There are a number of biodegradable urns for cremated remains out on the market, with some that take a further step of promising a tree will grow from those ashes. However, seed germination can have a high failure rate. It takes more than a seed in cremated remains to successfully grow a tree.
At the 2015 ICCFA expo, The Living Urn company introduced a growing system that ensures a healthy tree grows from the cremated remains. The company currently focuses on using this system for the cremated remains of pets.
The components of the planting system include:
- Biodegradable urn
- Ash neutralizing mix
- Premium growth mix
- Aged wood chips
- Planting instructions
- Up to two tree seedlings from the Arbor Day Foundation, an evergreen (pine, spruce or cypress) and a seasonal tree (choice dependent on what grows best in your geographic region)
The system comes in an outer bamboo shell package, which can be saved and used as a keepsake container.
The cremated remains are placed in the biodegradable urn along with the ash neutralizing mix and premium growth mix. Then the seedling is placed in the urn and planted in the ground. With water and tender attention, a memorial tree will grow from the urn.
Cremated remains or ash have a high pH level and cause the surrounding soil environment to become highly alkaline when buried in the ground. Cremated remains also contain high sodium levels. When mixed or placed in soil, this can create an environment that inhibits tree growth.
The folks at The Living Urn worked for years with leading arborists and soil scientists to perfect a special ash neutralizing agent, added on top of the cremated remains in the Living Urn™ system. This buffers and neutralizes the basic nature of the cremated remains and normalizes the pH levels in the soil to levels suitable for healthy plant growth.
You can learn more in this video recorded at the ICCFA expo, or visit www.TheLivingUrn.com.
