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Fall Tree Planting

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 00:44:21 +0000

Balsam Fir is just one of many evergreens Arbor Hill Tree Farm grows, sells & plants for our customers. This tree is tolerant of partial shade & wetter soil conditions than other evergreens.
Fall is a great time to plant trees. Evergreen trees are starting to go dormant & cooler temperatures make for perfect tree transplanting weather. Other evergreen available in many sizes include Black Hill Spruce, Colorado Spruce, White Pine, Canadian Hemlock, Black Spruce, Austrian Pine, Fat Albert Spruce and others.
Check out our “Tree Specials Page” for $70.00 savings on Spruce.

March Tree Savings

admin — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:30:57 +0000

February & March is a great time to place your Tree Orders for several reasons.
BIG SAVINGS FOR ORDERS PLACED IN FEBRUARY & MARCH.
Arbor Hill Tree Farm is discounting 5 & 6 ft Colorado & Black Hills Spruce by $70.00 each.
Also save $70.00 per tree on 6-9 ft White Pine, Balsam Fir & 3in. Diameter Autumn Blaze Maple Trees.
EARLY PLANTING DATES.
By placing your tree orders in February & March, you will get on our installation schedule & an early planting date.
GREAT SELECTION
Many of our customers like to walk through our fields & hand pick the trees they want. Coming out early for the biggest selection of trees available.
MILD WEATHER
The mild winter & lack of snow has made walking through our fields to pick out trees pleasant & easy.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO ORDER YOUR TREES NOW FOR THE BEST SAVINGS OF THE YEAR!
Tree orders in February & March can be placed in 2 ways:
Phone Orders-Place order now by contacting Jerry at 651-459-5026. Orders can be processed by e-mail or regular mail now & customers can come out at a later date to pick out trees. In Person- Please call ahead to set up an appointment to visit Arbor Hill Tree Farm.
All orders require a 50% deposit. Payments method by cash or checks are preferred, but we do accept visa, discover & Mastercard. THIS OFFER EXPIRES 4-1-2012.
Arbor Hill Tree Farm will be at the Minneapolis Home & Garden Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center from February 29th till March 4th. We will be at booth 1244. Please stop by and see us.

Natures Artistry

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:49:28 +0000

Click On Any Image To View Pictuers

This past weekend was a great opportunity to get out and enjoy some beautiful scenery made by nature.

The warm days have melted the little snow we have, adding moisture to the air. The mild nights & lack of wind made conditions ideal for frost to form on the trees. Close up it appeared as though the trees were growing fur.

I think the moisture in general should be beneficial to the trees, given the lack of moisture we had going into winter.

I walked through our fields at Arbor Hill Tree Farm & took several pictures. You can see them by clicking on the images on the right side of the page.

Imprelis Damaged Trees

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:34:24 +0000

Imprelis is a chemical manufactured by DuPont. It was used by lawn maintenance companies for broadleaf weed control in lawns or turf.Unfortunately Imprelis has proven to be very toxic to trees, particularly evergreen trees.
Thousands of trees have been affected by the chemical. Many of the trees have either died or are damaged enough that they will also need to be replaced.
Arbor Hill Tree Farm has had many inquiries about replacement of trees damaged by Imprelis. We have a large inventory of many sizes and varieties of evergreens growing in our fields. Typically we burlapp evergreen trees from 4-12 feet tall. This size of tree can be planted using out ASV. This machine is approximately 5 feet wide, so we can get into an area that has limited access.The ASV is equipped with a smooth rubber track , so it is very turf friendly during the tree installation process.
Evergreen trees 13 feet & larger usually require a much larger root ball, so for that size tree we use a truck mounted tree spade. Due to the large size of this equipment, we are limited to where we can plant this size tree.
Both the methods of planting trees we use can viewed by going to our Installations Methods web page.
Please contact Jerry at Arbor Hill Tree Farm for specific information on your particular site.

Mild Minnesota Winter

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:03:27 +0000

The holidays are behind us and a new year has begun. Just like alot of the U.S., Minnesota is having an extremely mild winter. I think the warm temperatures we are experiencing will help the trees in general weather the winter better given the lack of moisture we had in the fall of 2011.

When we have an extremely dry fall followed by a winter without much snow cover the frost tends to go much deeper and that is harsher on trees. Hopefully by spring we will get out of this dry spell and back to some normal precipitation conditions.

Given the mild conditions, now is a great time to get out and do the pruning on your trees that you did not get done in the fall. The general rule for timing of pruning is if the month has an “R” in the spelling it is safe to prune. With the leaves off the shade trees, it is also easier to see the actual branching of the tree to make your decisions what to prune off.

Of course it is never too early to start thinking about and planning your spring tree planting projects. We have alot of information on our website about the trees we grow for sale at Arbor Hill Tree Farm as well as the services we offer to help you with your project.

We will also be an exhibitor at the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center that takes place Feb. 29 – March 4th. We will be at booth 1244, so plan on stopping by to see us.

It’s Christmas time at Arbor Hill Tree Farm!

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:29:57 +0000

Christmas tree sales are well under way and now with snow on the ground, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We are selling Fraser Fir Christmas Trees ranging from 6 feet to 10 feet with prices starting at $59. We have transformed our pole barn into the “North Pole Barn,” where we are selling the trees!

The enclosed structures helps to keep the snow off the trees and makes the adventure of picking out the perfect tree a little more comfortable for our visitors. As people walk through the rows of trees they can enjoy the rich smell of the Frasers and hear the sounds of the season as Christmas music plays on our stereo.

The main attraction every Saturday in the “North Pole Barn,” however, has been Santa Claus! Santa arrived the Saturday after Thanksgiving and although it was wet and mucky outside he still had some young wide-eyed visitors who shared their magical Christmas wishes with him. Santa came back last Saturday and saw even more youngsters eager to get a chance to meet with the big guy.

Although he’s very busy, Santa will return one last time this Saturday, December 10, from 11am-3pm. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras to capture the special moments. Hot cider and cookies are also provided on Saturdays to satisfy your sweet tooth and keep your soul just a littlebit warmer!

We’ve been having a lot of fun out here at the tree farm now that Christmas has fallen upon us! We’ve worked hard to make your Christmas Tree shopping experience as enjoyable as possible; along with the Christmas trees in the “North Pole Barn” we are also selling Christmas Wreaths, door sprays, mini living Christmas trees, and evergreen center pieces. So come out and see us and start a new Christmas tradition for you and your family!

Merry Christmas!

Fall Tree Care And Maintenance

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:20:07 +0000

Evergreen and shade trees in the late fall will benefit from watering thoroughly. The lack of moisture this fall in the Twin Cities Metro area has left many trees needing additional moisture so they will have sufficient moisture for the winter.

The best way to water your trees is a slow trickle, so the water will stay by the root ball and thoroughly saturate the entire root structure. How long you water is dependent on the size of the tree and the type of soil you have at your site.

Trunks of shade trees should also also be wrapped with a tree wrap to prevent sun scalding. Start at the base of the tree and continue up the trunk till the tree starts to branch. Fruit trees are also susceptible to rodent girdling so use a wire mesh up about two feet to prevent that.

Arbor Hill Tree Farm is winding down on tree planting for the season. We want to thank all our customers for making 2011 a great year. We attribute our successful season to repeat customers, referrals from former customers and people finding us through our website. Parker at MPH Digital has been doing a great job, helping us keep our website current and updated.

We are also gearing up for a fun holiday season selling Precut Frasier Fir Christmas Trees at our farm. New this year we will also have wreaths, table top trees as well as other Christmas decorations available locally and many items can be shipped nationwide through our website.

For the young and young at heart, Santa will visit Arbor Hill Tree Farm. Check out his schedule on our website.

From the entire Knutson family and staff at Arbor Hill Tree Farm, we want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holiday Season.

Annual Cottage Grove Halloween Parade

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:56:42 +0000

Arbor Hill Tree Farm participated in the Halloween parade in Cottage Grove. The floats that are in the parade are judged by a group of individuals. We won a trophy for most creative.

The truck had a giant pumpkin made of rebar and old rusted tree baskets on it. The trailer had a Christmas Tree and several landscape trees on it. The Halloween parade is one of the biggest events in Cottage Grove. It is fun to get out and show some Community Spirit and showcase some of the trees we sell at Arbor Hill Tree Farm.

Shown on the picture is myself as The Jolly Green Giant, Jackson as Mickey Mouse, Adam as Tall Paul Bunyan and Matt as Elmer Fudd. Not shown are Mike as the float driver, Blake who assisted in making the Giant Pumpkin and putting the float together, Jay from Shafer Sign who helped with signage and Lisa, my bride, helping with my costume.

We distributed thousands of pieces of candy to the spectators along the parade route.

Thanks to everyone who participated and made it all possible.

Seasonal Evergreen Shedding

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:02:11 +0000

In the fall season, evergreen trees will shed inner needles. This is a very normal thing that happens. The longer needled evergreen trees such as the White Pine, Austrian Pine, and Norway Pine drop or shed about one-third of their needles each fall.

Because these trees tend to be a more open or less dense tree, it is more obvious on those evergreens. The Spruce also shed needles to a lesser degree, but is less noticeable.

The best way to keep your evergreen trees healthy & looking good is to make sure they are watered enough the entire Spring & Summer. Fertilizing with a soil acidifier up until mid July.

Do I Remove Burlap, Basket When Planting Tree?

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:03:21 +0000

One of the most frequently asked questions when we are doing tree planting is do you leave the basket and burlap on? Yes, we leave both on. The basket and burlap is what holds the root structure for the tree together. In a very short time, roots start to grow through the burlap. Eventually, both will rot away, not affecting the tree’s root growth.

I have taken a picture of a burlapped tree that was burlapped only two weeks, and the new roots are already penetrating the burlap.

FAMILY DOG
When you come out to Arbor Hill Tree Farm, you will probably meet our family dog. Lucy is about 6 months old and is a very social Golden Retriever.

As puppies go, we have some work to do to train her. She does not know how strong she is and she can almost knock me down at times with all her energy. We lost our other golden retriever Jesse, to a tragic accident this early spring. We were all crushed by her passing. If you are a dog person, you realize how dogs become a member of the family.

The photos are of Lucy resting in the grass. Also shown is another use of our bubbling rocks, they also work great for doggy drinking fountains.