Chief River Nursery — Local services in Town of Grafton

Love my Eastern Red Cedar and Eastern White Pine Seedlings: fresh, healthy, great root systems, good price, prompt delivery - and the weather has cooperated too! (Nature's doing the watering). I'll be placing a 3rd order.

My situation: I've got several groves of Hemlocks that a pair of barred owls like as much as I do, raising chicks the last 10 years and entertaining me with their "quacking" calls. What am I to do now that the woolly adelgid is killing them? Planting alternative native evergreens right among them to take over as their needles continue to thin.

The woods on the north side has many Ash Trees which are dying from the Emerald Ash Borer. Likewise, in the quantities I need, seedlings are the answer. I think I'll get some hickory. Red oak thrives here too, as does black cherry...

It's particularly bad up hill where the clay soil is thin on top of ledge, receives much runoff, and has degraded into an acre thicket of bull brier and the invasive exotics multifloral rose and oriental bittersweet vine.

There, white pine with its shallow roots should be particularly well suited. I've also stuck some black willow twigs to root near the seasonal stream & rivulets. I prefer growing native species, and the more so for this forest restoration project. Speaking of which, Red Cedar has always been a favorite. Call it a silver lining that I have room to plant some nearer the house and power lines - too close for towering pines.

Of course I'll also have to beat back the weedy thicket plants, particularly the oriental bittersweet, for my new trees to have a chance. I pull up the small vines - plenty of work, that. The big ones hanging in the remaining trees I girdle, removing the bark all the way around near the roots. It seems they then wear themselves out & die trying to support their existing growth. Just eliminating those 3 & 4 inch diameter monsters eliminates a huge quantity of future seed distribution. (Of which I've got a whole high voltage right of way passing through I can address next).

So thanks again Chief River. I have to say I've had mixed results with bare root plants in the past. Not so here. Tomorrow I finish nestling into the soil my recent...

I appreciated the service CRN offered. They were responsive to all of my questions. They offer plugs which are a great option. Everything is fairly priced.

However

I was recommended by them to spray and anti desiccant spray on my seedling conifer trees. I bought one and applied as the directions said. Unfortunately no less than 95% of them died. I planted about 200 trees that year. It wasn’t even that bad of a winter. After doing more extensive research I found out you do not want to spray them on little trees with not quite yet established roots. This they should’ve known based on my name, emails and orders.

When I brought up my concern it just felt like “oh hey that sucks sorry it happened”. Had I owned the business I would’ve directed my employees to at least give a discount on more trees if the person ever decided to be a customer again. I won’t be, not just because of this it’s because they’re not local. I still think they’re a good company and better suited for their region.

The best tip you can give anyone is support local, they know what’s best for the area. My winters are a little drier than theirs.

Live and learn. A better option would be to just spread some hay around the trees to prevent the warm winter sun and cold wind from affecting them. I realize some don’t make it through the winter, but I distinctly remember the ones I didn’t spray had a much higher success rate.

I wish them the best. We need more businesses like them spread around...

I planted 40 Emerald Arborvitae along a property (120 foot) fence line. They were baby trees this past spring. These baby trees were about 12 inches tall with about 12 inches of roots. They will grow to have a 3 foot base circumference and grow tall into narrow circumference trees. I planted them 3 feet apart. They should grow to 10 to15 feet tall. My goal...is a privacy fence. Trees are much cheaper than wood fences. Plus they reduce noise.

I am thrilled with the growth of these baby trees. When I planted them, this past spring, I was not expecting the weeds and grass returning. I had tilled the ground where I planted the trees. I was not expecting the massive weed/grass return. I gently sprayed weed killer around the trees. I then pulled out all the weeds. One tree took a beating from this weed spraying.

I laid a weed barrier and I boxed the tree line with landscape timbers. I got a load of wood chips from a tree trimmer, free. I've now loaded my tree line with the wood chips...weed control. Real wood chips are so very healthy for all plants. No man made chemicals.

These baby trees have indeed grown very well. Even the 1 tree, I thought I had killed with the weed spray is still alive.

Chief River Nursery is outstanding!

I live in the country and have lots of old, mature trees. If I ever seek to replace a dead tree I will go to Chief River Nursery.

They are indeed a 5...