Installation service
We'll plant them for you.
Most tree plantings fail for reasons that have nothing to do with the tree: grass competition, deer browse, cattle, and no protection. We show up with the trees, the posts, the tubes and the equipment, and we do it right.
What's included
A finished planting, not a pile of pots
Delivery
Your trees arrive healthy and hydrated the day they go in the ground. No shipping stress, no week in a box.
Planting
Proper hole, correct depth, roots spread, soil firmed and watered in. Deep-pot stock means a real taproot goes in with the tree.
Protection
Tree tube and stake standard. T-post and welded wire cage where cattle have access. This is the step people skip and regret.
Weed control at the base
Grass is the number one killer of young trees. We clear and treat a weed-free circle around every trunk.
Mapping
You get a simple map with GPS points so you can find, mow around and check every tree next year.
Care sheet
Written follow-up instructions: watering in year one and two, when to remove tubes, what to watch for.
Protection tiers
Deer protection vs cattle protection
These are not the same problem and they do not have the same solution. Be honest with us about livestock access, because a tube that stops a deer will not survive a cow.
Standard: tube + stake
A 5 foot tree tube on a wood or fiberglass stake. Stops browse and antler rub, creates a greenhouse effect that speeds early growth, makes herbicide application around the trunk safe, and lets you spot your trees in tall grass.
Right for: timber ground, CRP, food plots, hunting properties, yards.
Cattle grade: T-post + welded wire cage
Cows rub, lean, push and chew. Standard tubes get flattened. For pasture plantings we set a steel T-post and wrap a welded wire cage with enough diameter that an animal cannot reach the leader.
Right for: active pasture, rotational grazing, silvopasture, anywhere livestock can reach.
Silvopasture note. Chestnuts in pasture is a legitimate and productive system, but the trees have to get above reach before you turn cattle back in. Plan on protecting them for years, not months, and plan on checking the cages after every winter.
Service area
Where we work
Home range is central and western Iowa, roughly between Des Moines and Omaha. We will travel anywhere in Iowa when the job size justifies it and the client covers travel.
Job size. Installations have a minimum. Smaller orders are always welcome for farm pickup or a Des Moines metro meetup. Tell us your county and tree count in the form below and we will tell you straight whether an install makes sense for you or whether pickup is the better deal.
Get a number
Request an installation quote
The more you tell us about the ground, the more useful the quote. There is no charge and no obligation for an estimate.