The Clark County Farm Forestry Association popular tree seedling sale is coming up.
This year’s event will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 16, at the Albertsons parking lot, 2108 W. Main St., Battle Ground. The sale will end at 11 a.m. or until all the trees are sold. Approximately 30 Clark County Farm Forestry Association will be on hand to conduct the sale.
“I’m proud to be involved in an activity for the community that brings out so much team effort and volunteerism. It’s really a ‘git-’er-done’ crowd,” sale Chairman Gene Jones said in a press release, adding the organization is grateful to Albertsons for the use of its parking lot and for setting up sandwich board signs.
According to the release, the Farm Forestry Association sold about 9,500 trees at last year’s sale and raised $9,000 for forestry projects and scholarships. Jones said Douglas firs were the most popular among buyers, last year, with approximately 3,200 sold, followed by Western red cedars, with about 1,600 sold.
According to the press release, most trees in this year’s sale will be priced at $2, and they range in height from 6 inches to 3 feet.
Trees include Douglas, noble and grand firs; Western red, deodar, Port Orford and incense cedars; Ponderosa, shore and Scotch pines; Norway and Sitka spruces; coast redwood; Western hemlock; and giant Sequoia. Deciduous trees offered include Oregon ash, red osier dogwood, vine maple and blue elderberry. Other plants for sale are red flowering currant, Douglas spirea and salal.
For the first time, the sale will feature Trojan firs, which are native to the mountains of northwest Turkey and a popular Christmas tree in Europe. They are currently undergoing trials in the United States, according to the release. The seeds collected in Turkey are grown for two years at a nursery in Roy, Washington.
Trojan firs are slow-growing to about 100 feet tall with a narrow spread and prefer moist, acidic, well-drained soil, according to the release. Douglas firs are fast-growing and can reach 200 feet in height and prefer full sun. Western red cedars, on the other hand, are slow-growing, but can reach 200 feet in height in full sun or partial shade, according to the release.
Most trees sold at the annual sale will be bare root and native to the Pacific Northwest.
Washington State University master gardeners will be available to answer questions about planting and caring for trees.
Planting tips
The Farm Forestry Association recommends people plant the trees as soon as possible. They should be stored in a cool, shady place, with their roots kept wet before then. The planting hole should be deep enough to keep the roots from curling in the hole. Soil should be packed firmly around the roots to avoid air pockets. Newly planted seedlings do not need to be fertilized during the first year, but the planting area should be weed- and grass-free for two to three years.
About the organization
The Clark County Farm Forestry Association comprises tree farmers with over 250 members who own about 20,000 acres of timber land. It has hosted the spring tree sale since 1968 at various locations in the county. The sale has taken place exclusively in Battle Ground for the past 17 years.
In addition to hosting the public tree sale fundraiser, association members buy seedlings annually to plant on their own properties. According to the press release, last year, members planted over 90,000 trees on their own lands.
“The bottom line is that the tree farmers moved about 100,000 trees into the county last year,” Jones said in the press release.
For more information about the tree sale, call Jones, 360-263-3168, or Bob Brink, 360-686-3524.
