Green Acres

October is a Great Time to Order Shelterbelt Trees

The Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery (MCSN) will be receiving orders on October 1st 2022. Rocky Mountain Juniper is the most popular windbreak species and sells out quite quickly. If you are interested in ordering Rocky Mountain Juniper for your shelterbelt, please place your order as soon as possible. Shelterbelt plans should be approved by the MSU Extension Chouteau County agent, Conservation District or MCSN staff.

Seedlings are sold on a first come, first serve basis. Please order early. The minimum order for new customers is 150 bareroot, 144 small, containerized seedlings or 48 large (100 cubic inch or 175 cubic inch) containerized seedlings. When replacing seedlings from a previous order, the minimum order is a single lot. Bareroot trees and shrubs are sold in lots of 50. Small containers are in lots of 24. Large containers are sold in lots of eight.

The least expensive shipping option to receive plants is to have an order delivered to the Chouteau County Courthouse by refrigerated truck. Trees usually arrive close to the second or third week in April depending on when the frost goes out of the ground in Missoula. Tree orders must be received by the first of April.

MCSN in cooperation with the Montana Extension Service, local Conservation Districts and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, offers low-cost tree and shrub seedlings for use in conservation plantings. MCSN seedlings are for conservation practices and cannot be used for ornamental or landscape plantings. Landscape plants can be purchased at your local private retail nursery or garden center.