Georgia's Arbor Day
/Start Planning to Celebrate Georgia’s Arbor Day
When someone mentions Arbor Day you may not realize that Georgia’s Arbor Day is at a different time of the year than the National Arbor Day which is in April. Due to Georgia’s hot summers, the best time to plant trees is right now! The Georgia tree planting period is from November to March. To help promote planting trees at the right time the General Assembly set the third Friday in February as our state Arbor Day, but it isn’t too early to start planning for this state holiday.
To celebrate Arbor Day by planting your own tree start by examining your site. Look into getting a soil test in the spot you want to plant your tree. This will give you info on the nutrients in your soil and its pH level. Most of the soil in Georgia is acidic, meaning it has a pH less than 7.0, which can help inform you of what types of trees to plant. The amount of shade provided is also impactful in how your tree will grow. Large trees typically require full sun and smaller trees typically need partial shade especially in the afternoon. Trees’ sunlight preferences follow how the trees would grow naturally in a forest with bigger, taller trees expecting more sunlight and smaller trees expecting to be the understory with more shade.
All trees are planted similarly if bought with a root ball. Start by digging a hole two times wider than the root ball of the plant and as deep as needed to make the seedling level with the ground. Make sure to work the soil thoroughly and take out any rocks or debris that will get in the seedling’s way. Place the root ball and backfill with the same soil that was dug out. Make sure to spread mulch in an area around the seedling and check in regularly to make sure it is healthy.
There are many native trees suited to our area that can accommodate any particular look you desire. We are located in zone 7a so you can use a tree’s zone guide to determine if it is appropriate here. If you are looking for brilliant color, look into Red Maples, Black Gum, or Sugar Maples. To get a flowering tree look into Tulip Poplars of Magnolias. There are also multiple evergreen tree options such as the Virginia Pine or Loblolly Pine. In total, there are too many trees to list all of the native options, but a quick call to a nursery or garden center can help you find a native tree that fits what you are looking for.
If all of this talk has got you excited to start planting, join Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful for their Dogwood Tree Seedling and Seed Giveaway this Friday on January 22nd at the Habitat for Humanity Restore at 111 N. Glenwood Ave. from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. There are limited quantities of Dogwood seedlings available so it will be first come, first served and they cannot guarantee that there will be seedlings at the time you arrive. There is a limit of 2 seedlings per family. Please allow for up to 20 feet of space per tree when planting. These types of trees are native to Georgia, helping to provide vital habitat for birds and other species of wildlife and enhance the beauty of our community.
There will also be multiple types of vegetable seeds to choose from to plant for this year as well so that you can stock up and there will be enough for each attendee. This event is made possible by a grant from the Georgia Forestry Association and Keep Georgia Beautiful and the event support by Greater Dalton Habitat for Humanity. For more information visit KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org, call 706-226-6211, or find them on Facebook. Whatever tree you decide to plant, you can enjoy watching it grow healthy and strong with a little pre-consideration into native species and landscape location.