Our team has spent several years working with scientists and arborists to develop The Living Urn®; The most advanced Bio Urn and plating system in the world. Understanding the nature of our product, we have made sure that The Living Urn® is simple and easy to use and our team are always on hand to offer advice and guidance when it comes to the planning of your memorial.
How does the Living Urn® work?
Once you have chosen the perfect way to honour your loved one, you can order The Living Urn® from our website. We will ship your Bio Urn on the day that you order - you can plant your tree right away or store it until you are ready. You can wait weeks, months or even years if you need to.
Tree of Choice
You will then need to purchase your tree, plant or flower of choice to plant from your local nursery. But you will only need to order this once you have planned your memorial and you are ready to plant your Bio Urn. If you would like advice and guidance on the right plants for your location please contact us.
Living Urn® product
When you receive your Living Urn® product, you will then need to transfer the ashes into the urn. Simply remove the Bio Urn from the bamboo case and transfer the cremated remains into it. Many families will perform this step on their own, but you can also ask your funeral home or cremation service provider to help with this step if you would like some support.
Placing the Remains
Place the top back onto the BioUrn and then store it, back in the bamboo case for safekeeping until you are ready to plant your tree, plant or flower. The Living Urn® has no expiration date and it will only biodegrade once it has been planted – you can store the cremated remains of your loved one in The Living Urn® Bio Urn for as long as you need to prior to planting.
Planting your tree
Once you are ready and you have chosen your tree or plant of choice, you will need to complete the process with your Bio Urn. It is best to plant your tree as soon as you can when you purchase it.
It is important to understand the ‘growing requirements’ of your chosen tree, plant or flower;
Does it require sun or shade? Is there a preferred soil type for the tree? Make sure that you ask your local nursery about the tree’s mature height and spread and nuisance factors because some trees might have undesirable seed production and pest susceptibility which you will want to avoid. You need to make sure that you determine what kind of tree will do the best in your climate, soil and growing conditions. For example, trees that require full sun need a minimum of six hours of sun a day to thrive so check your location and take note of how much shade it gets from structures and other trees.
Think seasonally when you approach your planning so that you are growing your tree with its best interests in mind through out the year.Here’s a helpful checklist when thinking about planting your tree:
● Be sure to place trees at least 12-20' from your house (if this is your chosen location at home) depending on the size of the tree. Place trees at least 3-4' away from pavements and patios and make sure that you plant trees about 10-30' apart from each other (depending on the size of your tree, you can always ask for guidance about this)
● Drainage - If your chosen location is sloped, trees and plants at the bottom will retain more water and may be prone to drainage issues. Keep this in mind when deciding on the water needs of your future tree.
● Make sure that you understand the required growing space of your tree as this can be commonly overlooked. Poor placement can result in roots or branches that are too close to structures, driveways, pavements or other trees and plants.
● Make sure that you know the tree’s height at maturity, as well as its crown spread and root space. Trees often require more space than you think. When in doubt, ask your tree supplier or local nursery how much space (vertical and horizontal) is needed to keep your tree healthy.
● Make sure that you understand the seasonal requirements and climate conditions at your chosen location so that you can be aware of the tree care and maintenance plan that needs to be in place.
Additives & Planting
When you have chosen your location and you are ready to plant with the tree that you have purchased from your local nursery, remove the Bio Urn from the bamboo case, you have already transferred your loved ones ashes to the Urn so this step should be simple and stress free. You will then need to pour our proprietary Root Protect additive on top of the cremated remains. Lower the roots of the young tree into your BioUrn, add the premium growth mix, and plant it in the ground.
A beautiful memory tree will then grow and keep your beloved family member's memory present in your life forevermore.
All of The Living Urn® products come with instructions that you can follow when you are ready to hold your memorial. If you need additional information and guidance, you can speak to the team.
Caring For Your Tree
It is very important to follow the instructions given to you by your local nursery with regards to caring for your new tree. All trees, plants and flowers will have specific maintenance and care routines to enable a healthy growth. You will find that the area in which you decide to plant may affect this too, so make sure that you ask them for advice when purchasing.
You must make sure that you mulch and water your tree well after you plant it and remember to water the tree regularly. Providing excellent aftercare is very important once you have planted your tree and the first two to three years after planting is paramount to ensure that it flourishes for the memory of your loved one. Watering your tree well when planting and once planted is essential. Watering well helps the tree settle into the roots which helps it sustain its growth. So once planted, make sure that you thoroughly water your new tree at least once a week.
You will also need to ensure that you weed around the base regularly so that your tree roots are not competing for water or nutrients, it is recommended that you keep roughly a meter in diameter clear around the base of your tree. You can do this by digging out the weeds but you can also use a mulch of organic substance around the base to suppress the weeds, retain soil moisture and provide nutrients for your young tree. The most suitable materials for mulching trees and shrubs are: compost, leaf mould and wood chip.
Tree Care
You may also find yourself quite into formative pruning quite regularly which is another factor for successful establishment and a beautiful, long lasting memory tree.
Our team of professionals are always on hand to answer any questions that you may have about tree care. You may also find the blog section of our website very useful as this answers lots of questions about The Living Urn, types of burial, tree care and everything in between.
Trees, Not Seeds
The Living Urn® is the only bio urn in the world that has been designed to be used with living trees (saplings) instead of seeds or tiny seedlings. It can be difficult for non-expert growers to have success growing a tree from a seed – seed germination failure rates can be high and even
reaching the healthy seedling phase can be a challenge.
A tree sapling is a young tree that can be anything from 3 to 15 years old and their height can range from 2 to 10 feet depending on the type of tree that you are looking for. The sapling must have at least 6 blocks of space above it to grow; the amount of required space varies between the different species of trees so make sure that you check this when you purchase your tree from your local nursery.
Our Commitment to the Environment
Our patented bio urn and planting system is made of only the highest quality eco-friendly
materials and components. Our proprietary BioUrn is 100% natural and biodegradable, made from recycled plant-derived materials using only water, heat and pressure and is completely free from glues or toxic binding agents. Even our outer shell packaging is handmade from natural bamboo, a sustainable resource. We take great pride in using only environmentally friendly materials and processes.
Each Living Urn® bio urn and tree burial system comes with a special biodegradable urn, RootProtect, our proprietary additive, aged wood chips, and easy to follow planting instructions - all packaged in an attractive eco-friendly bamboo container. Keep your loved one's memory present in your life, give back to nature, and grow a living memory with this special cremation tree urn.
Other cremation urn products on the market may provide a tree seed with their bio urn, and the process to grow a tree from a seed can be complicated. Seed germination is a common challenge and failure rates with seeds can be high. At The Living Urn®, we’re focused on our customers having a successful outcome growing a tree from ashes and that their loved ones deserve a beautiful tree memorial that will grow and thrive.
Once you have purchased The Living Urn® Planting system, all you need to do is purchase the tree, plant or flower of your choice. This is an important decision to make and makes this even more memorable and significant for your loved one. You can purchase your tree from your local nursery, and our team can offer guidance on planting and types of trees and plants if you need any help and advice. Ensuring that your memory tree will thrive for years and years to come.
The Living Urn® has significant advantages and our bio urn is the only one designed to be used with living trees, and not seeds. You can plant a young tree with your memory tree and grow a living memory with The Living Urn®.