Finished!

Currently, all 250 Colorado Spruce saplings are planted in the ground, or in pots where they can be moved easily.  Besides the trees we ordered, I planted 185 other trees, meaning 385 in total. Some of these were larger trees that had to be transplanted to a new location to survive. A large portion were small trees that were in our garden and on our lawn. To avoid the tiller and lawnmower, I moved them to pots were they can safely grow for a few years before being moved to the ground. All of the tree are being watered and weeded regularly.

How we Plant our Trees

As of Friday May 8, we received our order of 250 evergreen saplings. In order to plant such a large quantity, there are several steps required to speed up the process.

First, an ideal location must be found. It must be large enough to give the trees adequate space to grow (at least 5 feet between trees, but varies). It also must be in a location with good soil and water supply.

Second, you may want to till strips of land to place the trees in. From my experience of planting onions with my mentor (I planted around 1800 personally in a day), I realize how much quicker things go when you don't have to dig a hole in hard ground each time. With nice, soft soil, a small tree requires little effort to plant.

Third, mark out rows with posts to ensure that there is around seven feet in between each tree. This way, the trees will never have to be moved and will have enough water and nutrients.  This also allows you to fit a lawnmower in-between the rows to keep the land looking well maintained.

Then it is most efficient to dig 5-10 holes at a time. For small trees especially, digging a hole takes only around 15 seconds. For our saplings, the holes are about 8 inches deep.

Finally, place a small tree in the hole, surrounding it with soft and moist soil. Make sure all the mud that was taken out of the hole is covering the base of the tree and packed tight. This provides support and holds sufficient water near the roots.

Slight Change of Plans

Due to a misconception I had about the state of our tree order, my plans had to change. Originally I had hoped to plant 600 one year old evergreens. I was told that my family had ordered the trees, when in reality my parents only had 600 trees in their online cart. When we returned to finalize our order, the trees were sold out. In place of those trees, we purchased two year old trees that were more expensive. It ended up costing around $275 for 250 colorado spruce trees. The website is run by the Manitoba Forestry Association, called ThinkTrees. In addition to providing a cheap source for purchasing young trees, it also offers information and classes to learn about planting trees. It is more most efficient way to plant large amount of trees, as the cheapest tree costs only 50 cents, and can be bought in large quantities.

To make up for the smaller order, I will be taking some willow tree cuttings. In the spring, willow trees have yellow branches that are filled with the young plant cells that allow them to create roots while sitting in water. After leaving the branches in buckets of water for a couple of weeks, I should be able to plant them successfully.