Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
bunkers_gw

Where to buy trees for non-millionaires in CO?

bunkers
17 years ago

Where to buy trees within 60 miles of castle rock? Heck, I'd drive further if I could just pay a reasonable price for some trees.

I need a lot of trees and I just can't afford $200,300,400 per tree. Its just ridiculous.

Anybody know of a place I go to and get an honest deal without going broke?

Comments (18)

  • david52 Zone 6
    17 years ago

    If you don't mind waiting a few years for big trees, check out the Soil Conservancy, who every spring sell a variety of small seedling trees in bundles, which works out to a few dollars each. However, they also sell stuff like black plastic weed barrier and protective cones for the tiny trees, which bumps the price up to about $10 or $15 each. And I sure would take their word for it re putting down the weed barrier and protective cones.

    I did several hundred trees this way, and 9 years later, they are all 20' + tall.

  • highalttransplant
    17 years ago

    Bunkers: I ran into the same problem on the western side of the state. I wouldn't have minded planting seedlings, but our covenants specify 6' evergreens, which aren't cheap around here either!

  • jaliranchr
    17 years ago

    Depends on how big you want them, bunkers. As David said, Soil Conservancy for seedlings is a great option. If you want mature trees, the price is going to be higher.

    I'd look for tree farms in the Black Forest area, some of the smaller tree farms have good prices. They would be the little tree farms around Elbert, Elizabeth, Kiowa, north of Calhan.

    There's Hardings Nursery and Colorado Tree Farm in the Springs. I love Hardings and I was impressed with Colorado Tree Farms inventory and price, but decided not to, ... yet.

    Hardings be sure to check out the map, they are a little difficult to find unless you do.

    Colorado Tree Farm They are off Woodmen, in tangled road country.

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    17 years ago

    Hi bunkers,

    If you'll consider putting in small trees, check out The National Arbor Day Foundation. You have to join to get the member prices, but joining is only $10---and you get TEN free trees with your membership The trees they ship are small and either bare root or in small pots for some of them. Most of the evergreens are about 12" and the deciduous trees mostly range from 2-4' when shipped. If you're willing to wait and watch them grow you can get some VERY good prices. The whole purpose of the Arbor Day Foundation is to get people to plant as many trees as possible. Even if you decide to not join, there's some great basic information on their site. I just checked their site and right now they have a free shipping deal--and a couple free forsythias with your order too.

    Skybird

    Here is a link that might be useful: The National Arbor Day Foundation

  • bpgreen
    17 years ago

    Some time ago, I read that in the long run, planting a smaller tree is actually better than planting a large tree. The large trees are more stressed by translanting, and the root systems tend to be compacted for the transplanting. The smaller trees aren't as well established, so when they're transplanted, there's less stress involved, and they catch up with the larger trees very quickly.

  • bunkers
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks everyone for the great advise. I think my situation will warrant a need for a smaller number of trees that I'll have to pay a premium for (or find the bext price possible, maybe in the black forest tree farms). I do have a large portion of my yard which would be perfect for growing smaller trees in, so that in a few years down the road, I'd have a lot of my own trees and wouldn't have to pay too much to get these. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with Musser Forests (dot com) ? They seem to have good prices.

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    17 years ago

    I recommend asking that question on the Trees Forum. I think you're more likely to get more advice than here. I used to get their catalog, but I've never dealt with Musser myself.

    Skybird

  • david52 Zone 6
    17 years ago

    bpgreen, thats certainly been my experience, the smaller the tree, the better off I end up. I think thats particularly important for fruit trees. I've found that bare root, 1" trunk dia fruit trees overtake the 3" dia, $120 ones in about 3 years, and are way ahead by the 4th.

    If the trees are root bound, I've had reasonable luck with cutting down opposite sides of the root mass before planting, maybe an inch deep, just to prune them and stimulate new outward growth.

  • bunkers
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks for all the responses. I am going to try the trees around colorado buy to obtain a lot of the trees I will need.

    I drove to Kiowa, to Elbert, around the black forest ... and didn't see any small tree farms anywhere.

    Can anyone provide names and/or numbers of these small colorado tree farms, if they exist?

    I'd also like advise on where I could find some nice sized colorado blue spruces as well.

  • jaliranchr
    17 years ago

    bunkers, save yourself some gas. Most tree farms are off the beaten path. The one here with a town mailing address is 12 miles south of town. Look in the yellow pages for tree farms/nurseries in Elbert, Franktown, Larkspur, Elizabeth, Monument. That should give you an idea of who all is in the area south of you. Some might be around Peyton, Kiowa. Good luck!

  • nicole__
    17 years ago

    Getting creative here....
    Watch the garden section of your local newspaper. Some people need a tree moved.

    Ever seen a construction site? They bulldoze the site before building, they can load the dug up tree into your truck just as easily as a dumpster.

    I have gotton trees both ways. Even full grown lilac bushes growing around an old house they bulldozed to build a Wendy's. :0)

    The stock at Walmart is generally not good, BUT.....I found an acer,a raintree for $29.99 there(they give a one year warranty). Ricks Nursery wanted $90.00 for the same tree. The tree at Ricks had better form....but it's been in for about 5 years now and performing beautifully!!!!!

  • junkmanme
    17 years ago

    You might consider putting an "ad" in a nearby newspaper just simply expressing what you are looking for and what $$$$$$ and effort you are willing to put forth.

    just a thought......

    Good Luck to YOU and Happy Holidays!!!
    Bruce (Junkmanme on GardenWeb)

  • Dan
    17 years ago

    I know Colorado Springs has a street tree program where they pay 100 towards the cost of a tree, as long as you pick one of the kinds on their list and from an approved vendor. Maybe Castle Rock/Douglas County has something similar?

  • bunkers
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well, just an update for those who care. I ended up buying most of my trees from the Trees Across Colorado program -- and thus far I have lost zero trees (2 not doing so well) -- and have over 50 planted in my yard.

    I also bought some trees from Home Depot and some guys selling trees over in parker on a corner near Lowes. Those trees (from Parker) were pretty good, actually.

  • digit
    16 years ago

    Now this is what I like to see - a follow-up from a year ago!

    (Now if we could just get Yago to tell us about his efforts on growing a butterfly garden. ;o)

    Thank you, Bunkers.

    digitSteve

  • singcharlene
    16 years ago

    Yes, thanks for following up! 50 trees wow! Glad you found what you were looking for.

    How did you get the trees through the Trees Across Colorado program? I tried to find a website for them but didn't come up with one.

    The back of our house faces West and though we do have a beautiful view of the mountains, it can be unbearably hot and bright at times. Some well placed trees would be beneficial but the budget doesn't allow for the price of trees in the nurseries! Like you said "non-millionaires." ha

    Charlene

  • conace55
    16 years ago

    I found this in my surfing:

    http://www.coloradotrees.org/programs/Trees%20Across%20Colorado.pdf

    Not much, but tells who to contact.

    Connie

  • autodidact
    16 years ago

    Last year the city of Denver and the Parks People sponsored a cow-cost tree sale in the Spring to help beautify the city. I got a nice redbud for $60 or was it $80 and it's doing great. I'm guessing they'll do it next summer as well.