Why January Can Still Be a Good Time to Plant a Living Urn
Winter is here! A beautiful peaceful season when many head indoors and enjoy the company of family and friends! Also, early Winter (January) can also be a great time of year to plant trees and grow a living memorial of a loved one with The Living Urn’s patented tree urn and planting system.
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Many families ask about planting in the current season – below we provide answers to some of the most common questions.
How Can Early Winter Still Be Good Time to Plant Trees?
Depending on where you live and the weather this year, the month of January can actually be a great time to plant trees - this can be stretched later into the Winter season, especially when winter comes later than normal. In warmer states like California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Tennessee, planting throughout the month of December or even January is common.
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How can now a good time to plant trees?
There are many reasons why it can be a good time to plant. Below we highlight some of the important ones:
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Trees focus on root growth
Deciduous trees drop their leaves in Fall and Early Winter and enter into dormancy. This allows the newly planted tree to focus all of its energy on expanding and growing its root system which it continues to do all through the Winter. Other times of the year, trees need to divide their energy between shoots and leaves in addition to roots. Also, in the Fall and Early Winter, the soil stays warm well after the air temperature cools, which also encourages root growth. With a strong and robust root system, your tree will be well set to take off in the Spring!
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Less watering
Increased rainfall and cooler temperatures means less watering time for you!
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Improved drought tolerance
Trees planted in the Fall and Early Winter are generally better equipped to deal with heat and drought in future seasons. Compared to trees planted in the Spring or Summer, trees planted in the Fall get an extra 6 to 8 months of initial root growth before the Summer heat sets in.
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Fewer insects
Leaf chewers and other insects are less active in the Fall and Winter months. This means less stress for newly planted trees and plants.
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Tree availability
The Living Urn’s tree nursery is currently well stocked and has thousands of healthy 2-4’ trees available and ready to ship! Simply pick out your loved one’s favorite tree and have it shipped to your doorstep or location of your choosing ready to plant with the special bio urn containing a portion or all of your loved one’s ashes. Are you looking for something special not listed on our website – we can still help! Just send an email or give us a call. It’s likely we grow it or can find it for you!
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Helping the environment
The sooner you plant, the sooner your loved one’s memorial can give back to Mother Nature and future generations. Trees provide oxygen, clean the air, support wildlife, and add striking beauty to any landscape. In addition, for every tree planted with The Living Urn, we will plant a second tree in one of America’s forests in need of reforestation – just our way of helping to double the impact of your loved one’s memorial!
These are just some of many compelling reasons to plant a tree memorial of a loved one this Winter!
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When is it too late to plant trees?
As a general rule, as long as the ground is not frozen, you can still plant a tree. Basically, it is best to plant your tree no later than a few weeks before the ground freezes or before the most extreme cold weather of the season arrives so it has a chance to “root in”.
While these guidelines are useful for most states, warmer states like California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Tennessee, allow trees to be planted later into the season and with more flexibility. In these locations, even January can be a good time to plant.
Once I plant a new tree, do I need to do anything to prepare it for mid to late Winter?
Trees are tough and resilient and have adapted and evolved to deal with the elements. With that said, a newly planted tree still needs a little help from you to get going before it becomes self-sufficient. When you plant in the Fall, be sure to water your tree weekly (taking into account rainfall), even after the leaves have fallen off. Continue watering all winter until the ground freezes. Remember, even if your tree has dropped its leaves, it is still working hard on its roots and watering it properly provides the critical moisture and oxygen they need to expand.
Also, follow the instructions provided with your Living Urn to mulch properly. Mulching keeps the soil around the roots of your young tree moist, which is very important. It also insulates the soil from rapid increases and decreases in temperature, just like a forest floor in nature. In addition, mulch helps keep weeds from growing that will try and compete with you tree for moisture and nutrients.
What if the ground freezes where I’m at?
If you live in the Northern part of the United States, the ground will more than likely be frozen by the end of the Fall season. If the ground is already frozen where you live, it is recommended that you wait until Spring to plant.
If you want to use a bio urn to plant a memory tree of a family member or friend and the ground is already frozen where you live, you still have multiple options. This includes choosing one of the following:
The Living Urn with a Tree (and select a tree shipment date in the future): You’re able to receive The Living Urn bio urn and planting system right away and the tree you select will be shipped directly to your doorstep and ready to plant on a date of your choosing. This can be simply noted at checkout on our website, or you can give our Denver-based customer service team a call at (800) 495-7022, ext. 0.
The Living Urn with a Tree Voucher: You are shipped The Living Urn bio urn and planting system right away that comes with a voucher for a tree, giving you the ability to select the tree you prefer and ship date of that tree for a future time. This option gives you flexibility if the tree type and ship date are both unknown at time of purchase.
The Living Urn System Only: You receive The Living Urn bio urn and planting system right away. With this option, you simply visit your local nursery when the time comes to plant and pick out a tree or shrub and follow the instructions that come with The Living Urn to plant and grow a living memory!
The Living Urn Indoors / Patio: You receive a dignified urn made from high quality porcelain (in either white, blue, or beige) that holds your loved one’s cremated ashes encased inside of the urn. Then, plant a bonsai tree or plant on top of the urn to honor your loved one in the home or on a patio! Additionally, this unique urn has a vase option that gives you the ability to place cut flowers in the center of the urn providing an array of color to your home!
The Living Urn Planter: You receive a beautiful handcrafted wooden indoor planter urn made from premium rescued California Sycamore and FSC Certified Black Walnut woods. This unique urn comes with an inner chamber in the bottom half that holds the cremated ashes, connected to the top half with rare earth magnets that are embedded in the urn. The top half of the urn can hold a succulent or other small plant of your choice, making for a beautiful decorative piece. This new urn is an enduring and dignified way to honor a loved one in the home!