Grown Here at Home: Virginia Department of Forestry selling trees

CRIMORA, Va. (WDBJ) - At the Augusta Forestry Center, they’re putting walnuts in the walnut hauler to take the husk off.

“The outer husk on the walnut will actually grow maggots and that’s what attracts birds to the field. When birds come to the field they’ll dig up all the walnuts. If I can get rid of the birds coming into the fields, maybe this nursery can end up growing more walnuts,” explained Joshua McLaughlin, Assistant Forestry Manager for the Virginia Department of Forestry Augusta Nursery Center.

The nursery takes acorns you donate, along with ones they buy to grow trees that will be planted all over our region to protect and develop the various tree populations found in the Commonwealth.

“We actually grow a bunch of different pines. White pine is a good one because White Pine is one of the number one Christmas trees in the area. A lot of the efforts of DOF goes in conjunction with the American Chestnut Foundation. We help with American Chestnut research and the restoration in that,” McLaughlin said.

You can take part in helping to maintain the different species of trees in our region. You can buy seedlings from the Virginia Department of Forestry right now.

“Our seedlings are very inexpensive. You can buy as few as five trees for $3 a piece, or you can buy 10 trees for $2 a piece, or if you want 1,000 [...] they run you $320 for $1,000 which is $.32 a piece. The nursery is self-supporting and seedling sales is what keeps us open,” McLaughlin said.

Go to buyvirginiatrees.com to place your order.

“We allow pickups and ships to start mid-February. We want to make sure the trees go dormant and shut down for the winter and that is the best time to plant a small tree is when they’re shut down for the winter,” McLaughlin explained.

The sale lasts until the last Wednesday in April.

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