By Keith Hawkins, Area Extension Forester
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) has applications for ordering tree seedlings. Many pine and hardwood species are available, including: loblolly, slash and longleaf pines, baldcypress, 12 species of oaks, and over a dozen other species of hardwoods. For the first time ever, LDAF will have containerized longleaf pine for $200 per thousand. Advanced generation loblolly seedlings are available at $42 per thousand bare-root seedlings.
Specialty packets include an arboretum packet with 50 assorted and labeled seedlings. This packet has 16 to 25 different species of trees and shrubs and costs $30 per packet. Another packet is the wildlife packet for $20. It includes 25 assorted and labeled seedlings with a minimum of five species for wildlife habitat improvement. Those species in the wildlife packet are crabapple, sweet pecan, white oak, sawtooth oak and water oak.
Applications are available at the LSU AgCenter's Beauregard Parish office located at 203 West Third Street in DeRidder across from the Beauregard Parish School Board. Also, the LDAF offices in DeRidder, 585 Highway 3099, and Oberlin, 9418 Highway 165, will have the same applications.
LDAF will accept applications beginning July 1, 2009. Applications and payment must be mailed to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry in Baton Rouge. Applications without full payment will be returned to sender. Completed applications and forms will not be accepted at the Beauregard Parish LSU AgCenter Office.
Seedlings will be available December 15 through March 1. For more information, contact the Beauregard Parish Extension Office at (337) 463-7006 or the local LDAF offices in DeRidder at (337) 463-7801 or in Oberlin at (337) 639-4978.
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