"The best time to plant a tree was thirty years ago; the second best time is today"
— Trees

January 1, 1970

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Added on April 10, 2026
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Trees
Original Language: English

Sources

Variants include: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." — From the Congressional Record of 1969: "It has been said that the best time to plant a tree was thirty years ago, the second best time is today." — A possible precursor from the 1950s: "Pruning of nature apple trees can be done safely at any time and, if you haven't already started, now is the second-best time to do it." (Tennessee horticulture (1956) — Sometimes claimed to be an "old Chinese prove