Instructions: How to plant your Bios Urn® and grow a tree from ashes

Bios Urns in Canada

The BiosUrn is a very special kin of urn. Along with the ashes of your loved one, it becomes a tree. The urn is biodegradable and is designed to contain cremation ashes and be buried in the ground, as it breakdowns in the earth, a tree grows from it, creating a beautiful living memorial to your loved one. 

Buy a BIOS URN in Canada now: Click Here

TIPS FOR PLANTING THE BIOS URN TO GROW A TREE

You can plant the urn to grow a seed, sprout or sapling:

• You can plant seeds with the urn and grow the tree from seed. If so, make sure to read this article  before planting. Note that the seeds may need a few weeks of preparation before they can be planted in the urn.
• You can plant the urn with a seedling, young sprout or sapling. Be sure to read this article before planting.

– Before you plant your Bios Urn®, be sure to read up about the tree species you have chosen to ensure optimal conditions for growth. 

– Check to make sure you plant during the correct season. All seeds and seedlings should be planted during their correct planting season.

– All living things require nurturing and loving care, so remember to tend to your growing tree as you would for any plant in your garden.

The Bios Urn is designed to be as user-friendly as possible. It is divided into two capsules: a lower capsule, and an upper capsule. The upper capsule comes sealed and contains a soil expansion disc made of coco fibre, vermiculite and paper.

Instructions for using the Bios Urn

1. Fill the lower capsule of the Bios Urn with ashes (any amount, even a little bit is fine, but it can be more.) It has a capacity of 220 cubic inches (which is the volume of ashes from a human up to 220 lbs.)

The Bios Urn can be filled by your funeral director (ask us at Eirene) or you can do it yourself. Thanks to the urn's double capsule design, the Bios Urn locks into place, so that a funeral director can give the ash back to you ready to plant.

Once the ashes have been transferred to the lower capsule, seal the lower capsule with the top capsule (place the top capsule on top, and then twist it slightly to the side). TIP: If you only use a portion of the ashes, be sure to fill the remainder of the Bios Urn with soil from the surrounding area as well so as not to leave an air gap inside the urn.

2. Research and choose your preferred seed or seedling. The Bios Urn® works with every type of tree seed, with no exceptions. By sourcing your own seed yourself, it lets you choose a tree which is sentimental and meaningful to you. Fruit trees, flowering trees, evergreens or conifers are all completely compatible. Be sure to always choose a native tree species or one which is common to your location, to respect the ecological balance and ensure better growth. So be sure to check with a local garden nursery or seed or sapling supplier or horticulturist for information on native tree species in your area. Remember you can choose to use a seedling, sapling or sprout instead of a seed. Some people chose to plant flowers or a bush instead of a tree. They are all compatible with the Bios Urn.

3. Choose the location or planting spot for your Bios Urn®. If you need assistance with this, contact us here, or check out our recommended places to plant as well as our tips on how to chose the right planting spot.

4. To plant your Bios Urn, dig a hole large enough to accommodate the urn. Generally around 15-16 inches (36-37cm) is a good depth, with a width of 10-12 inches. Plant the Bios Urn inside, leaving the soil surface a couple of fingers above the top of the urn. TIP: water the entire hole before you plant the Bios Urn into it, as this will help begin the process of biodegradation.

5. Fill the area around the Bios Urn with soil from where you are planting without covering the top of the urn.

6. Remove the seal from the top capsule, and unpack the expansion disc. Get your seeds or seedling handy. Place the expansion disc at the very bottom of the top capsule then add soil from the site you are planting the Bios Urn on top of the expansion disc. Place a couple of seeds on top of the soil. If you are planting a young sprout (seedling), plant it on top of the expansion disc then gently add soil form the site on top and/or around the base.

7. Cover the Bios Urn with soil from the surrounding area, and thoroughly water the spot you have planted it. There should be around 1/4 inch to a half inch of soil on top of the seeds (make sure you don´t place too much soil on top). None of the Bios Urn should be exposed, it should all be covered by soil.

Be sure to plant all of the urn, which is 100% biodegradable and will not damage any of the soil. You can plant your Bios Urn with a seed or use a young sapling if you prefer. Planting it during the appropriate season based on your tree. In Canada, planting trees in the late spring after the snow has gone is advised.

Buy a BIOS URN now: Click Here

When to plant a tree in Canada

In Canada, deciduous trees can be planted in the spring, one the frost is gone from the ground. You can also plant one in the fall, from leaf-fall until freeze-up.

Conifers can be planted early in the spring until four weeks after deciduous trees have opened their leaves, or in the fall, from about the first week of August to the end of October.

Does the Bios Urn expire?

The Bios Urn doesn’t have an expiration date so if you don’t plan to use it immediately, store it in a dry place and only add seeds at the time of planting.

Buy a BIOS URN now: Click Here

Questions about the Bios Urn?

If you have additional questions, comments, or general inquiries, here are contact us at Eirene Cremations via email at support@eirene.ca or call us using our contact page.