New Trees from Broken Arrow Nursery

April 25, 2017

A tree planting project is underway at the farm.

Every year, I try to plant a good number of trees - some in the woodlands, and some in designated areas around my home. I have planted thousands of trees since I purchased my Bedford, New York property. They look so pretty planted in allees, in groves, and as privacy hedges. I feel very strongly about giving back to the earth - the more trees planted, the better.

I recently visited one of my favorite sources, Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, Connecticut, to select some plantings for a hedge I am building in one area of a field. I chose a collection of European beech trees - Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Gold’. 'Dawyck Gold' beech trees are dense deciduous specimens with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its average texture blends into the landscape and can grow to about 50-feet tall at maturity. This type of tree is new to my farm - I can't wait to see them grow and thrive.

Here are some photos.

: This is Broken Arrow Nursery sales manager, Chris Koppel. He delivered the trees directly to the farm. https://www.brokenarrownursery.com

: Broken Arrow acquires, develops, and grows rare, unusual, and garden-worthy evergreens. I purchased about 240 bare root tree cuttings. They were all packaged together in a mound of moistened wood chips.

: Wilmer removed the bundles, placed them in big trash bins and gave them all a good drink of water.

: All the trees were organized in front of my Hay Barn. Each bundle includes five bare root cuttings. Healthy bare root trees get off to a more vigorous start because their abundant, fibrous roots have already had a chance to develop unrestricted.

: Here is Ryan holding one of the bundles and showing the healthy root systems. These trees are ready for potting. Each bare root cutting is about four to five feet tall. Bare root plants are dormant perennials that are dug up and stored without any soil around their roots.

: 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.

: They are all Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Gold’ – a type of European beech tree.

: European beech trees have strong upright limbs, which when mature surround a central trunk with smooth pale gray bark. It is one of the most beautiful and brilliant of all columnar trees.

: The important thing is to pot them up and to keep their soil moist. For this project, we needed lots of five-gallon pots. It’s always a good idea to save these plastic post whenever you can – they always come in handy. And always make sure they have adequate holes, so any excess water can drain, and air can access the soil.

: Each pot was laid out ready to be filled. The trees will only remain in these pots temporarily – eventually, they will all be transplanted into the designated area where they can thrive.

: Ryan examines the root systems of the trees before they are planted.

: And then untangles the roots, spreads them out and cuts any that are broken, dead or diseased. He also shortens any roots that will be too long to splay out in the container.

: Here is Wilmer making sure the pot is the right size for the tree. It should be substantial enough to support a tree, but small enough to move easily.

: These pots will definitely accommodate the trees well until they are planted into the ground.

: The tree is placed at the same level it was grown by the nursery – where the roots start and the top shoots begin. The soil is then gently filled in around the roots, but not packed too tightly.

: Wilmer plants the seedling into each pot. If they are in good condition, the plant should sprout leaves in the same year it is planted. If planted in spring, a bare root plant should have leaves by summer.

: We use what I call “black gold” composted manure. Composting manure above 131-degrees Fahrenheit for at least a couple weeks will kill harmful pathogens, dilute ammonia, stabilize nitrogen, kill weed seeds and reduce any objectionable odors.

: This “black gold” is made right here at my farm, and used for all my garden beds.

: Wilmer holds the seedling in place as he fills the container – the tree should be placed in the center of the pot.

: And then fills the pot to the rim with soil.

: The outdoor grounds crew had a lot of trees to plant, so they formed a productive assembly line to get the task done – here, they’ve already potted a good number of trees.

: As each seedling is planted, Wilmer makes sure to tamp the soil down around the roots in order to remove any air pockets.

: Another one done.

: As the day progresses, dozens of root cuttings are potted. All the potted seedlings are then grouped together, in one location, where they will be maintained until they’re transplanted in the field.