Low Price Tree Orders Due

Low Price Tree Orders Due by Oct 1^st!

Each spring and fall the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) offers people an opportunity to help support community tree planting efforts by providing a quality source of midsized container native trees and shrubs at a reasonable level of costs. Orders need to be submitted to the SWCD by October 1^st! In addition, this Fall, thanks to grant funding provided through the U.S. Forest Service and Hoosier Heartland RC&D, the District is able to offer Marion County residents larger, about 8 ft. tall trees (15 gallon container size) that regularly sell for $120.00 at the reduced price of $60.00 each. Recent high level winds have damaged many existing landscape trees, and these larger trees would make great replacements. Fall is actually considered a better time to plant trees than spring, and it always helps to add some new plants to the landscape each year to make things even greener. Mark Kautz, Chair of the local Conservation District says, “The tree sale offers a great way for our SWCD to help people care for their land and plant more trees for a healthier Marion County”.

Large trees being offered through the District cost share program include- Autumn Blaze Maple, Red Sunset Maple, Swamp White Oak, Overcup Oak, Bur Oak, Pin Oak, Red Oak, and Bald Cypress. All the details about the District’s Tree Cost Share program and its regular Fall Tree and Shrub Sale, including brochures, and order forms are available on the SWCD’s web site at www.marionswcd.org. The brochures are also available by calling the District Office at 317-786-1776. The time to make your plans and order trees for fall planting is now! The order deadline for the cost share trees and regular tree and shrub sales is October 1, 2008, and that is coming soon! The sale includes primarily native trees and shrubs that enhance a landscape, and also assist in attracting wildlife. The tree brochures, besides having the order blanks, include a list of species available, and also tree and shrub facts, and selection ideas. Depending on species, container trees and shrubs in the regular Fall Tree Sale are available in 1, 3, 5, and 15 gallon sizes. Prices are $18.00 for the 1 gallon size, $25.00 for the 3 gallon, $32.00 each for the 5 gallon size, and $120 for the 15 gallon size. The prices include sales tax.

Many of the newer homes across the county are virtually bare of trees and shrubbery and lack tree “canopy”. The America Forests organization recommends residential areas have about 60 percent canopy cover when the trees mature. Canopy cover is that part of the ground surface under tree cover. This high level of cover offers many benefits. Probably the most important are reduced air-conditioning costs as the shade provided by the trees cool temperatures around the home. The second is simply the higher quality of life that happens in the lower temperatures of tree-shaded property. Another important benefit is that homes surrounded by trees and shrubs are usually worth 20 to 30 percent more than homes without trees. So make your investment in the future today, and order some trees and shrubs for your yard and your local community areas now.