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

I have been attempting to get a good photo to share with you for some time. On the north side of my home, I planted several Praire Fire Crab Trees. They have a great pinkish red flower in the spring. They flower right around mothers day weekend. The Spring color is great. The other great thing about the Praire Fire Crab is it gets & retains small apples, about one quarter to three eights of an inch. The apples are small enough  so they are not a mess to clean up. Since they stay on through the winter, they can be a “Free Breakfast” for birds.

Because of the amount of snow we have experienced this winter, the birds are needing to find sources of food that are not covered by the snow pack. These 3 Pheasants along with several more that are not in the picture have been enjoying many meals provided by these crab apples. I can stop by my window several times a day & watch the Pheasant eating. They are such a large, colorful bird. They almost appear too large to be in a tree.

This is just one example of the other people or creatures that benefit when planting a tree in your landscape.Even though you have gone to the expense of planting the tree, many others can enjoy the beauty, food & oxygen produced by that tree for years to come.

For more information on what trees Arbor Hill Tree Farm has available for planting in your yard, please go to our tree photo gallery at http://www.arborhilltreefarm.com/photo-gallery.php  . In addition to a photo of each tree, you can click on that tree & learn more about the trees characteristics.

Even though Spring is officially here tomorrow, the weather is unseasonally cold & snowy.But have faith, Spring will come and we may enjoy it more just because we had to wait a little longer. Below is just a reminder of what beauty Spring has in store for us. A flower from the Praire Fire Crab Tree. Enjoy, Jerry

Last week we were exhibitors at the Mpls Home & Garden Show. I enjoyed talking with everyone that stopped by our booth. One of the questions I was asked about was Tree Spading large trees. I would like to address that question in this blog post.

Arbor Hill Tree Farm has the equipment to move or transplant large evergreen & shade trees. The trees can be selected from our growing fields. Check out our http://www.arborhilltreefarm.com/large-trees-for-sale-installation.phpPage on our web site.There is a partial list of what we have to offer.

We can also move  your trees on site or location to location.We have a truck mounted 90inch diameter “Big John” tree spade for larger trees. Smaller trees can be moved on site or balled & burlapped using our skid steer mounted 36 inch & 48 inch Care Tree Tree Spades.More info on this is available at our tree spade page http://arborhilltreefarm.com/tree-spade-transplanting.php.

March is here and the recent snow we had will soon melt away & we will be able to start our Spring Tree Planting. Take some time to plan for your Spring projects. We encourage customers to place your orders now as Spring gets very busy. Orders are filled on a first come basis.

We have some great savings on our 5ft and 6ft Black Hills Spruce & Colorado Blue Spruce. Trees are $70 OFF per tree. We have thousands of trees to select from. Trees are freshly dug per order.

Give us a call with any questions regarding your project or to schedule a visit to our farm. Thanks, Jerry

February has been a rather snowy month. It seems we have not had any large amounts of snow at  one time, but several snowfalls of 2-3 inches. All that accumulation has made for a snow pack of approximately a foot at our tree farm. During the winter months it is always a good idea to get out and knock the snow off your evergreens periodically. Snow can get heavy on the branches & can cause damage to the trees. It is best to remove the snow soon after a snowfall because as temperatures fluctuate, the snow can partially melt and refreeze on the tree, making it difficult to remove.

Some positive signs of Spring is on the way is the average daytime temperature is 30 degrees F. Daylight is also getting noticeably longer.

With Spring coming near, it is a great time to start planning those outdoor projects. Arbor Hill Tree Farm will once again be exhibitors at the Minneapolis Home & Garden show at the Mpls Convention Center Feb 27-Mar 3. We are at booth number 726, located in the Lawn & Garden area. Please stop by and we can help you with any of your tree questions. For some great savings on trees this Spring, please check out our tree specials page http://www.arborhilltreefarm.com/coupon.phpon our website.      We have also been doing some updating on our home page http://www.arborhilltreefarm.com/. We have added an area of scrolling pictures we call Window into Arbor Hill Tree Farm.

As Spring draws near, we encourage you to place your tree orders now. By ordering now you are able to lock in an early planting date,best price & selection. Orders can be placed now by contacting us. A 50% deposit is required when placing order. Thank you & THINK SPRING.

THINK SPRING

Probably one of the most important factors in determining a businesses success would be its reputation. A good reputation will affect a businesses longevity and its sales. A good reputation is built by providing good quality products & services consistantly to customers.  

I am proud to say Arbor Hill Tree Farm has been in business since 1989. In that time our sales have grown from very little in the first years to 2012 being our best year ever, serving over 350 customers.

We attribute the success of Arbor Hill Tree Farm to a large degree on our customers satisfaction. One of the biggest compliments a business can get is a repeat customer or a referral from a customer. Repeat and referral customers every year help increase our sales. We put very much effort into making sure our customers are very  happy with our products & services.

Our website has a testimonials page where customers can share there experiences with Arbor Hill Tree Farm. We welcome your comments.

Here we are again in the middle of Winter in Minnesota. The temperatures have been varying widely, but today is a typical cold, windy wintery day.

The temperatures this morning are in the single digits and a strong wind blowing from the north, making for a wind chill factor of minus 11 degrees. Not a real pleasant time to be outside.

As many of you may know because you are also dog owners, dogs do not understand it is very cold out. They still need to go outside for obvious reasons and get some excersise.

Pictured is our member of the family, Lucy. She is a young Golden Retriever who lives for being outside & chasing a tennis ball forever. As I was outside with her this morning, throwing the ball for her, I was extremely happy to have a large Spruce Tree to be able to stand behind to block that very cool wind.

Evergreen trees in general make for excellent wind breaks.Wind takes away heat from homes as well as people. By stategically planting trees on your property to slow down the winter wind, you can also help reduce your heating bills.

I like to feed the wild birds in the winter months. What I notice on a cold windy day is the birds do not come to my feeders as often. They are also utilizing the evergreen trees to protect themselves from the severe winter elements.

Some varieties of evergreens that make for great screening, excellent wind breaks & shelter for birds would be Black Hills Spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce, Balsam Fir, White Pine & Austrian Pine.