Howard Nursery
197 Nursery Road
Howard, PA 16841
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Phone: (814) 355-4434
Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm
2024 Public seedling sales – SOLD OUT!
Ordering began Monday, January 8, 2024 and ended February 12, 2024. Public seedling sale will return Monday, January 13, 2025.
Seedlings for Schools 2024 - INVENTORY DEPLETED
Ordering began February 5, 2024 and ended February 20, 2024. Seedlings for Schools will return Monday, February 3, 2025
Seedlings For Schools Program2023-2024 Seedling Index (PDF)
Planting Directions and Safety NoticeWildlife Home Plans2024 Wildlife Homes Order Form (PDF)
Bare-root seedlings are raised at the nursery for wildlife food and cover on state game lands. The nursery has been producing and distributing 2 to 8 million seedlings annually for wildlife food and cover since 1954. The goal of Howard Nursery is to provide the finest tree seedlings available of those species that best provide for the various needs of wildlife, including food and shelter. All of our stock is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture and certified to be disease-free.
Howard Nursery grows tree and shrub seedlings for state game land use, participating Hunter Access cooperators, the Seedlings for Schools program and our conservation partners. Any remaining surplus is available to Pennsylvania residents for purchase for wildlife food and cover, watershed protection, soil erosion control, and for reclamation of disturbed areas, such as surface mine site and utility right-of-ways. The selection of seedlings changes from year to year due to available seed, seedling germination, or growing conditions.
In addition to making arrangements for landowners to pick up their seedling orders, the nursery also ships via United Parcel Service (UPS) for an additional fee. Orders are shipped Monday thru Wednesday to assure that your packages will not sit in an unrefrigerated warehouse over the weekend. Most orders are received the day after they are shipped. Generally, seedlings ship in the month of April. Please keep in mind that due to conditions beyond our control, such as ice and snow, wet weather, and frozen ground, we may not be able to ship trees as early as we would like. We will do everything we can do at the nursery to ensure timely shipping and arrival of trees.
Size Of Units
Seedlings are packaged in units of approximately 25. During counting and grading, some smaller seedlings are not counted; the net result is that many units contain more than 25 seedlings. For customers that wish to pick up their seedlings at the Howard Nursery, orders are bundled with units of seedlings root to root and rolled in shipping paper with tops sticking out both ends. A roll can contain more than 500 seedlings. Depending on the size of the order, age of the seedlings, and the species, bundles will be 30 to 36 inches long, up to 20 inches in diameter, and weigh no more than 30 pounds
How Many To Plant
One thousand evergreen seedlings, planted at the recommended tree spacing of 6 feet by 6 feet, will occupy 1.5 acres of ground. Hardwood seedlings should be spaced a minimum of 10 feet by 10 feet with the exception of black locust and shrubs, which can be planted at 8 feet by 8 feet. One hundred hardwoods will occupy a ¼-acre and 1,000 will occupy 2 acres (black locust and shrubs occupy less space).
Transportation Of Seedlings
To prevent unnecessary damage to tree seedlings by heat buildup and wind exposure seedlings should NOT be transported in open trucks or trailers. Seedlings may be transported in pickup trucks equipped with hard, ventilated caps or enclosed trailers with ventilation or air conditioning. Acceptable car transportation is inside your vehicle, not in the trunk. Air conditioning should be operated during seedling transport. In no case should seedling packages be stacked more than three high in any vehicle. Every effort should be made to ensure that packaged seedlings are not exposed to direct sunlight or wind during transport.
Care Of Seedlings
After transport, open bundles and ensure roots are moist. Roots and packing material should be cool and damp to touch but should not be soaking wet. Add water to roots (not tops) if necessary. Seedlings should be planted as soon as possible. They may be stored in a basement or other cool, dark area at 35 to 50° for up to one week.
When Delivered Via UPS
The package should be opened immediately and inspected; plant roots should be moistened with water if necessary. Shipping containers can be used to carry seedlings to planting site. Please see the packing list on the outside of the shipping container for more detailed planting directions.
Planting
Detailed planting directions will be included with your packaged seedlings.
Bundle Information
Bundles are not eligible for discount pricing nor do they count toward the required amount needed for any discounts. In the event that an item is unavailable at the time of shipping, an appropriate substitution will be mad