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Tree and Shrub Seedlings from DEP Nursery
The Connecticut State Nursery, operated by the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Division of Forestry since 1905, is now accepting orders from throughout southern New England for tree and shrub seedlings to be planted in the spring of 2003. Landowners may purchase the Connecticut-grown seedlings for use as Christmas trees, to plant a new forest, to improve wildlife habitat, or for many other conservation purposes.
Anyone who is interested in purchasing seedlings should place their order as soon as possible. Because of the high quality of these seedlings, this program is very popular. The State Nursery will quickly sell out of some species.
The Connecticut State Nursery has two programs available this year. In the "Homesteader Seedling Program," homeowners can select from five different packages, each designed to meet a different need: the Woodland Packet (25 Norway spruce, 25 white pine); the Windbreak Packet (50 Northern white cedar, or 50 Eastern hemlock, or 50 Eastern red cedar); the Christmas Tree Packet (50 blue spruce); the Hardwood Packet (5 red oak, 5 black walnut, 4 black cherry, and 6 sugar maple); and the Wildlife Packet (2 red mulberry, 5 silky dogwood, 5 flowering dogwood, 5 highbush cranberry, 5 elderberry, 2 shadbush, 5 chokeberry, and 2 eastern red cedar). "Homesteader" packets are available at a price of $26 per packet (includes shipping) to any Connecticut, Massachusetts or Rhode Island landowner.
The "Forest Planting Stock Program" is available to southern New England landowners with larger planting areas who intend to establish a new forest; develop a commercial Christmas tree plantation; plant additional trees in an existing forest which has sparse tree cover; utilize trees as part of an effort to stabilize lands with erosion problems; or for a variety of other larger-scale conservation needs. Forest Planting Stock orders must be in multiples of 250 per species. The price is $33 per bundle of 250 two-year-old seedlings. Three-year-old seedlings are available for some species at a price of $50 per bundle of 250 seedlings. There are also four-year-old seedlings at a price of $60 per bundle of 250 seedlings. "Forest Planting Stock" orders require the approval of a State Service Forester, who may come to inspect the planting area.
Seedling orders will be shipped as soon as frost is out of the ground at the nursery in Voluntown, usually in late March or early April. "Forest Planting Stock" orders will be delivered to one of seven convenient pickup points scattered across the state. The landowner will be notified by postcard as to when the order will be ready to be picked up.
The seedlings are quite small when received (from 6 to 12 inches tall). They grow slowly for the first year or two, after which more rapid growth and development can be expected.
All seedlings purchased from the Connecticut State Nursery are sold with two restrictions: they cannot be resold with their roots attached; and cannot be used for ornamental planting. A wide variety of larger tree and shrub stock of excellent quality is available for ornamental uses through the hundreds of commercial nurseries found across the state.
For an order form, write or call one of the following: DEP State Forester's Office, 79 Elm St., 6th Floor, Hartford, CT 06106, phone 860-424-3630; DEP Western District Headquarters, 230 Plymouth Rd., Harwinton, CT 06791, phone 860-485-0226; or DEP Connecticut State Nursery, 190 Sheldon Rd., Griswold, CT 06351, phone 860-376-2513.
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