A brief vlog sharing the fun of the potting party.
Potting Party!
On May 22nd, we partnered with Tacoma Tree Foundation to take on a large community task together: the potting of 1240 bareroot trees in 1 gallon pots. We worked together to send an “all hands on deck” request for help out to the Tacoma community. Excluding Tacoma Tree Foundation and Pierce Conservation District Staff members, 20 volunteers answered the call!
This potting party was a long day, starting at 11:30 am, but finishing slightly earlier than expected at 4 pm thanks to everyone’s hard work. The weather was also on our side. With only a light drizzle happening briefly and some moments of sun peeking through, we were able to focus on getting those trees potted as quickly as possible. The pizza lunch we shared certainly helped energize us as well!
By the end of the day, a total of 700 Ponderosa Pine, 360 Douglas Fir, 120 Red Alder, and 60 Western Red Cedar were in pots and on pallets where they can continue to grow until they reach a more permanent home. We also have 100 Black Cottonwood whose dry roots need a little extra TLC (Tender Love & Care) before getting placed in 2-gallon buckets. They will be potted very soon within the next few days to ensure they get the pampering that they need before potting.
In addition to the giant task of getting 1,240 trees into pots, the attendees all had a blast building community over a shared love of trees. As we walked through the potting rows’ tables or over to the potted tree loading area, volunteers were almost always striking up conversation through smiles. Observing from a distance, the tables were always abuzz with the sound of enthusiastic chatter.
It was heartwarming to see so many smiling faces throughout the tree potting party. Is that too sappy?
Why It's Important to Pot Bareroot Plants
Because of the high amount of planting Tacoma Tree Foundation and Pierce Conservation District do in Pierce County, we often order plants in bare root bundles. This means we receive a lot of plants in boxes or bags that only include the plants themselves, sometimes with a small clump of soil the roots sit in.
The reason most organizations buy in bare root form is because the cost is lower for bulk plants without extra labor or materials, and it is easier to transport them due to lighter weight.
Most plants in this bare root form should quickly be moved to a pot or the ground. Because of this style of ordering plants, many plants’ roots get very dry when packaged in boxes or bags. This is one of the reasons it is important to get bare root plants potted or in the ground ASAP- so they can quickly absorb the nutrients, water, and sun they need.
What's Happening Next for These Trees?
We loaded the variety of trees onto the row of wooden pallets was so they can have some time to settle into the pots' soil, soak up the soil and sun nutrients, and have access to regular watering from the sprinkler poles on the sides of the row. Since they are freshly out of their bags and boxes, we want to give them as comfortable of a starting environment as possible to grow a little more.
This is what about 5 hours of hard work and 1,240 trees look like!
After these trees grow, a portion of them will go to PCD’s Riparian Stewardship Program Manager, Glenn Johnson, for some of his unfunded projects to provide shade for streamside habitat, improve the soil health, increase plant biodiversity.
The other portion of the trees we potted with Tacoma Tree Foundation will go to their tree share program. Their tree share program is an opportunity for streamside landowners to pick up free trees for their properties. Tacoma Tree Foundation has offered multiple opportunities throughout recent years and at various locations throughout Tacoma and surrounding areas for streamside landowners to pick up free trees.
Collaboration is Key!
Regardless of if it’s through Pierce Conservation District projects or the Tacoma Tree Foundation tree share program, all these trees have a bright future ahead. We are so grateful for all of you who showed up to our joint TTF-PCD potting party. Thanks to your hard work, these trees have a comfortable start to a life stage that can sometimes be a tough growing period.
We love partnering with Tacoma Tree Foundation for projects and events alike. We're happy that this stewardship opportunity created joy and great memories for so many of you. We look forward to creating even more through future joint events! You can follow our Facebook or Instagram and keep an eye on our Calendar of Events and Opportunities for event updates if you're pining fir more opportunities like these.
Throughout the day, these busy bees hopped between tree mulching, wagon loading & pushing, watering trees, and placing them on the pallets. What a superstar family!