Alexandria is hosting its first-ever Eco-City Festival on Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 10 am to 1 pm at NOVA Community College (NVCC), located at 5000 Dawes Avenue, in Alexandria, Virginia. This is a free, family friendly event full of games and activities where people can learn more about environmentally friendly practices happening in our community.
Most notably, to help celebrate Alexandria’s 275th birthday, the Alexandria Beautification Commission is supporting the City’s Urban Forestry department in giving away 275 tree seedlings to spread the green love throughout our vibrant city. As the Tree Stewards of Arlington & Alexandria, we’ll be participating by providing guidance on tree and site selection, demonstrating seedling planting, and a tree planting activity for children.
Tree Selection
The following tree seedling are available to Alexandria residents during the Eco-City Festival. Once you receive your seedling, it’s important to keep the roots moist until you’re able to plant it.
Site Selection
Providing the best environment for your tree to thrive starts with selecting the best location for your tree type. The projected growth size, soil and sunlight needs, ant the distance from structures and power lines all need to be considered. The following resources provide great information to help you select the best place for your new tree.
- Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place (Arbor Day Foundation)
- Choosing the tree location (Plant NOVA Natives)
- Do you have room for a shade tree? (Plant NOVA Natives)
Planting and Caring for a Seedling
The seedlings will be small, about 12 inches tall. The great news about seedlings is that they are very easy to plant and the primary requirements are making sure the hole is deep enough and ensuring that they get plenty of water over the next couple of weeks. Make sure the soil is moist but not overly wet. The first video below shows how you can use an empty soda bottle to protect your seedling.
- How to Plant a Bare Root Tree Seedling (Chesapeake Bay Foundation – YouTube)
- Tree Sapling Planting and Care (Montgomery Co. Parks – YouTube)
- Tree Seedling Planting Guide from Utah State University
Ongoing Care
The TreesAreGood website is a great resource for tree care and finding an arborist, when needed. Plant NOVA Trees is another good resource, in both English and Spanish. Several good links can be found on this site, under Tree Care. Once your seedling has a caliper (diameter measured at 6” off the ground) of 1”, you can apply to the Stormwater Utility Fee Credit Program for a credit for planting your tree.
Send Us Your Planting Pictures!
We would love to see and post pictures of you planting your seedling! Send them to us at treestewardsarlalexva@gmail.com.
Happy Planting!