Annual tree sale slated for March 20

Posted

Thousands of trees will be offered for sale again this year by the Clark County Farm Forestry Association during a public sale set for Sat., March 20, 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 often the sale ends sooner when all trees are sold. 

Trees in this year's sale will be priced at $1, $2 and $3 each. Popular Douglas Fir trees will be priced at $1 each for trees measuring about 18 inches tall.

Priced at $2 will be Western Red Cedar, Grand Fir, Noble Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Western Hemlock, Norway Spruce, Big Leaf Maple, Oregon Ash, Red Osier Dogwood, Vine Maple, Pacific Willow, Red Flowering Currant, Scotch Pine, Sitka Spruce and Blue Elderberry.

Deodar Cedar, Incense Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, Shore Pine, Coast Redwood and Giant Sequoia will be offered at $3 each. Oregon Grape and Salal will also be available.  

Most trees at the annual sale will range in size from 6 inches to 3 feet tall. Most will be bare root with some species available in pots. And most trees at the sale 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.

Net proceeds from the sale, which were about $8,500 last year, are 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. Douglas fir trees are propagated from seeds collected by members. 

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 about 54,000 trees on their own lands and have ordered about 78,000 trees this year.

The Clark County Farm Forestry Association has conducted a spring tree sale since 1968 when it was held at the WSU Extension Station on 78th Street in Vancouver. In some years, the sale was held at multiple locations simultaneously including a site on Mill Plain in Vancouver and also in Camas. The sale has been held solely in Battle Ground for the past 15 years. About 30 members of the Association volunteer to conduct the sale.

The sale will be conducted as cash or check only. Sale organizers hope the weather cooperates this year. Snow blanketed the sale area last year.

More information about the tree sale is available by calling Gene Jones, 263-3168, or Bob Brink, (360) 686-3524.