mailed with a check, or you can pay with cash at the office.