Chet Halka, Halka Nurseries owner, has a third-generation farm of trees destined to shade the World Trade Center Memorial site. Halka and Bartlett Tree Expert Company are part of a project that has been in motion since June 2006.

"It is an amazing project and we are honored to be a part of this," said Wayne Dubin, vice-president and division manager for Bartlett. "It is not about the trees; it is about the people who miss their loved ones and creating a memorial for the victims of 9/11."

The Bartlett Tree Expert Company is responsible for caring for 386 of these trees for two years. The trees will then become part of the memorial site where Bartlett will continue to care for the trees another two years. Bartlett's arborists are providing total care for the trees. This includes irrigation, insect and disease control, soil management, and pruning. One-third of the trees will have a soil moisture monitor implanted to record data on a daily or weekly basis.

"These are probably the most cared for trees on the planet," said Dubin.

The trees grown for this site, which have been planted in large boxes to maximize root growth and minimize trauma when planting time arrives, are Swamp White Oak and Sweet Gum. Both species are tough, durable, and resistant to all of the serious threats including the Asian Long Horned Beetle and Bacterial Leaf Scorch. The trees are expected to be about 7 inches diameter and 26 feet tall by the time they are planted.

Sixteen white swamp oaks have been planted already. Bartlett hopes a few more will be planted before the end of the year.

The National 9/11 Memorial and Museum will cover eight acres which is half of the site left in rubble after the attacks.

Click the link below to watch a video showing how these trees are grown.
http://bit.ly/accFos