All About the Yardmasters' Tree Farm

Did you know that a portion of the trees used in our landscaping projects, are grown on our own tree farm? In fact, we've had the farm about 15 years. When we bought the 40-acre property it was all farmland, but we immediately sectioned off 14 acres and started planting a variety of trees species, like spruce, pine, ash, oak, and a mix of maples.

We spend a lot of time ensuring that the trees are properly cared for and healthy - it's pretty much a full time job just keeping the weeds down! That's what we do spring through fall, since keeping the weeds at bay prevents the trees from having to compete for moisture and nutrients.

A healthy dose of fertilizer and insecticide also helps the trees remain hardy. Consistent pruning is vital in making sure the trees are healthy and have the proper shape throughout the growing process. Because we don't have a water source at the farm, during dry spells we bring large tanks of water with feeder hoses to the farm to keep the trees well watered.

Tree farming is in exercise in patience as it takes eight years for the spruce and pine trees to be ready for removal and reinstallation, while the hardwoods and deciduous trees, like the maples, ashes, and oaks, take 10-12 years and a trunk diameter (or "caliper") size of about 2 inches, before they are ready for transplanting.

In about 35% of our projects, our landscape designers pick the tree from the field that is best suited for the desired landscape. After it is selected, the tree is "balled and burlapped," that is, the roots of the tree are balled-up and wrapped in burlap after being removed from the ground; it is then transported to the property and installed.

Since only about a third of the trees for our projects come from our farm, we still work closely with local growers to ensure that there's a wide variety of tree species and sizes available for our projects. Having grown our own trees for years now, we have first hand knowledge about the proper care of trees, whether we grew it or not, and can pass this knowledge on to our customers after the tree is planted.