CONCORD — The New Hampshire State Forest Nursery is accepting orders for bare-root tree and shrub seedlings for delivery in spring 2012.
Now in its 102nd year, the nursery distributes an average of more than 300,000 seedlings annually, mostly to New Hampshire landowners and residents.
Originally established to provide seedlings for reforestation, the program has expanded to include seedling sales for Christmas tree planting stock and conservation uses such as windbreaks, gravel bank reclamation, wetland planting, native plant species, and wildlife and songbird habitat. The State Forest Nursery has a reputation of producing a product of the highest quality for a reasonable price.
Fifty species of tree and shrub seedlings are available this year, including 16 conifers (pine, spruce, fir), nine hardwood trees (oak, maple, walnut) and 25 species of deciduous shrubs.
Six packages of mixed seedlings also are available, including the winter survival package, which contains plants that produce fruit that will remain on the plant into the winter months, providing a valuable food source for wildlife above deep snow cover. The snow pack in a normal New Hampshire winter makes such food sources invaluable to the survival of many the state's wildlife and songbird populations.
All of the seedlings sold at the nursery are grown from seed in the nursery seedbeds.
"We collect as much of our seed as possible from local sources to ensure our seedlings are well adapted to New Hampshire climate and soils," said nursery forester Howie Lewis. "People interested in purchasing seedlings from the nursery should order them soon. We often sell out quickly of our more popular species, especially Christmas tree planting stock like balsam and Fraser fir."
Seedlings are sold in a variety of quantities, many in as little as 10 per package. Prices range from as much as $1.50 each in a package of 10 to as little as about 15 cents each for larger quantities.
To request a catalog, contact the Division of Forests and Lands at 271-2214.
For more information, visit nhnursery.com or stop by the nursery facilities on Route 3 in Boscawen. The nursery is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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