Where can I get potted trees?

Mosey · Aug 29, 2002

I’m looking for some evergreen potted trees 1 to 2 feet tall, specifically white pine, scotch pine, cedar, and norway spruce. I know of several places that sell bare root seedlings, such as Musser Forests, but haven’t had any luck finding much selection in potted trees. Lowes has some white pines, but that’s all. They said they would have some more to choose from in the spring, but I’m looking for some trees for fall planting.

Does anyone know where I can get potted trees in Indiana or via internet or catalog? I’m sure there are some nurseries in Indiana, so if I can get the names of some I’ll call and see if they will sell directly to me. I’ve already checked with the state nurseries and they only sell bare root seedlings.

jwstewar · Aug 29, 2002

Check Wally World and Kmart. I know ours still have some and they are even putting them on sale at 50% off.

Henry · Aug 29, 2002

I ordered bare root trees from Mussers this spring and have had great success. I bought their root dip and fertilizer tablets too. Of the 46 trees I planted in April, I've only lost 3. We've had a drought this summer, so I think I've done pretty good!

Any reason for wanting potted trees?

Mosey · Aug 30, 2002

jwstewar - You're right, but I'm afraid they are all just leftovers from their spring shipments that have been sitting in pots all summer. I've tried asking to verify my suspicions, but the kid in that dept just gave me a blank stare like "I'm supposed to know something? Oh, I just thought I was just here to run the cash register". I'm sorry if I sound cynical, but that's been my experience at the x'marts. I did buy a red maple and a red oak from Walmart last spring that are doing great.

Henry –

I've had a frustrating experience with bare root trees from Musser Forest or anywhere else. The problem with mail ordering them is that I lose control over when I can plant them. The first try was about 5 years ago when I ordered 10 colorado blue spruce trees and a few others from the Arbor Day Foundation. I had no idea when they would show up. They showed up the Friday before I was leaving for the weekend, so they had to sit another few days before I could plant them. My neighbor helped me plant them and we used a front tine rototiller to chew up the ground, mix in some compost, and then plant the trees in the nicely prepared loose soil. Only 1 is alive today. The next year I planted a bradford pear, a red maple, a redbud, and 3 scotch pines, all bare root from the Arbor Day Foundation. The redbud died the first year. The red maple was about 2' high when I planted it (just a stick, no branches), and it died off at the top and just started re-growing from the ground. It's about 5' tall now, but has multiple trunks rather than a nice looking single trunk with branches. The bradford pear is doing great and is over 8' tall now. One of the scotch pines died the first year and the other 2 are doing great.

Last year, I ordered 50 white pines from Musser Forest. All bare root 4 year transplants, WHTP122. Once again, they came at an inconvenient time. I wanted to plant them in early or mid April, but they didn't arrive until the first week of May. The weather was already hot and we were having an unusually dry spring, so the ground was like concrete. I followed their instructions exactly. I took them out of the package, laid them out in a shady spot and sprinkled water on them. They came on a week day, so I couldn't plant them the day they arrived. I took the next day off work and spent the whole next day planting them. First, I used a front tine rototiller to chew up the soil. Following the instructions, I dug a hole 1 foot deep and 1 foot dia, put a fertilizer tablet in the hole, put about 1 inch of loose soil on top, then planted the tree and packed the dirt with my hands as I filled in the hole. My wife helped hold the tree in place as I put the dirt in. Then, as I dug the next hole, she watered the one we just planted. I never let them go for more than 3 or 4 days without water the first year and never more than a week the second year. I mulched them with wood chips to keep the moisture in and the grass and weeds under control and to keep the roots warmer in the winter. I lost 10 trees the first year and 5 more died over the winter. Most of the ones that survived are doing really good and are over 2 feet tall now.

This spring, I ordered 15 more to replace the ones that died last year. This time I got the premium 4 year transplants, WHTP222 Once again, the trees did not arrive at a convenient time, they showed up in the middle of the week and we had a real wet rainy spring this year. I ended up having to plant them in the rain and in muddy ground that kept clumping up and was a pain to work with. About half of the ones I planted this year are already dead.

The trees are planted in a row and are 6 feet apart. It's a mystery to me why a tree dies when there are other ones 6 feet away on both sides that are doing great. Planting instructions seems to vary, some places say to dig a hole and some say to just use a wedge to make a slot in the ground. Some say to soak them in a bucket of water until you plant them, others (Musser) say not to do that. Including shipping and the fertilizer tablets, it cost me about $2.75 per tree for the Musser trees and about 25 of them have died, so that's almost $70 down the drain! Plus, all the wasted effort and time!

I know this is a longer answer than you probably wanted! But, I've had it with bare root trees. If I get potted ones I won't have to disturb the roots when I plant them and I can keep them in the pots until I'm ready to plant them at a time that is suitable for both me and the tree.

Carl_NH · Aug 30, 2002

Danny,

Use Google the serach engine and look up balled and burlap pine trees - you will find a numer of site in IN. Here's one list. Typically these cost about $30-50 for a 5-6' "christmas tree" but in Qty probably less. Here's a list I pulled from google i n your state.

If you go to a nursery they buy from the growers (= a markup), as most don't start their own stock like xmas tree farms. Consider too the the xmas trees sell for $25-35 so if they have the equipment it's just the cost of the burlap, time, and wire to wrap them up, so a good deal can be found this way. Also if you go early in the spring they don't mind the money at that time of year.

Brewington Farm: 2854 N. Milan-Versailles Pike, Milan, off Indiana 129; (812) 654-2589; daylight-dark through Dec. 23; Scotch pine, $14, and Colorado blue spruce, $25, saw available; working farm with Simmental calves for kids to see. E-mail: bbrewing@seidata.com.

Dudley Tree Farm: 9706 N. Indiana 101, Sunman; (812) 623-3679; 3 p.m.-dark, Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-dark, weekends through Dec. 24; Scotch pine, $13 to $25, saws provided, balled and burlapped blue and Norway spruce and white pine, $35 to $50.

Martini Nursery & Christmas Tree Farm: 5907 Yorkridge Road, Guilford (from Lawrenceburg exit off I-275, go through traffic light and turn right at the stop sign; take Indiana 1 north four miles; left on Yorkridge Road for two miles; nursery on left); (513) 564-8842 or (812) 487-2934; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily through Dec. 24; Scotch pines, $20 each, bring a saw; balled and burlapped white pines, $22 to $49.

Moster's Tree Farm: 13132 Romer Road, Brookville (Indiana 1 north from Brookville; left on Romer Road); (765) 647-3910; 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesdays-Sundays through Dec. 20; Scotch and white pines, $15-$24; wreaths; grave blankets made if ordered by phone.

Townsend Family Christmas Tree Farm: 8728 Moody Road, Moores Hill (U.S. 50 to Aurora, right on Indiana 350, then right on Mt. Sinai Road and follow signs); (812) 926-3970 or (513) 564-8710; 10 a.m. to dark Friday-Saturday, noon to dark Sundays through Dec. 10 or call for an appointment. French Blue Scotch pine, $3.75 per foot; some $15 specials. Gift shop with refreshments on weekends.

White Tail Acres Tree Farm: 9127 Cooley Road, Brookville (Indiana 101 north from Brookville two miles, then right on Cooley Road, which dead-ends at farm); (765) 647-6812; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekends through Dec. 24. Scotch and white pine, Douglas fir; $18; saws provided; shaking and baling; balled and burlapped trees, wreaths, roping, greens, reindeer, gift shop, free cider and hot chocolate

jray · Sep 2, 2002

Mosey I not sure if this is what your lookig for but if you lookup the Colorado State University hortecultre and search it on the net you can get all sorts of sapling trees from them and plant them your self. My friend at work said he did this and got about 4' his first full year of growth. Anyway not sure its what your looking for. I'll be doing it in the spring to plant on my land condisering I only have two trees. You can get many different kinds of trees from them in case form and I am pretty sure they will ship to you.

Dozernut · Sep 2, 2002

Have you checked the Jim Hipp nursery in southern In. It is located just north of I-64 at US 41, north of Evansville. They might have what you need.

rancar · Sep 3, 2002

Musser Forests does sell many of their gymnosperm species (conifers) as potted. See their website below. They sell potted year-round.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.musserforests.com/>http://www.musserforests.com/</A>

dmccarty · Sep 3, 2002

Mosey,

Since you are looking for small seedlings, try your state
Forestry department. NC's department of forestry sells
seedlings cheap. I can get Pines, Oaks, Cypress, Red buds,
Dogwoods, Hickory, etc for pretty reasonable prices.

The department takes orders up until the first few months
in the year. Then starting about Feb/March they start
delivering the seedlings.

Hope this helps...
Dan McCarty