JoAnne Skelly: Nevada State Tree Nursery opens for year

It’s that time of year again. The Nevada State Tree Nursery in Washoe Valley is open for sales from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays. The nursery is located in Washoe Valley at 885 Eastlake Blvd.

Although many people think that landscaping is only about making their home look attractive, plants serve other important purposes. Choosing the right plants and planting them in the right places can resolve a number of site challenges such as water conservation, erosion control, wind amelioration, weed control or wildlife habitat. Solving these site issues requires hardy plants adapted to Northern Nevada’s tough conditions. Each year, the Nevada State Nursery in Washoe Valley sells plants at affordable prices that thrive in the harshest landscape conditions.

The purpose of the state nursery is to provide locally adapted, affordable trees and shrubs to conserve and enhance Nevada’s natural resources. Plants are available only for conservation purposes such as greenbelts, mine reclamation, post fire-rehabilitation, reforestation, soil erosion control, water conservation, wildlife habitat, woodlots, windbreaks and wetland and riparian restoration. The program is not for general home landscaping, although neighbors with adjoining lots who can combine their lots to equal a minimum of one acre are welcome to buy plants for conservation plantings. Plant a hedge for wildlife with your neighbor. A minimum first purchase of 20 plants is required

The plants are all grown at the nursery and are acclimated to survive Northern Nevada’s harsh dry winters and hot summers. Plants are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Shrub choices include sumac, peashrub, chokecherry, wild rose, golden currant, serviceberry, lilac and sand cherry. There are deciduous and evergreen trees such as Amur maple, green ash, bur oak, crabapple, hackberry, honeylocust, pines and incense cedar among others. For a complete plant list, call the nursery at 849-0213, or visit www.forestry.nv.gov.

Plant prices begin at $4.50 for D-pots and go up to $14 for a 5-gallon size.

If you have a conservation project in mind, check out the plants at the state nursery. Even though you may start with small plants, their rapid growth usually exceeds that of most retail nursery stock in the first few years after planting. Plants do need regular irrigation, particularly to establish, but will be more drought resistant than other plants after a couple of years.

The final class in the Grow Your Own series is 6-8 p.m. Thursday. “Get a Head Start on Pest Control” at 2621 Northgate, Suite 12. Call 775-887-2252.

JoAnne Skelly is the Carson City/Storey County Extension educator for University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and may be reached at skellyj@unce.unr.edu or 887-2252.