Arbor Hill Tree Farm is getting ready for a busy tree season. We have purchased a new Dodge Ram 4500 with a dump box. This will be used for all of our tree installation projects throughout this year and many years to come. With a larger truck having a larger GVW Rating, we are able to haul more trees in 1 load. Also new is a Terex PT-50 turf edition track skid steer for planting trees on finished sod with extremely minor or no turf damage. This machine is almost identical to our older ASV RC-50 machine we have been using for several years.

The addition of this equipment will allow us to be as efficient as possible. We look forward to getting out in the fields as soon as weather permits. We have been taking orders for trees for Spring delivery. We do have some great Spring Tree Savings listed on our Tree Specials Page,http://www.arborhilltreefarm.com/coupon.php . The specials we offer expire the end of March. If you have a project in mind we encourage you to order in March. Once weather permits you are welcome to walk through our field and hand pick trees if you wish. We typically start planting in early May.

The snow is still very deep at Arbor Hill Tree Farm. Fortunately we are seeing a few signs that Spring is on its way. If you have noticed, the days are getting a little longer. Both morning & evenings are noticeably lighter longer. The daytime average normal temperatures are creeping up to around 28 degrees F. With a sunny day, we are experiencing a little melting here & there.

We are busy at Arbor Hill Tree Farm getting prepared for Spring. We have invested in some new machinery to help make our installation & planting process be as efficient as possible. I will have some photos and more information about that in a future Blog Post.

It is also time again for the Minneapolis Home & Garden at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The show runs from February 26th to March 2. We would love to see you there. Come out and get inspired to do a home improvement project or improve your landscape. Arbor Hill Tree Farm will be at Booth 922. We have expanded to a 10 by 20 booth this year,to give us room to bring 5 varieties of trees we grow and sell at our tree farm in Cottage Grove. As always we have a Spring Tree Promotion to encourage planning ahead for Spring for your tree needs. Check out our promotion by clicking on the link http://www.arborhilltreefarm.com/coupon.php Please contact me for more details or to place an order. Hope to see you at the show, Jerry  651-245-7978 mobile.  or jerry@arborhilltreefarm.com.

It is Mid January in Minnesota and the wind is howling outside. Night temperatures lately have been going far below zero degrees. This Grossbeak is enjoying some fruit from a Prairefire Crabtree. Birds that stay in Minnesota all winter need some food to survive the long cold winter. This photo was sent to me by one of my customers way up in Northern Minnesota, North of Cohassett, Mn.

Birds use the fruit of trees for food. They also use evergreen trees for shelter from the cold & wind, as well as nesting places in the Spring.When planning your next landscape project, add some trees to help out the birds in your neighborhood survive the winter.

Arbor Hill Tree Farm has a variety of evergreen & shade trees available to add beauty to your landscape as well as providing habitat & food for birds & wildlife.

Check out our regularly updated website. The site has many pages detailing the kinds of trees we sell, along with pictures of each & characteristics of each tree. We sell many sizes of trees, so what size of tree you purchase will determine the planting method we use. The Installation Methods Page http://www.arborhilltreefarm.com/installation_methods.php describes the different methods we use, along with photos.

We currently have some tree specials available for ordering now for Spring Delivery. Check out our Tree Savings at http://www.arborhilltreefarm.com/coupon.php We encourage placing orders now to take advantage of our tree savings & get on our installation schedule for an early planting date. Trees can be ordered now and when weather permits you may walk through our field & select trees if you wish. A 50% deposit is required to place an order. Please contact Jerry at 651-245-7978 for more info or to place an order. I can also be reached by email at jerry@arborhilltreefarm.com.

The temperatures have turned bitter cold and we have some new snow to make make you say “Its beginning to look alot like Christmas”.

A great gift for someone on your shopping list this year would be the gift of a tree. The gift that continues to grow year after year. Arbor Hill Tree Farm sells Gift Certificates for any amount. The recipient can use the certificate towards the purchase of the tree of their choice. We make the purchase of a Gift Certificate easy & fast. Just give us a call & we can work out all the details.http://www.arborhilltreefarm.com/gift.php

Have a safe and happy holiday season.

The temperature outside today at Arbor Hill Tree Farm was in the single digits. Very cold to move or plant trees. We have finished our tree planting for the year. We had a great year growing, selling & planting  nursery stock. We want to thank all our customers for purchasing trees from us. Thanks for helping us continue to increase sales yearly.

We are looking forward & planning for next year. We have invested in a new delivery vehicle, as well as new trailer & Terex skid steer with turf friendly tracks. This newer equipment allows us to have an additional installation crew when necessary as well as back up equipment.

With Thanksgiving & Christmas coming up soon, we  are again selling Christmas Trees from our indoor display in our pole barn.We have Precut Frazer Fir Trees from 6ft to 10ft, ranging in price from $59 to $109. Santa will also be available on select Saturdays to visit with. Stop out & see us. Please check our website for details.

It is early October. We are in the peak of fall color from the Maples. The Autumn Blaze Maple is turning bright red. The Sugar Maples are just changing to a beautiful orange.

The last part of the summer has been very dry & stressed out a lot of shade trees. When the leaves on shade trees turn yellow, curl up & fall off, that is a sign the tree needs water. The first response of a shade tree to a dry condition is to drop leaves. The tree looses its moisture through the leaves, so by dropping them it is going into dormancy or survival mode.

I am happy to see the recent rainfall. Even though it can be difficult to access our fields or do plantings, the trees very much needed the moisture. The moisture will help the evergreens & shade trees survive the upcoming winter.

This time of year I frequently get asked “How late can you plant trees.” Basically we are usally always planting right up to the end of November. Once the nights get cold enough to forming a crust on the surface of the ground we are done for the season.

Hopefully the beautiful colors around will get you motivated to add some fall color to your landscape. Arbor Hill Tree Farm can help you with that. We still have a great selection of shade trees as well as evergreens. This time of year you are able to pick from thousands of trees growing in our fields.

This year the Twin Cities has experienced a lot of tree damage due to high winds & storms. With all this tree damage, we get many requests to plant new trees once the old & damaged trees have been removed & stumps ground.

A frequently asked question by our customers is “can we plant a new tree in the exact same spot as the old tree?” The short answer is no. Even though the stump was ground,depending on the size and type of tree that was there, there may be SIGNIFICANT root structure still there. We have encountered that recently at a few jobs & I have taken the time to take some photos to share with you.

Basically the equipment used to grind stumps has the capability of grinding down below grade approximately 1 foot or less, leaving much of the root & stump still there. If the diameter of the tree was 8 inches or less, we can typically use our machine as shown to remove everything that remains & replant in the same spot. This is a rather time consuming task. Cost for providing that service can be several hundred dollars. Trees with larger diameters are not removable & have to be worked around to get as close as possible. We use an auger to dig holes. It will take out smaller roots, but not stumps or larger root.

Thank You for your tree purchase. Arbor Hill Tree Farm has spent years growing , caring  for & preparing the trees you purchased. We want to ensure your trees not only survive the transplant process, they also thrive in your landscape, providing years of beauty.

The first 2 years after transplanting a tree are the most critical time. What you are trying to do is compensate for the root structure that was cut off during the transplant process.

During the planting process, we water trees thoroughly to help settle soil around rootballs. Every site has a different soil type, so the amount of water & frequency of watering can vary slightly.When the planting process is complete, I give specific details on watering depending on soil conditions. Please follow these, but below is a general guideline.

Within 3-5 days after trees are planted, water weekly with garden hose on lite tricke for 10-15 minutes, which amounts to 10-15 gallons of water per tree. the key is to saturate  the rootball.Larger trees need a little more.

Roots form & grow where the moisture is, so by deeply soaking the rootball, roots will form deeper,producing a better, deep rooted tree.Do not rely on rainfall or irrigation systems to water trees. That moisture helps, but will not provide enough water for the rootball that may be 2-3ft deep.

Watering should continue weekly through the summer months. Once fall arrives, watering frequency can be reduced to every other week. Watering a tree is similar to the human body. When the tree is actively growing and the temperatures are hot, the tree uses up more water. As temperatures cool down & trees start to go into dormancy, they use much less water.Evergreen trees take in moisture all winter, so please make sure you continue to water into November if weather permits.

Shade trees show signs when they get dry. When a shade tree does not have enough water, the first survival response is to shed leaves. Leaves will start to turn yellow & shed.Watch for this & adjust watering accordingly.

Again the first 2 years after a transplant is  the most critical time for caring for your new trees. We want your new trees to survive, so a little effort on your part goes a long way to make the process successful. If you have any questions on watering, please contact me & I am very happy to help clarify anything.

Hard to believe, but this photo was taken May 3rd out in our display area at Arbor Hill Tree Farm. This was the second snowfall in May of 2013. The previous snowfall, we had an accumulation of 6 inches. Not what we expect for Spring weather. Evidently Minnesota gets a snowfall in May every 30 years.

Despite the wintery Spring, we have been able to dig over 400 trees. Many of the trees are 5 & 6 ft evergreens we are featuring on our Spring Specials Page on our web site. The 5ft & 6ft Colorado Blue Spruce & Black Hills Spruce are $70 off per tree. Total cost for 5 ft is $99. each & 6 ft are $149. each.We also provide delivery & planting at an additional fee. Check out our Price List Page for details or give me a call.

April has arrived in Minnesota.With the rather cool start to Spring the snow is melting  slowly this year. It can be frustrating as a tree farmer because we are anxious to get in the field and start our tree digging. On the other hand, the slower melting helps allow the water to be absorbed by the soil as opposed to just running off.

Friday April 26th is Arbor Day in Minnesota. This year the Mn Dept of Natural Resources is promoting “Plant Trees for a Brighter Minnesota” and has designated the month of May as Arbor Month. The theme is to encourage Minnesotans to replace trees lost during the past years’ tornados, floods,blowdowns & snowstorms. The newly planted trees will brighten Minnesota by improving the environment, creating jobs, enhancing our quality of life & providing opportunities for recreation.

The 2 pictures above are completed projects Arbor Hill Tree Farm planted last year. Both are great examples of what a little effort can do to improve your landscape and neighborhood, community & state.

For much more information about how Arbor Hill Tree Farm can assist you in your project, go to or web site at www.arborhilltreefarm.com or give us a call to visit our farm at 651-459-5026.  Thanks, Jerry