Frequently Asked Questions

What is NurseryTrees.com?

NurseryTrees.com, LLC is a tree farm located a few minutes north of Woodinville, WA. We have several thousand trees growing on approximately 50 acres—property that has been used for farming for the last 100 years. Buying directly from the grower has great advantages—fresh trees, great selection, and low prices. For more information please see the “About Us” section of our website.

How long has NurseryTrees.com been in business?

We planted our first trees in 1995 and our business has been “growing” ever since. We are a local, family-run business. (Our “NurseryTrees.com” domain name was acquired early on in the “.com” name rush of the 1990’s). For more information about our history please see the “About Us” section of our website.

What kind of trees does NurseryTrees.com grow?

We specialize in “Privacy Trees”—trees to screen-off your property from neighbors, roads, etc. No other farm or nursery has our combination of experience in “what works where”, a great selection of privacy trees including trees that no one else has, professional planting services, ongoing support, and thousands of satisfied Customers. Here’s a link for a list of our Privacy Trees.

We also have select ornamental trees, also very high quality, and here’s a link for a list of our Ornamental Trees.

Do you also plant your trees for Customers?

Yes, our main way of “getting our trees to market” is to deliver and plant them for Customers.

Do you sell trees to homeowners?

Yes, the majority of our sales are planting privacy trees or ornamental trees for homeowners. We also plant trees for businesses, governmental agencies, and landscapers/contractors.

What is NurseryTrees.com’s “service area”?

Our “Service Area” is the greater Puget Sound Region—roughly Bellingham to Olympia including Seattle, Everett, Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah, Renton, Tacoma, etc.—plus Stevens Pass/Wenatchee. If you are outside of this area we won’t be able to plant for you.

What are NurseryTrees.com’s business hours?

We are a farm, not a retail nursery so we don’t keep regular retail hours and discourage Customers from “just dropping by”. Instead we set-up appointments so that we can focus on your project. Before people come to the farm we usually have them fill-out our “Request for Free Estimate” form and send us photos of the project area. We then discuss the project with them by phone/e-mail and perhaps have one of our Foremen stop over to review the project with the Customer at the planting site. Doing it this way, by the time people come to the farm everyone will have a good idea of what trees and sizes could be considered for the project, and this is what we then show the Customers when they visit. We have done business this way for years and it is very efficient and effective.

Is NurseryTrees.com licensed and insured?

Yes, including being a registered contractor with the State of Washington (License Number: NURSEL*956J1).

How do I start working with NurseryTrees.com?

Please fill-out our “Request a Free Estimate” form and send us a couple of photos of the planting area. From there one of our Project Managers will work with you to figure out your project. We may also have one of our Foremen stop by your place and review the project with you, and you might also schedule a time to visit the tree farm to look at the tree options.

We discourage people from just showing up at the farm without talking with us first—we may be with other Customers and not able to help, and just showing up is not nearly as effective as taking it step-by-step.

Are “Free Estimates” really free and no-obligation?

Yes, every step of the Free Estimate process from talking with you, to a site visit on your property, and possibly a visit to the farm, is “no cost, no obligation”.

How do I decide what Privacy Trees to use?

Each step of our Free Estimate process is designed to help you understand what trees could work for you. Basically we will work with you to help you understand the tree options, pros and cons, project costs, etc. We also have online tools such as the Privacy Tree Comparison Chart & “Top 10 Privacy Trees in Washington State” article.

Does NurseryTrees.com really have Privacy Trees that no other farm/nursery has?

Yes. We have been the Washington State Leader in privacy trees for many years and during that time we have experimented and improved what we do—another good example of why it is beneficial to deal directly with a grower. For example, we now “hedge” several of our privacy trees—cedars, Leyland Cypress, and laurels—as they are growing to keep them as narrow as possible; then we plant them for the Customer and the Customer keeps them hedged and narrow. This is a very common “need” as houses get bigger. For the same reason we experimented with and now offer for sale the Thin Man Arborvitae—a fast-growing, narrow and tall tree that no one else in the Northwest is growing. Using the wrong privacy tree can result in significant problems (and no privacy). We can help you make the right choice.

How much will Privacy Trees cost?

The answer will obviously depend on the size of your project but basically there are three categories of cost—the cost of the trees themselves, a planting charge, and a delivery charge (that is based on how far away from us you are).

What is included with Delivery & Planting?

Because most of the trees we sell are so large, we usually also deliver and plant them. Our goal is to show up on time and do exactly what we said we were going to do. To accomplish this:

• We work with you to be sure you know what you’re getting and how much we’ll charge. No surprises.
• We may send one of our experts to look at your project with you (no cost or obligation).
• We communicate with you the day before your job, and again on the day of the job when the crew is heading your way. Our goal is to not waste any of your time waiting for us.
• We want you there while we are working so you get exactly what you want, where you want it. If you can’t be present the whole time, we at least need you there when the crew arrives so that we can go over the job with you.
• In most cases we will install a temporary, above-ground irrigation system to make watering as easy and effective as possible. Watering is really critical for newly-planted trees.
• We will usually add a “soil enhancer” to the planting soil and we will stake up the trees when necessary, for no additional charge.
• In most cases we will call the “Call Before You Dig” utility locator service and have them come out and mark where the public utilities are located (no charge).
• We have an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau.

When does NurseryTrees.com get paid?

Except in special circumstances we don’t ask for any deposits—we only are paid when your job is finished and you are totally satisfied. We accept most credit cards, checks and cash. We do charge a 3% surcharge when a credit card is used.

Does NurseryTrees.com offer a Warranty with its trees?

Yes, for trees that we plant we include a one year Warranty at no additional cost.

When is the best time to plant trees?

Some people will say that it is better to plant in the Fall or early Spring. That has not been our experience. We plant trees all year long, except on the very hottest and very coldest days of the year where transporting trees in that weather might cause damage; or when it snows so that we can’t travel. That is only a few days a year. No matter when we plant trees they will need to be watered well their first spring/summer in their new location (and sometimes two seasons for bigger trees). Our Customers lose very few trees over the course of the year, and it is clear that proper watering is the “key” to success, not the time of year.

When is the best time to buy trees?

This is a different question from when is the best time to plant trees. A Nursery Tree Farm has a “cycle” each year. Trees in our fields can only be dug when they are “dormant” (not growing), roughly October-April (our “Digging Season”). So trees that we sell in the spring/summer need to have been dug the last Digging Season. This time-lag is not a big deal in terms of quality—we take good care of trees that have been dug—but sometimes we sell out of various sizes of trees as the spring and summer go along. Then when October rolls around again we can start digging a new crop and our inventory of available trees will increase dramatically as the “cycle” begins again. So early spring and fall/winter are the times when we have the best selection of trees.

How long will it take to have new trees planted once my project has been agreed-to?

That will depend on the time of year—our “busy seasons” are spring and fall. During those times we can sometimes be scheduling out 2-3 months in advance.

A privacy tree planting project is like a “remodel” of part of your yard. And like most remodeling projects, you will be living with it for many years. So it is important to “get it right”. We have been doing this for many years with basically the same crew, we have trees no one else has, and we offer ongoing support. We believe that’s worth waiting for, and presumably so do our thousands of satisfied Customers.

Does NurseryTrees.com offer ongoing support for the trees it plants?

Yes, we want your planting project to be successful and we offer ongoing support in a variety of ways:

• We have a detailed “Care of Your Trees” section of our website that gives detailed information about such things as watering, pruning, fertilizing, etc.
• We are available by phone/e-mail to answer whatever questions you have, look at photos, etc.
• If necessary, we can have one of our Foremen stop at your place to take a look at your trees if you are concerned about them (no charge; we do this when we are working in your area).

Do my new trees need to be watered?

Yes, definitely. You will need to use the watering system we’ve installed for you to water your new trees through their first spring/summer and possibly the next season as well. After that they should be fine on their own.

This is the Northwest—doesn’t it rain enough so I don’t have to worry about watering?

No, definitely not. The Northwest has long dry spells and your trees won’t survive unless they are watered. Newly-planted trees are very vulnerable to hot weather because they haven’t set their roots yet.

When do I need to start watering my new trees?

Here’s a link to our Care of Your Trees section that describes when to start and stop watering for the year and how to tell if you’ve watered enough.

Do trees add value to property?

You know your property better than anyone. Would your property increase in value if you screened off a roadway/neighbor/etc.? Most of the time the answer would be Yes.

Real Estate agents have told us that 50% of their listings have “privacy issues”.

Here’s a link to various studies that have looked at this issue.

Where can I see “Before & After” photos of privacy tree plantings?

In our “Before & After” Photo Gallery.