Potting Bare-Root Cuttings
I love trees and every year I plant thousands of them here at my farm.
Trees are extremely important to our environment - they are the world’s single largest source of breathable oxygen, they absorb carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses, and they create an ecosystem to provide needed habitat and food for birds and other animals. Earlier this week, I received a shipment of bare-root tree cuttings and small transplants from Musser Forests, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based company specializing in conifer and hardwood seedlings and transplants. Once the young specimens arrived, my crew hurried to pot them up, so their root systems can strengthen and develop before they're planted in more permanent locations.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I have tens of thousands of trees here at my farm. The bigger and older trees are original to the property, but I have thoughtfully chosen, planted, and maintained thousands more since I moved here.
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- This is one of the most popular views – the tree-shaded carriage road leading to my woodland.
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- In the fall, the layering of tree colors is so beautiful.
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- Here is one side of my allée of pin oaks. These trees were just feet tall when I planted them.
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- Before planting around the farm, I nurture bare-root cuttings in pots. I’ve bought many from Musser Forests Inc. over the years and have always been very pleased with their specimens. Bare-root trees are so named because the plants are dug from the ground while dormant and stored without any soil surrounding their roots.
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- The plants are either shipped in bare-root bundles, or in smaller pots like these – always in great condition. The American chestnut is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree native to eastern North America.
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- Included in this shipment are 500 small potted boxwood – ‘Green Mountain’ and ‘Winter Beauty.’ Each specimen is removed from its pot and matched to a bigger one.
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- Bare-root plants should not have any mold or mildew. The cuttings should also feel heavy. If they feel light and dried out then the plant probably will not grow. Healthy bare-root trees get off to a more vigorous start because their abundant roots have already had a chance to develop unrestricted.
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- Each bare-root cutting is placed into an appropriately sized pot. The root section should fit into the pot without being crowded at the bottom.
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- Nearby, the potting mix is prepared. I use Miracle-Gro Potting mix along with some of my own compost made here at the farm. The soil mix is also amended with a good fertilizer.
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- I use Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed All-Purpose plant food, which is filled with natural ingredients to feed the soil.
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- Adan uses a shovel to mix the soil mix thoroughly.
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- The team works in an efficient production line process. As one fills pots, another plants.
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- Each pot is prepared with a small layer of soil ready for the tree and backfill. Phurba plants each specimen carefully, so it is straight and centered in the container.
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- Here, Alex holds the cutting with one hand and backfills the remaining space with the other.
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- Finally, the soil is tamped down lightly so there is good contact between the tree roots and the surrounding soil.
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- Here, Phurba carefully teases the roots of this boxwood cutting before potting it up in a new container. This stimulates new growth.
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- As each tree is potted, it is placed in a section with all like specimens.
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- This is Blue Rug Juniper, a consistently good trailing juniper with uniform, full centered growth and bold silver-blue evergreen foliage.
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- These are newly potted dawn redwoods, Metasequoia. Dawn redwoods grow faster than most trees. They have feathery, fine-textured needles that turn shades of red and brown before falling – it is one of the few deciduous conifers.
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- Among the tallest firs in the world is the Abies grandis, or Grand Fir tree. It is a large evergreen conifer with a narrow conical growth habit. Its spreading and drooping branches are filled with sharp tipped silver-green needles.
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- The trees will only remain in these pots temporarily – eventually, they will be transplanted in various locations around the farm. We save pots whenever we can – they always come in handy for projects like this, and I always encourage the crew to reuse supplies whenever possible.
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- Once a section of trees is potted up, Cesar loads them onto the back of our trusted Polaris off-road vehicle. Other trees and plants I got from Musser include Rockspray Cottoneaster and Austrian Pines.
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- Down in a fenced in area previously used as a flower cutting garden, weed cloth is placed where the pots will be kept, so everything is neat and tidy.
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- These evergreens will thrive in these pots for a year or two. They will also be closely monitored and regularly watered and fed during the time they are in containers.
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- By the end of the day, 700 bare-root cuttings and small transplants are potted and carefully arranged. April 22nd is Earth Day – I hope you’ll consider planting a tree to celebrate. This year, the theme is “Our Power, Our Planet” which focuses on the collective responsibility we all share in creating a sustainable future.
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