Arbor Day Activities
Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, and May is Arbor Month in Minnesota. Plant a tree to commemorate a birth, anniversary, or other special event. When selecting a tree to plant, do some homework regarding the growing conditions (such as soil, light and moisture) as well as the space available for the tree to attain a healthy mature size. Match the tree’s growing requirements to the site. Choose trees with good characteristics, not just rapid growth rate. Some species which we have found do well in Oak Park Heights are: red maple (rubrum species, not red-leaved Norway), bicolor oak, American linden (basswood) and thornless honeylocust. Prepare a planting hole at least twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Place the root ball on firm soil and remove the top rungs of the wire basket, burlap and twine from the root ball before filling in the hole. If the roots are in a container, even a “biodegradable” one, remove it before planting. There is no need to add soil amendments, but if you choose to, make compost, top soil or composted manure only one-third of the back fill mix. Water the tree well and continue watering (10-15 gallons) once or twice a week the first growing season, depending on weather conditions. Mulch the tree from the trunk out several feet with 4 inches of wood chip or shredded bark mulch to keep the root system cool and moist. In areas where root space is constricted, or near overhead power lines, small ornamental trees or shrubs work best.
Download and print the FREE Arbor Day/Arbor Month Activity Book below!