Tree and Wildlife Seed Sale

Click here to print the Wildlife Seed and Tree Sale Order Form 2025

As hard as it is to believe, it is time once again to be thinking about the 2025 spring planting season. If conifers, hardwood, fruit trees, and wildlife food plot seed is what you are looking for, then look no further, because Noble SWCD has what you need! Each year we seek out new varieties, and we think you’ll be pleased with this year’s assortment.

Noble SWCD is able to offer the community lower rates due to the large quantity we order. This year we are offering all bare root seedlings from Alpha Nurseries, Inc. and Adams County Nursery. Bare root seedlings are taken home and planted in the ground right away and tended to through the summer.

Over the past several years we have partnered with Merit Seed, out of Berlin Ohio, to sell wildlife food plot mixes. This has been a very successful partnership, and we are continuing it again this year. On the order form we offer three pound bag size, but we can also order larger quantities, if desired. We encourage you to look at the Merit Seed website at www.meritseed.com to see what they have to offer. Through this sale seed can be purchased at the same price you’d buy it at Merit’s store in Berlin, but producers save in shipping cost, which can be very expensive when dealing with a 50 pound bag of seed.

On this year’s order form you’ll notice  we have included the sales tax into the price of the trees, so the price you see is the final price. Hopefully that will make figuring your final cost much easier. The absolute last day we can accept orders will be Friday March 7th, 2025.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office at 740-732-4318.  The tentative pick up date will be April 11th, 2025.

2025 Tree and Wildlife Seed Descriptions

Eastern White Pine – Fast growing 90 to100 feet. Spread 25 to 40 feet. A five needled pine, with soft, light green-blue needles, 4 inches long. Can tolerate dry, rocky soil. Grows in normal moisture conditions but can tolerate wet, swampy areas. Excellent ornamental tree for specimens, naturalizing, windbreak or dense screen. Can be easily restrained to manageable height by pruning. For screen or Christmas trees, shear when new growth appears. It is easily controlled, and is good for small properties as well as field plantings. Also widely used for Christmas trees and timber.

Colorado Blue Spruce – It’s silvery blue-green coloring and perfect Christmas tree shape make this tree a great landscaping focal point on properties. It is also widely used for privacy or windbreaks. Blue spruce adapts well to a variety of soils and requires normal moisture with moderate tolerance to drought. Also, with a manageable growth rate of 12 to 24 inches per year and uniform growth and branching, blue spruce will easily acclimate to your landscape. Matures to 40 to 60 feet with a spread of 10 to 20 feet. The Colorado blue spruce is deer resistant and makes a great habitat for wildlife.

Bald Cypress – Unlike most cone-bearing trees, bald cypress loses its needles each winter winter and grows a new set in spring. The russet-red fall color of its lacy needles is one of its outstanding characteristics. Hardy and tough, this tree will adapt to a wide range of soil types, whether wet, dry or swampy. Matures to a height of 50 to 70 feet with a spread of 20 to 45 feet.

American Hazelnut – is an easy to grow native shrub that produces edible nuts in late summer. Able to thrive in a wide range of conditions, American hazelnut is a good choice for hedgerow or windbreak. It can be pruned at any time of year and its deep green leaves turn copper and yellow in autumn. Highly attractive to wildlife, the nuts are eaten by squirrels, fox, deer, northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse, turkey, woodpeckers, and pheasants. the leaves, twigs and catkins are browsed by rabbits and deer. The male catkins are a winter food for turkey and ruffed grouse. The dense, low growth habit provides cover and nesting sites for birds and other wildlife. American hazelnut matures to 10 to 18 feet. This is a unisex species with separate male and female parts on the same branch. A single shrub will produce some nuts, but as a wind pollinated species multiple shrubs are recommended for optimal nut production.

Chinese Chestnut – The Chinese chestnut tree is highly resistant to Chinese blight. Its leaves are dark green in color, turning various shades of yellow in fall. Showy, fragrant flowers appear towards the end of spring or earl summer, with yellowish white male flowers on the upper part of the catkin and female flowers near the base. After pollination, edible nuts develop within spiky burrs. Each burr usually contains 2 – 3 nuts. Nuts begin to form by the fourth or fifth year and ripen from mid to late September through October. Chinese chestnuts are enjoyed by deer, turkey, squirrels, and various of wildlife species. Matures to 40 to 60 feet with a rounded crown.

Black Walnut – Grows to 100 feet with a broad, open crown of almost equal spread. Black walnut’s large, fernlike foliage provides light, airy shade for those grasses and ground covers unaffected by juglone. The leaves turn bright yellow in autumn, contrasting nicely with the tree’s rugged , dark bark. Black walnuts require deep, fertile soil with a near-neutral or slightly acidic pH. They are pretty much disease-free and are threatened by only a few pests. Produces large, rich flavorful nuts. Black walnut is a highly valued hardwood.

White Oak – Grows 50 to 80 feet in height and about as wide. Dense foliage is bluish green, to reddish-brown in autumn. White oak grows best in deep, loamy, well-drained soil. Tree from which the phrase “Mighty Oak” was coined.  Known for their broad, round head and massive, wide spreading branches. Advantages of the white oak are that they are easily transplanted when young and they have a high resistance to ice breakage and oak wilt. Also, a good tolerance to highway salt. They are a long-lived tree and require very little maintenance. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), white oak trees are a vital food source for over 90 species of wildlife in Ohio’s forests. White oak acorns are a key food source for many animals, including deer, turkey, squirrels, ruffed grouse, blue jays, raccoons, woodpeckers, and fox.

Sugar Maple – Sugar maple is best known for being the primary source of maple syrup and for it’s brightly colored fall foliage. As the seasons change, the leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, burnt orange, and red. They can grow to a height of 60 to 70 feet with a spread of 45 to 50 feet. Sugar maple does not do well in wet areas or in small compact restricted growing areas. Native to northeastern United States.

Black Elderberry – An Ohio native, elderberry is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that grows 8 to 12 feet high with loose, open-arching habit and bright green compound leaves. It usually grows adjacent to waterways, woods, roads, and farmland. Elderberry performs best with low competition from other plants and in full sun to light shade. It prefers to grow in moist, well-drained, and moderately acidic soil. Elderberry is a favorite with birds and other wildlife.

Serviceberry – Blooms in March and April with delicate white flowers arranged in clusters, giving way to plump red berries in the summer and vivid red and gold foliage in the fall. Serviceberry matures it 15 to 30 feet. A great choice for small yards because of its size, slow growth, and non-invasive roots. Serviceberry prefers moist, well-drained acidic soil, but will tolerate many soil types. Growing well in full sun or partial shade. The berries that ripen in June are a favorite of songbirds as well as both small and large wildlife.

Concord Seedless Grapes – The seedless version is great for those that want easier eating. The fruit is similar to the concord grape, but smaller and usually seedless. The sweet flavor makes it a great grape for table use, jams, jellies, and pies. It is a vigorous, productive, and hardy grower. The fruit ripens in mid-September. Full sun is important to provide the heat required to ripen the fruit. Virtually any type of support structure will do, provided it is sturdy. Grape vines grow quickly and get quite heavy. Flowers are initiated on young canes. It is possible to get fruit one year after planting.

Jersey Knight Asparagus – A prodigious producer, this hardy variety offers up a bounty of large, tender, especially delicious spears. It is remarkably disease-resistant and thrives in pretty much any soil, even in heavy clay. Jersey knight is highly resistant to rust, fusarium wilt, root rot, crown rot, and cercospora. It is also hardy in cold winter climates where the soil freezes solid.

Fruit Trees

Golden Delicious (Apple) – A russet-resistant selection of the original golden delicious. One of the most widely planted apple cultivars. The fruit is firm, medium to large with the classic golden delicious flavor. The tree is spreading, productive, and easy to maintain. Fruit thinning is required to maintain annual bearing. Great for fresh eating, pies, and salads.

Honey Crisp (Apple) – This popular variety was developed at the University of Minnesota. The fruit is mostly orange-red with a yellow background. This crispy, juicy, sweet-tart apple has a rich flavor and stores well. Outstanding winter hardiness gives this variety excellent potential for northern growing regions. Honeycrisp is moderately resistant to apple scab. The tree is non-vigorous and late blooming.

Stanley  (Plum) – A New York State Agricultural Experiment Station introduction and leading cultivar in the Great Lakes region. A fine prune-type plum with excellent quality suited for both home use and processing. The fruit is large in size with dark blue skin. The flesh is greenish yellow, juicy and fine-grained. The tree is early bearing and a good pollinizer for other European varieties.

New York 9 (Plum) – NY9 was released by Cornell University. This selection is freestone wth yellow-green flesh. It ripens the same time as Stanley but is more productive and disease resistant. NY9 is considered self-fertile.

Merit Seed Food Plot Mixes

12 Point Buck Food Plot Seed Mix- Is a premium blend of high end clovers, alfalfa and chicory.  The blend consist of Merit Platinum Ladino Clover, Jumbo Ladino Clover, Alsike Clover, Cyclone Red Clover, Alfalfa, and Oasis Chicory.  Should be planted in well drained loam to clay loam soils and a good firm seed bed with a pH of 6 or higher.  Recommended seeding rate is 18-20 lbs /acre, frost seeding rate is 9-10 lbs. /acre.  Planting dates are spring, fall, or frost seeding, at a depth of ¼ to ½”.  This is an excellent source of high protein forage with good mineral content and good digestibility.

Platinum Ultra Food Plot Seed Mix- Is an excellent blend of white clover, wetland and multileaf all soil grazing alfalfa supplemented with Durana Clover and drought resistant forage chicory.  Seed blend consist of Merit Platinum Ladino Clover, Durana White Clover, Wetland Alfalfa, 5225 All Soils Alfalfa and Oasis Chicory.  It has fast regrowth and withstands heavy late season grazing.  Has a very good cold weather and drought tolerance that adapts well to shale or reclaimed soil.  Should be planted on well drained loam, clay loam soils and a good firm seed bed with a pH of 6 or higher.  Seeding rates and times are the same as 12 Point Buck.

Hillcrest Trail Food Plot Seed Mix- Is a mixture of Tetraploid Ryegrass, Duo Festulolium, Red Clover, Alsike Clover, and Chicory.  This is a quick establishing mix with good wildlife food value that is ideal for heavy traffic trails, logging yards, and gas lines.  This is an outstanding mix for erosion control also.  Widely adapted to all soils that are well drained.  Ideal for early to mid-late summer planting in a firm seed bed with a pH of 5.2 or higher.  Seed at 40-45 lbs. /acre in the spring, summer and fall ¼ to ½” deep.

Deer Max Food Plot Seed Mix- Is an annual premium Brassicas blend of turnips, kale, and rape that are very high in soluble protein and carbohydrates.  This is an excellent late season food plot.  The colder it gets, the better it gets.  Mix includes Kale, Hybrid Pasja, Forage Rape, Grazing Turnip, and Purple Top Turnip.  Grows in a widely adapted soil type with a firm seed bed that has a pH of 5.2 or higher.  Seed at a rate of 8-10 lbs. per acre between May and October at a seeding depth of ¼-1/2” deep.

Daikon Tillage Radish- Also known as the Groundhog Radish.  This brand produces more root mass than oil seed radish.  This large root will pull nitrogen and nutrients deep from within the soil and bring them to the surface.  Diakon Radish cover crops captures 150-200 pounds of nitrogen per acre before winter killing.  This nitrogen will then become available to the next

crop.  The decomposing roots leave large voids in the soil to improve water infiltration and soil aeriation.  This plant not only improves your soils, it will suck those monster bucks on to your property in the late season.  It will grow in a wide variety of well-drained soil types.  Plant at a rate of 10-12 lbs. per acre a ¼” to ½” deep between May and August.

Buck Forage Oats- Is a winter hearty oat that is a fall and winter food source for deer and other wildlife.  They are extremely winter hardy, drought resistant oat designed to provide more tender growth for a longer interval of time.  Is also excellent product that has dual uses both as a cover crop and as a fall forage.  It grows in widely adapted, fertile soil at a seeding rate of 100-125 lbs. per acre at a planting depth of ½”-1” deep in the spring and fall.

Large Lad Eagle Brand Soybeans- are becoming the most popular soybeans to plant for wildlife food plots.  Large Lad plants can reach up to 84” that will provide excellent forage and cover for deer and turkeys.  They are easy to grow, with resistance to many foliar diseases, root rots,, stem canker and races of nematodes, they are widely adapted to numerous soil types, and will with stand harsher growing conditions than regular soybeans.  Drill beans at a rate of 50-80 lbs. per acre during April thru June at a seeding depth of ¾”-1” deep and a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0.  Broadcast at a rate of 75 lbs. per acre.  These are Roundup Ready.  A Monsanto Agreement form will have to be signed by purchaser

Two Year Fertilizer Tablets- 25/package This fertilizing tablet is designed to root feed evergreen and hardwood seedlings and fruit trees for up to 2 years. Just drop tablet into the hole near the root zone at planting time.  Releases slowly for 2 years.  Tablets should not touch root system of trees.