Field Notes – November at Spring Grove Nursery

~ November 1, 2025

November always arrives with a mix of momentum and reflection. The air turns crisp and our pace is anything but slow. This is the time of year when every hour of daylight counts in a final push to wrap up the season before winter settles in.

Our crew has been hard at work fulfilling orders and finishing up fall digging across the nursery. Each tree we dig is the result of seasons of care: pruning, staking, shaping, and watching it grow. We’re moving quickly now to get as many trees harvested and staged as possible before the season wraps up. As long as the ground stays workable, we’ll keep digging, planning, and shipping out trees!

The Sales Yard is full and busy with truckloads of trees heading out to municipalities, park districts, and landscape projects near and far. It’s always exciting to see our trees leaving the field and finding their new homes in communities across the region. This time of year, it’s not unusual to have a steady rhythm of loaders, semi-trailers, and tractors all moving in sync from sunrise to sunset.

Planning Ahead

Beyond the nursery gates, we’ve also been out in the community planting trees alongside our partners at iTrees.com and several local organizations. Fall is one of our favorite times for planting. Cooler temps, happy roots, and grateful volunteers make for meaningful days in the dirt. From parkway plantings to community groves, these projects bring our mission full circle: growing healthy trees, deep roots, and strong communities. Each planting reminds us why we do this work. There’s something special about seeing a young tree go into the ground and imagining the shade, color, and life it will offer years from now.

Even while we finish out this season, our minds are already on what’s next. We’ve started setting up tagging appointments for Spring 2026, and customers are already walking the rows with us to mark their selections. Planning ahead is key, helping us schedule digging windows, line out future availability, and make sure every project has the right tree in the right place at the right time. If you haven’t booked your spring tagging yet, now’s the time to get on the calendar!

See You at the IAA Show!

We’re looking forward to connecting with many of you at the Illinois Arborist Association Conference & Trade Show in Tinley Park, November 18–19. It’s always a highlight of the season, a great chance to learn, reconnect, and celebrate the people who care for trees across our state. Stop by and say hello if you’ll be there; we love catching up and sharing what’s growing in our fields.

Finishing Strong

Our goal is always to wrap up the bulk of our digging and shipping before Thanksgiving. Once the holiday arrives, we start turning our focus toward winter field prep, equipment maintenance, and mapping out next year’s crop plan. But if the weather cooperates, we’ll keep digging and planting until the ground freezes.

This season has been full! Full of work, progress, and purpose. As we look toward winter, we’re grateful for the strong partnerships and community connections that keep our work meaningful. Every tree we dig, ship, or plant is part of a bigger story, and we’re proud to share that story with all of you.

From all of us at Spring Grove Nursery, thank you for growing with us this season. Here’s to finishing the year strong and setting deep roots for the seasons ahead.