Community Tree Buying Program

The Community Tree Buying program was established in 2001 to provide municipalities with a low-cost method for buying and planting trees. There are two key elements to this program: 1) bare-root trees and 2) the volunteers to plant them. Thirty municipalities, parks and neighborhood associations have ordered 1566 trees through the Community Tree Buying Program since 2001.
Bare-root trees are large trees (1.5 - 1.75 inch caliper) that come shipped without the soil around the roots. Because of this, bare-root trees are less expensive to purchase and transport than traditional balled and burlap. Bare-root trees are also substantially lighter allowing volunteers and municipal staff to plant them without heavy equipment.
Community involvement in tree planting is critical because once volunteers plant trees - especially in their own neighborhood - they become vested in the trees' survival. The savings for using bare-root trees and volunteers can be as much as $250 per tree if you factor, in the cost of the tree, its transport and the cost of a contractor to plant them.
There are disadvantages to using bare-root trees. Because the roots are exposed, they can only be planted when the tree is dormant (early November or late spring). Ideal planting time is therefore weather dependent and somewhat unpredictable. In addition, communities must plan more carefully.
To protect the tree roots from drying out, they are dipped in a thick slurry of hydrogel. However, this gel will only provide protection for roughly 7 - 10 days and only if the root system in bagged tightly in heavy duty plastic bags.
Communities must be ready to plant, once the trees arrive. In contrast, balled and burlap trees can remain unplanted much longer if watered. In addition, some bare-root trees (greater than 1.5 inches in diameter) do not transplant as well.
Bare-root planting is nothing new but the process developed to extend bare-root planting to large trees was pioneered at the Urban Horticulture Institute. To learn more, go to this link: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/bassuk/uhi/outreach/pdfs/bareroot.pdf