Planting 300+ Trees

I bought app. 340 trees from the Vallonia Nursery run by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The Vallonia Nursery grows and sells (for app. 53 cents each) about 5 million trees a year. Indiana residents can buy packets of 100 of the same tree and/or get the Wildlife Packet with 10 of 12 tree/shrub types or the Woodland Packet, or the Outdoor Lab Packet where you get 3 of 40 different tree types (that they choose - app. half were various types of Oaks). I got a Wildlife Packet, an Outdoor Lab Packet, and 100 Red Pines. If I had ordered the trees last fall - I would have had more of a selection - I ordered them a couple weeks ago and I am happy with what I got.

I've planted trees from the Nursery before - I think it works best to till the soil first - and get rid of the grass (for the areas where there is grass). I enjoy figuring out which type of plant to put where based on eventual size, type, etc. Designing a forest to be - or at least getting it started.

The areas I planted were next to forest areas - we reclaimed app. an acre or more for forest. So that's an acre that won't be mowed - that will eventually have trees and plants that are more suitable for local wildlife.

Next, I have an area of grass to plant in wildflowers. And then - what will be a big project - getting rid of the grass that is around the orchard and replacing it with either clover or wood chips.

I read that for every hour of lawn mowing is like driving 350 miles in ones car - pollution-wise. Besides a huge waste of time and energy.