In the last few years, costs have risen significantly, in part due to the many struggles of the pandemic. With costs rising everywhere in our daily lives it’s no wonder people are looking for ways to lessen the financial strain. While looking for a good deal is a great idea for most purchases, doing so with plant material may not be wise.
When you purchase a tree from a big box store such as Home Depot, you are getting plant material from all over the U.S., usually from very large growers. The grower sells a large quantity to the chain store at a lower, bulk pricing rate. The savings are then passed down to the customer. What could be bad about that?
First off, you’re leaving out an opportunity to give business to the growers in your community that may also have been hard hit financially post-pandemic. It’s just a fact that when we shop at big box stores we aren’t supporting local growers, but it’s important to acknowledge that we don’t all have financial freedom to make those choices everywhere we desire to.
Second, you are receiving a plant that likely isn’t acclimated to our climate, which is probably the biggest reason not to buy at a big box store. Large growers for big box stores are frequently located in states like Oregon where conditions are favorable all year for growing and selling trees. Since acclimation takes time and exposure, trees grown in other states and then planted in Wisconsin often don’t survive the winter, or suffer significant struggles from the resulting stress. If you or your arborist are unaware that your tree was not grown in Wisconsin, it can make managing the resulting stress very challenging, resulting in money wasted trying to restore plant vigor. A good example is cold damage of conifers not grown in Wisconsin. Since conifers keep their “leaves” all winter and have more vulnerable plant tissue exposed during the coldest part of winter. Even trees bred specifically for the cold hardiness of Wisconsin can perish if not grown in similar conditions and acclimated appropriately.
Third, moving plants from state to state is how insects and disease are spread at high rates. While pests are not aware of state lines, which are arbitrary to the natural world, states vary in their monitoring programs for detection and quarantining plants to keep pests from spreading from state to state. Some examples of human accelerated pest establishment are Dutch Elm Disease, Oak Wilt, Spongy Moth, and Beech Bark Disease. Additionally, Wisconsin is monitoring for Spotted Lanternfly, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and Thousand Cankers, all of which are in nearby states and remain a threat. An example threatening Wisconsin right now is the Spotted Lanternfly, which is a sucking insect that will feed on dozens of native and non-native trees. It can move freely on plants, trees, and even shipping containers and non-organic surfaces.
Tree Health Management buys all our plants from Wisconsin-based growers to ensure their quality and longevity. Give us a call if you have questions about buying trees or tree selection and we’ll be happy to talk.