The annual tree seedling sale conducted by the Clark County Farm Forestry Association is set for Saturday, March 15, beginning at 8 a.m., at the Albertson's parking lot, 2108 W. Main St., Battle Ground.
The sale is slated to continue until 11 a.m. but will end sooner if all trees are sold.
Most trees in this year's sale will be priced at $2 and will range from 6 inches to 3 feet tall.
The unusual Trojan fir, which was to be available last year but did not arrive by the sale date, is scheduled to be part of this year’s sale.
Trojan fir, a tree native to the mountains of northwest Turkey, is undergoing trials in the United States. Trojan fir is a popular Christmas tree in Europe. It is slow growing to about 100 feet tall with a narrow spread. It prefers moist, acidic, well-drained, rich soil. Trojan fir 12-18 inches tall will be priced at $2 each.
Popular western red cedar 6-12 inches tall and Douglas fir trees 18 inches tall will also be priced at $2 each.
Among other $2 varieties will be Port Orford cedar, noble fir, grand fir, ponderosa pine, Scotch pine, Norway spruce, coast redwood, giant sequoia, western hemlock and sitka spruce.
Incense cedar measuring 9 inches tall and up and Deodar cedar will be priced at $3 each.
Trojan fir are undergoing trials at 11 locations in the United States. Seeds collected in Turkey are grown for two years at a nursery in Roy, Washington. The trees will be evaluated when the trial ends in 2031.
Deciduous trees offered in the March 15 sale will be Oregon ash, Pacific willow, red osier dogwood, vine maple, big leaf maple and cascara.
Other plants for sale will include red flowering currant, Douglas spirea, Oregon grape, twinberry and salal.
Douglas fir trees are considered fast growing and can reach 200 feet in height. They prefer full sun. Western red cedar are slow growing but can also reach 200 feet in height in full sun or partial shade.
Most trees at the annual sale will be bare root and most are native to the Pacific Northwest.
Members of the Master Gardener program of Washington State University will be on hand to answer questions about planting and caring for trees.
The Farm Forestry Association recommends that trees be planted as soon as possible. Trees should be stored in a cool, shady place with roots kept wet until planting. The planting hole should be deep enough so that the roots do not curl in the hole. The soil should be packed firmly around the roots to avoid air pockets. It is not necessary to fertilize the newly-planted seedlings during the first year but the planting area should be kept weed and grass free for 2-3 years.
The sale last year began at 7:45 a.m. rather than 8 a.m. with a few hundred people in line. The sale ended at 11 a.m., according to sale chairman Gene Jones. About 8,000 trees and shrubs were sold, which was less than the prior two years.
In contrast to prior years, the most popular tree last year was the western red cedar at 1,400 sold. Buyers claimed 1,080 Douglas fir seedlings last year, down from 3,800 the year before.
Net proceeds from the sale were about $9,500 and will be used for scholarships and donations to forestry-oriented projects.
The Clark County Farm Forestry Association is an organization of tree farmers with over 250 members who own about 20,000 acres of timber land.
In addition to the public tree sale, members of the association purchase seedlings annually for planting on their own properties. Last year, association members planted over 50,000 trees on their own lands.
“The bottom line,” Jones said, “is that the tree farmers moved nearly 60,000 trees into the county last year.”
The Clark County Farm Forestry Association has conducted a spring tree sale since 1968 at various locations in the county. The sale has been held exclusively in Battle Ground for the past 21 years.
Jones expressed gratitude to Albertson’s for the use of their parking lot.
“We make a big point of leaving the Albertson’s parking lot as clean as we found it,” Jones said, “since they are so nice about letting us use it, put sandwich (sign) boards out and park a pickup with a sign on it in their lot.”
The sale will be conducted with cash, check or credit card.
“I’m proud to be involved in an activity for the community that brings out so much team effort and volunteerism,” Jones said. “It’s really a ‘git ‘er done’ crowd. And that includes the Master Gardeners and the 30 or so association members” who conduct the sale.
More information about the tree sale is available by calling Gene Jones, 360-263-3168, or Bob Brink, 360-686-3524.
