Tree Plant Guide

If you are looking to establish trees for a windbreak or other conservation practice, Stevens SWCD is here to serve you. Our experienced staff provides excellent customer service and we have the practical knowledge of area soils and weed control methods to make your project a success.

We use quality trees and products to complete your project and you will see excellent growth and survival rates. In addition, there is often federal and/or state cost sharing available to make your project more affordable.

To make your project a success, the Stevens SWCD provides:

  • Free tree project design
  • Custom tree planting
  • Tree fabric (plastic weed barrier conserves moisture and prevents weed growth for at least 5 years)
  • Tree pruning
  • Custom tillage for conservation practices
  • Native grass and flowers (sales and seeding) for conservation practices
  • Custom mowing
  • Soil Erosion Practice design

Fall and winter is the best time to order trees. Please order by March 15th to ensure availability.

A Note About Tree Fabric. . .

We highly recommend using fabric mulch for the establishment of your tree planting. Over 85% of our clients are now using this method. The benefits of tree fabric are:

  • High survival rates
  • Up to two to three times the growth rate of cultivated sites
  • Large reduction in labor during tree establishment
  • Cost savings over time

Cost Share Available

Depending on the conservation program you enroll in, there is often times between 50-75% cost share available to help you get your planting accomplished. Click here for more information on the various conservation programs available. You are also welcome to stop by, email or call John Lembcke, our Assistant Technician, about a no-obligation quote.

Trees Best Suited to West Central Minnesota

arboretumThinking of planting some trees, shrubs, and/or native grasses and forbs for conservation purposes? Want to know what varieties do best in your area and soil type? Interested in seeing what the different plants look like?

Have we got the answer for you! The Conservation Arboretum, a joint project of the Stevens Soil & Water Conservation District and the Stevens County Comprehensive Local Water Plan, is located next to our office in Morris. There are examples of many of the specie of trees and grasses that do best in our area. We are currently obtaining a grant with which we will be purchasing signs for each plant in the arboretum. Each species will labeled with the name, photo and some information on size, preferred soil type, etc.

We invite you to stop out and take a look! Revisit several times during the year to see variations in color and maturity.

We sell the following varieties of trees and shrubs for conservation purposes. These are the varieties we have found are best suited in our area.

Shrubs

Small Trees

Large Trees

Evergreen (Conifer) Trees

Our Mission

The mission of the Stevens Soil & Water Conservation District is to work with county landowners in putting conservation practices on the land and to help all citizens be good stewards of our natural resources.