The National Arbor Day Foundation

I got an invitation in the mail to join this and for $15 get 10 trees and one lilac shrub. I went ahead and sent a check. I was just wondering if any of you have joined this before and how were the trees you got? Any comments on this would be appreciated. I do recall having a friend years ago send for this and she didn't get all her order and what she got didn't make it and she was sorely disappointed.

Brenda

I joined before-they are just sticks when you get them-mine are all about ft tall now-i lost one of the cherries and the cepe myrtle

I planted in a row and then moved them after yrs growing-i had a backhoe to dig with other wise id say 1yr if digging by hand!

i passed this yr! they have a tree sale right down the rd from me and i can get most things there!

Here's feedback in the Watchdog regarding them

http://davesgarden.com/gwd/c/91/

I joined last year and received my free trees. They did look like twigs with a few roots on them. They might have lived if I would have planted them. I heeled them in dirt until I could figure out where to plant them, but got busy and forgot they were out there. When I finally remembered, they were all dead. Needless to say, it was my fault they all died, but it sure would have taken them a long time to look like trees.

Marilyn

Thanks for your replies. I wish I had read the Watchdog first before ordering. Oh well. It's only $15 and I'll take the challenge of trying to grow dead sticks. :) I'll let you know how it turns out.

I donated to them for years.....I figured it was for a good cause...I didn't alway opt to get the trees. Just a couple times..They are these little sticks, but I always did like nursing things along....mine all lived....planted way in the back....to make a long story short, the golf course down a few miles owned that way back property, and one day I came home to having that all dug up.....I kid you not, this one small (about 2-3 feet tall and branched out) tree was stripped of it leaves and the others were gone....I was in tears....*My baby trees....LOL* I dug it up, and planted it in a spot up front.....well this thing grew and grew...(I can't remember what kind it was now.....it might have been the Washington Hawthorn??It had big thorns on it...) It was a good 5 feet high when we dug it up and I gave it to a friend that has land......It's now a big, big tree.......I have lived in this house for 15 years, and I did this within the first few years of living here, so that is how long it took to grow, I guess.....

Okay, so I rattled......LOL....I still see my friend that has that tree, and I always talk about how I saved it...LOL

Oh, when you do get them, I wouldn't wait long to plant....they are dormant, so give them a drink with maybe some root starter, and if your young enough, it will be fun to see them grow......LOL

Good Luck!!

What a great story Lucy. Thanks for sharing. I'm 55 years young now so I hope I have enough time left to see them grow up somewhat. I don't really plant for myself but for my future grandchildren who will inherit this farm. I made my son promise to tell them that I planted all these trees for them. :)

My brother in law gave me a ton of acorns that I plan to plant throughout the woods. I hope some day they will grow into tall oak trees and someone will enjoy them.

I think I will plant my trees inside my garden area where I can watch them and keep them watered until they are a few feet tall at least.

Brenda