Arbor Day Marks Time to Plant Locally Grown Trees

NASHVILLE - Tennessee’s annual Arbor Day, always the first Friday in March, will be celebrated on March 2, with ceremonies commemorating the day set for Centennial Park in Nashville at 11 a.m.

National Arbor Day, founded in 1872, is celebrated each year on the last Friday in April, but a number of states mark the day at the times of the year best suited for planting in their climate zones.

Kyle Holmberg, horticulture marketing specialist at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, says there’s more than just the time of year to consider, however, when adding trees to a landscape.

Most people understand that adding trees to a landscape adds ‘curb appeal’ and is a smart investment in the property,” says Holmberg. “Just as you carefully invest your money wisely, or keep up your home so it retains or increases its value, be careful choosing the right trees. Then, help them retain or increase their value.”

“Consider the available spaces you have with the eventual sizes of the trees you think you want to plant,” says the specialist. “Are there places where you need fast growing trees to create privacy or block noise and wind? Are there areas of your lawn that are always in shade?”

Holmberg recommends doing a quick overview of your property conditions, then spending some time on the Internet researching varieties which are both appealing and suited to your purposes.

“Then it’s time to visit local retail nurseries and garden centers,” says Holmberg, “not just to buy the trees, but to get the recommendations of the growers and landscapers who are experts about what grows best in the area. Don’t forget to bring some photos of the areas in your landscape you’d like to improve.”

“Success with transplants is linked to two things: knowing what is most likely to do well in Tennessee’s climate, and buying from a reputable plant grower,” says Holmberg. “When you buy a locally grown tree, you know it already has been thriving out in the field of a Tennessee nursery and is clearly accustomed to Tennessee’s seasonal variations.

“That tree has not suffered stress from traveling long distances, either.”

“When you purchase directly from the grower, you can also get solid information about where in a landscape that plant belongs, with how much sun, and other important information.”

“Choosing locally grown trees is the best way to ensure that what you plant on Arbor Day will be a source of pride, pleasure and value for many years to come.”

A list of nurseries and garden centers with locally grown trees is available at www.picktnproducts.org.