Hedstrom Lumber Company’s annual Free Tree Seedling Give- Away is now in full swing, with about 25,000 white and Norway pine and white spruce seedlings available to Cook County property owners. Since the program began in 1997, Hedstrom Lumber has given away over 450,000 seedlings. Providing a prime opportunity to maintain this renewable resource and keep up the beautiful, wooded scenery along Lake Superior, this is a program that many have repeatedly taken advantage of over the years.
“Many folks who have ordered in the past look forward to the giveaway each year and have been planting new trees for over a decade,” said Tina Hegg, the contact for seedling orders this year. “They love to tell us how their plantations are growing.”
Many of the seedlings, including all of the spruce and most of the white pine, have already been spoken for this year. However, there is still plenty of Norway pine available to those interested in planting some trees on their land.
People can order the seedlings in clusters of 25, and may claim up to 250. Hedstrom Lumber orders the seedlings from PRT Growing Services two years in advance, giving them time to grow large enough to be shipped to Cook County for planting. Although the seedlings have already had about two years to grow, they are still tiny, with a maximum order of 250 coming to only about two 5-gallon buckets’ worth in volume.
This year, there is also additional assistance available for keeping the newly planted trees safe from the deer. The North Shore Forest Collaborative is offering rolls of fencing at a discounted price to help protect the trees. Although the spruce are relatively safe from local wildlife, Hegg explained that white pine are particularly attractive to the deer and the fencing can help. You can visit northshoreforest.org for more information on the Tree Fencing Program and for resources on planting and taking care of the trees.
If interested in getting seedlings, email Tina Hegg at tina@hedstromlumber.com.
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