‘Tis The Season

Adam Chorba, Forest Specialist, BCCD
Whether it’s snowing or whether it's hot, weather is weather, whether or not. My father would say this to me if there was work that had to be done and the weather wasn’t in our favor. I’ve now adopted this saying for work because in forestry, there’s always something to do. This time of year, can be a great time to work on many different forestry practices like invasives control, or even a crop tree release. However, if working outside this time of year isn’t for you, or you’re in need of a break, it’s a great time of year to sit down with some resources and plan for spring. With the holidays in full swing, and families often gathering, you could start a tradition of planning together and planting together. Don’t forget to include the younger family members as well and teach them the importance of being a good steward of the land. It might not seem it now, but warmer weather and thawed ground is on its way.  Now is the time to order your trees and shrubs for your spring plantings. For some nurseries, it’s already getting a little late and inventories can be getting low.

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Poor planning promotes poor performance.  In some instances, the planning can be just as important as the completion of the task. When planning to plant some trees, whether its 10 or 10,000, you want to consider several factors like: What are my goals? Is it for wildlife benefits, erosion control, carbon storage, orchards, all the above? Is there enough room? Is the soil, right? Which species is best? The list goes on.

 If you’re wondering where to start, your local conservation district is a great first step. The knowledgeable staff could be a great resource to help you with the planning. Some districts even host their own seedling sales. Not only do many sell a great product at a reduce cost, but you will also be helping support more local conservation projects in your area.  If they can’t help you directly, there are many great nurseries online now with tons of different options to help you find what you are looking for. However, most require you to order a very large quantity to get a small price break… and don’t forget about the added shipping and handling costs.

Bradford County Conservation District hosts an annual seedling sale with a great variety of trees and shrubs that may be just the thing you need to complete your forestry goals. We try to provide a good mix of native and naturalized species every year to cover a large array of uses. Some species are a favorite, like Norway spruce and swamp white oak, that we sell every year; and others we like to change up so that there is a good diversity to choose from. This year we offer 6 different conifers consisting of Norway Spruce, Concolor Fir, American Tamarack, Eastern White Pine, Cannan Fir, and Northern White Cedar. Hardwoods consist of White Oak, Swamp White Oak, Chinese Chestnut, Wild Crabapple, Northern Hackberry, Red Mulberry, and Paw Paw. We offer an American Hazelnut, Common Elderberry, Buttonbush, and Red Osier Dogwood for shrubs. We also offer a variety of domestic fruits for orchards and gardens like apple, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry and peach. There’s also some food plot mixes and a wildflower blend if you are looking for some seed. The deadline for ordering is January 1st. We receive the bulk material in the spring. Then the orders are pulled, packed, labeled and available for pick-up at the conservation district. This year’s pick-up dates are April 24th and 25th from 9am – 3pm and April 26th from 9am – 12pm.  

Order forms were sent out in October via mail and email, or you can pick one up from us directly. We have them available at the front desk, or you can go to our website (bccdpa.com) to download a form, or place your order directly online. Credit/Debit cards are accepted through the online store, or a check can be sent by mail with your order form. You can also stop down and pay with cash or check directly. Whatever is best for you. If you didn’t receive an order form and would like to, just let us know and we can add you to the list.
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The Bradford County Conservation District is committed to helping people manage resources wisely.  You can visit the Bradford County Conservation District at 200 Lake Rd in Wysox across from the Wysox Fire Hall. Contact us at (570) 485-3144 or visit our web page at www.bccdpa.com.