From Eagle Ridge Dairy to Lake Shore Drive: Your Tree Nursery Run

Searching for a tree nursery Eagle Ridge Dairy neighbors can reach in about 20 minutes? Our orchard sits at 12747 Lake Shore Dr, Nampa. The dairy sits on Kuna Cave Rd, south of Kuna. The drive between the two is short, rural, and easy to plan.

Out here, a tree has to earn its spot. The land mixes pasture, crop fields, and open sagebrush, and wind crosses it with little in the way. The soil often runs high in pH and can change from one fence line to the next. This page helps you choose shade, screen, and windbreak trees for that ground. It also covers hauling them home and getting them through year one.

A short trip helps your trees, too. Less time on a trailer means less time for roots and
leaves to dry out.

Check what's ready to dig this week. Our rows change as trees get sold and dug.
See what's in the ground now on our tree availability list.

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Open Ground Around Kuna Cave Road Needs Trees That Handle Wind

If you own acreage, a farm home, or a new build along Kuna Cave Rd, wind is part of daily life. The land near the Kuna Caves lava tube is flat and wide open. Kuna Butte rises nearby, a broad piece of old volcano ground. With so little cover, wind hits your house, shop, and pens head-on.

University of Idaho Extension research shows a windbreak can cut wind speed near the ground by up to half. Here's what that means on a rural lot:

Around your home: Calmer air near doors, windows, and the patio

Fields and yards: Less topsoil blowing away

Livestock pens: Less energy spent by cattle fighting cold wind

Driveways and lanes: Fewer snow drifts across your path

Placement matters as much as the trees. Set the row at a right angle to the main wind. Extend it 50 to 100 feet past the area you want to protect. Keep the outer row at least 150 feet from your home or feedlot to leave room for snow.

A watered, weed-free windbreak grown from seedlings gives noticeable shelter in about 3 to 4 years. Most of our trees are 5 to 10 years old, so you start with more height on day one.

Pick Trees That Can Take High-pH Soil
South of Kuna

Have you lost a tree before to yellow leaves or slow growth? South of Kuna, the soil may be the reason. Soil here often runs high in pH, and some trees can't pull the nutrients they need from it.

Kuna's Urban Forestry guide says local soils vary a great deal. It points people to the Ada County Extension office for soil testing. If you have a test, bring it. If not, tell us what has grown well or died on your lot before.

That guide names honey locust as widely used in Kuna because it handles high-pH soil. Our Sunburst Locust is a honey locust that grows 30 to 50 feet tall. For year-round screening, University of Idaho Extension lists Colorado blue spruce for windbreaks. We grow Colorado Blue Spruce too.

Soil can shift a lot over a few miles here. Town lots in Kuna may not match the desert ground out toward Initial Point. Picture each spot 10 to 15 years out, too, so a young tree doesn't crowd your shop or fence later.

Plan Your Trailer Trip Before You Leave
the Dairy Corridor

Hauling a windbreak row takes some planning. Start with the count. Divide the length of each row by the spacing between trees, and you'll know how many trees to load.

Then run through this checklist:

- Measure your truck bed or trailer.

- Bring a tarp or wrap to cover the leaves.

- Pack straps to hold each root ball still.

Covers matter on this route. Bennett Rd runs through open farm ground, and crosswinds can dry out uncovered leaves fast. Near the end of the drive you'll pass near Deal. That's a good spot to check that your load is still tight.

No trailer? We deliver within certain areas and also offer planting. Call ahead so we can check access to your lot.

Plan your trailer trip with us. Tell us how many trees you need and how big your trailer is.

Rather skip the haul? See the areas we serve across the Treasure Valley.

Getting Here from Eagle Ridge Dairy Takes About 20 Minutes

The route runs about 15.4 miles and takes about 20 minutes, mostly on two-lane roads through farm country. Our farm is at 12747 Lake Shore Dr, Nampa.

- Head toward Kuna Cave Rd.

- Turn left on Kuna Cave Rd and go 1.0 mile.

- Turn right on Dickman Rd / S Robinson Rd and go 3.5 miles.

- Turn left on Bennett Rd and go 4.0 miles.

- Turn right on ID-45 N and go 2.5 miles.

- Turn left on Emerald Rd / Lake Shore Dr and go 4.4 miles.

Deal sits just east of that last left turn. From there, stay on Lake Shore Dr and watch for our farm on your left.

Walk the Rows and Load Up at the
Lake Shore Drive Farm

Seeing a tree in person tells you more than any photo. Walk the rows at our tree nursery near Eagle Ridge Dairy in Nampa and compare sizes side by side. Check each tree's shape, and ask us how it handles wind, heat, and alkaline soil. Bring your watering questions, too.

Our trees grow in the same Treasure Valley summers you get near Kuna, which regularly hit the low 90s. That history counts when a tree moves to open ground.

Fall planting runs from mid-September through October, before the ground firms up in mid-November. Spring is the other good window. Call ahead so we can tell you what's ready to dig that week.

Keep New Trees Alive Through the
First Kuna Summer

Your first summer is the big test for a new tree. On a dry, windy lot, roots are still reaching into new soil.

Water deep, not often. Long soaks pull roots down.

Stake trees on windy sites. Loosen the ties as the tree grows.

Mulch around the base. Wood chips hold moisture between waterings.

Keep weeds and grass back. UI Extension calls weed competition the top cause of seedling loss in windbreaks.

Plan where each tree stands before you dig. Kuna's city tree guide is a useful rule of thumb, even outside city limits. It bars trees in the 40-foot sight triangle at road corners. It also keeps conifers like spruce out of the ACHD right-of-way. If your lot is in Ada County, check with ACHD before planting an evergreen row along the road. Wherever you are, call Idaho 811 at least two business days before you dig.

Kuna Days falls the first weekend in August, right in peak heat. Keep watering straight through it.

Call ahead before you head our way. We'll tell you what's ready, so your visit goes to choosing, not searching.

Frequently Asked Questions

Trees are serious, and so are your questions. Here are just a few:

How long is the drive from Eagle Ridge Dairy?

The drive takes about 20 minutes and covers 15.4 miles. Most of it follows Bennett Rd, ID-45, and Lake Shore Dr.

Will my trees survive the trip in an open trailer?

Yes, if you cover the leaves and strap the root balls. Crosswinds on Bennett Rd dry out uncovered leaves quickly.

Which trees handle high-pH soil near Kuna?

Honey locust is a common pick in Kuna for high-pH soil, and we grow Sunburst Locust. Bring a soil test if you have one, and we'll compare options with you.

Can I plant trees close to Kuna Cave Rd?

Yes, but keep corner sight triangles clear. Kuna's tree guide also keeps conifers out of the ACHD right-of-way. Check with ACHD before you plant evergreens by the road.

When is the best time to come pick out trees?

Fall and spring are the best windows. Fall planting runs mid-September through October. Call ahead to see what's ready.

Do you deliver south of Kuna?

We deliver within certain areas, so call us with your address. We also offer planting.