SUNCREST EVERGREEN NURSERIES 
GROWERS OF “ALLEGHENY” EVERGREENS 
JOHNSTOWN, PA. 
PLANTING DISTANCES AND NUMBER OF TREES PER ACRE 
For forest planting the trees are usually spaced four, five or six feet apart. If less 
than four feet apart the trees will tend to crowd each other as they approach maturity. 
If planted more than six feet apart the trees will have a tendency to grow “limby.” For 
the customary spacing for forest planting the number of trees required is as follows: 
4x4 feet—2,720 per acre. 4x4 spacing is best for Christmas tree growing. 
Also see last paragraph below. 
5x5 feet—1,720 per acre. 
6x6 feet—1,210 per acre. 
CARE OF TREES ON ARRIVAL 
Allegheny Evergreens are packed in such fashion that they reach you in perfect 
condition. When they arrive it is best, of course, to get them into the ground as soon 
as you can, but it isn’t necessary to drop everything and plant them at once. Dig a 
little trench about five or six inches deep. Place the roots of the tiny trees in the 
trench, spaced rather thinly, and let them lean at an angle of about forty degrees with 
their tops toward the sun. Cover with moist earth to within two or three inches of the 
top. A cool, shady spot in moist earth is ideal. If your soil is dry be careful not to 
water too heavily. Excessive moisture may cause them to overheat. Trees properly 
“heeled in” in this manner need not be planted for several days ... but get them 
into the ground as soon as you conveniently can. 
WHEN TO PLANT 
The best time to plant is in early spring after snow disappears, just as the frost 
gets out of the ground. After the ground is free from frost, any time is planting time 
for the next several weeks. And there is another fine planting period in the fall. Sep- 
tember and October are almost always fine for planting ...and even the latter part of 
August after an average moderate summer. There are just two things to watch out for 
in fall planting. After a prolonged dry spell remember that hot dry soil is unkind to 
even the best of tiny trees. Wait for your soil to become tempered with moisture. 
And if you consider late planting after a rainy spell just bear in mind that heavy soil 
is liable to “heave.” You can readily appreciate what heaving of the soil will do to 
the tender roots of tiny trees. 
PLANTING METHODS 
Two men work to best advantage in planting small tracts. The first one makes the 
holes with a grubbing-hoe or mattock. The other one follows with the tiny trees, their 
roots immersed in a pail of mud and water. In each hole plant a tree, slightly deeper 
in the ground than it stood in the nursery. Be sure every tiny tree is set firmly in the 
soil. You can not plant them too firmly. It is important that after the tiny trees are 
taken from the “heeling-in” trench their roots are not allowed to become dry. Keep 
them immersed in mud every minute until planted. It isn’t necessary to prepare the 
ground in any way before planting. Just dig the holes and set in the tiny trees. For 
more extensive planting a crew of five works most effectively. Two men precede, 
digging the holes in parallel rows at proper intervals. The third follows with his mud- 
pail containing the tiny trees. He hands the tree, as needed, to the two men bringing 
up the rear, who plant them firmly to the proper depth. It takes longer to tell about it 
than it does to do it. 
CHRISTMAS TREE PLANTING 
When planting for Christmas-tree profits the trees most widely used for best re- 
sults are Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Douglas Fir, Balsam Fir, Scotch Pine, Red 
Pine, White Pine and Colorado Spruce. If you are accessible to a market for three- 
foot “table trees” you can plant your tiny trees as close as 2x2 feet. For fullgrown 
seven-foot Christmas trees the best spacing is 4x4 feet. Closer spacing will force the 
trunk-growth and make the joints between branch-rings too long to command the top 
price for attractive Christmas trees. If you are reasonably near a large city where a 
market exists for “table-trees” you can make your land do double duty. Plant your 
tiny trees with the two-foot “table-tree” spacing. When they are three feet tall thin 
them and sell those you cut for “‘table-trees.” This thinning can best be accomplished 
by cutting every tree in every other row in one direction and then the direction at 
right angles cut every tree in every other row of the trees that remain. 
