The early winter months of 2014 not only mean the Texas Forestry Association has reached its 100th year as the voice of forestry, it also means that the time to plant seedlings has come.
As the current planting season begins, growers are prepared to supply the East Texas region with both bare root and container-grown trees, including loblolly, slash and longleaf pine. Numbers of trees for the 2013-14 growing season are at 61.9 million bare root and 1.8 million containerized. With these numbers, 30 trees will be planted for every East Texan.
This planting season looks to be promising, with enough wet and mild weather to accommodate planting the seedlings. “Right now, the roots are dormant,” said Ron Hufford, executive director for TFA. “We plant trees now because, really, they are dormant at this time. You want them in their new home by the time spring comes before they start to bud or leaf out.”
During the 2012-13 growing season, the number of bare root trees sold by regional companies reached approximately 79.3 million. Those grown in containers climbed to 1.9 million. The increase in numbers sold could be related to the droughts and wildfires in 2011.
“East Texans’ efforts to replant following the catastrophic drought and wildfires of 2011 has been successful and continues on through this winter,” said Justin Penick of Acorn Forestry. “Replanting of our East Texas forests is crucial to the continued success of our economy as well as the health and vigor of our forest ecosystems and the wildlife it contains.”
For more information on availability and types of trees, as well as prices, please visit the updated TFA website at www.TexasForestry.org for a list of growers.
Texas Forestry Association, the voice for forestry for 100 years, promotes an economic, social and political climate that will advance forestry in Texas through education, political action and public relations, as well as serving the broad needs of the forest resource of landowners, producers and consumers, and to enhance and perpetuate the Texas forest resource.
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For more information on this story or to schedule an interview, please contact Susan Stutts at 936-632-8733 or by email at sstutts@texasforestry.org.