Shelterbelt and Beautification Trees for Private Property
All landowners in Alberta have opportunities to place orders for trees for shelterbelt development, wildlife plantings, and beautification on their properties. Trees are available through a variety of sources including the many fine private nurseries in business locally. A good source for a listing of local nurseries is Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association (LANTA) at www.landscape-alberta.com

The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) Shelterbelt Centre is a federal government tree nursery that produces hardy trees and shrubs for prairie farmers and other eligible clients at their facility in Indian Head, Saskatchewan. The PFRA Shelterbelt Centre has over 100 years of experience supplying shelterbelt stocks. PFRA trees are available at no charge to owners of rural holdings greater than 39 acres and charitable organizations such as 4-H, Guides, and Scouts.

Application forms for ordering trees from PFRA are available at www.agr.gc.ca/pfra

Alberta Nurseries is a private nursery that has fashioned a mail order business after the now defunct provincial government program. This nursery has been in business for many years and historically has provided good value for the trees ordered, as do the many local businesses that also have this type of seedling stock available. Trees are available to all Alberta landowners at prices ranging from $7.00 to $17.50 per bundle of ten trees, plus the application fee of $26.75. Order forms are available at www.marketland.net

The deadline for ordering from either of these suppliers March 15, 2004. As orders are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, there is an advantage in ordering early. Trees are shipped collect to the nearest municipal office of your choice in early May. Both of the web sites indicated above have excellent information resources about tree varieties and shelterbelt planning and care. Information and copies of order forms are also available at the Leduc County Agricultural Services Department office.

For the past several years, Leduc County has been fortunate to be able to access naturalization trees through Alberta Naturalization Network Society in affiliation with Tree Canada Foundation for distribution to County residents for the purpose of naturalization type plantings. Tree Canada purchases these white spruce seedlings from forestry greenhouses with funds donated from private industry. Tree Canada has a very interesting site at www.treecanada.ca

The seedlings are not hardened off and are not suitable for immediate planting into an exposed location (field shelterbelts), but will perform satisfactorily if planted into the understory of an existing poplar stand or put into a nursery site for the first year. We are hoping to once again receive a quantity of these trees for distribution to County residents. If you have a suitable planting site and the means to care for a number of these trees, please give us a call and leave your name and phone number. If we are able to access these trees, and this won’t be confirmed until early June, we will give you a call at that time. Our usual practice has been to divide the number of trees made available by the number of interested individuals so everyone has equal opportunity.