Tree lovers couldn't have asked for better weather this Arbor Day.
Many were out planting their first trees of spring. Others, in communities like Shakopee, are getting ready to pick up their trees.
But experts say there’s more to planting a tree than just digging a hole.
"We planted nine new trees today,” Edina city forester Luther Overholt says.
Learning from their own mistakes, foresters say diversity is important.
“We’re out replacing ash trees today, because they will eventually succumb to Emerald Ash Borer,” Overholt says.
And many of those ash trees were planted after Dutch Elm trees suffered a similar fate with Dutch Elms Disease.
Now, foresters are spreading out their species, preparing for the bugs and diseases that come next.
“So all our trees won’t be wiped out,” Overholt says.
Shakopee Public Works Superintendent Bill Egan says it’s also important to prepare a safe planting site for your tree.
He and other city workers have set up a few hundred trees in a parking lot near Shakopee City Hall that residents can buy and take home this Saturday.
“A lot of people just think gas and electric lines are all they have to worry about,” Egan says.
He encourages homeowners to consider other lines that might be hiding underground.
“Roots can actually go fairly deep and get into your sewer and water lines,” Egan says.
Homeowners should also pay attention to the lines that lurk above.
“Power lines can become an issue as the tree grows,” Egan says.
Overholt adds potential buyers should consider the amount of maintenance and watering that come with each species of tree.
“Some require more water than others,” Overholt says. “And some drop more than others, like, you don’t want an oak tree right next to your house where you have acorns filling up your gutter.”
Both he and Egan are also encouraging tree lovers to wait a while before planting their new trees this spring.
With rain in the forecast they’re worried about soggy soil.
“It’s not so much that it’s bad for the tree, but it's just going to be harder to dig in the mud,” Overholt says. “It’s just messy and difficult when it’s wet.”
Most trees can survive in their pots a few weeks with proper watering, Egan says.
But don't wait too long, Spring is the best time to plant, giving trees extra time to adjust, and you, extra time to enjoy it.