Trees from JLPN in Salem, Oregon
This year's great tree planting project continues at my Bedford, New York farm. As many of you know, I love trees, and every spring, I plant as many as I can. It's one way I can give back to the Earth and help to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable planet for my grandchildren, and for everyone.
Over the last few weeks, my outdoor grounds crew has been very busy caring for an enormous amount of trees - container seedlings as well as bare-root cuttings. Bare-root trees are so named because the plants are dug from the ground while they are dormant, and stored without any soil surrounding their roots.
We received hundreds of specimens from JLPN, a three-generation family owned tree company in Salem, Oregon that focuses on growing deciduous seedlings and softwood rooted cuttings. Once the shipment arrived, the crew worked together to pot them up in our nutrient-filled composted soil. Doing this right away keeps them healthy until they can be transplanted in the ground. Enjoy these photos.
-
- Last week, 800 container seedlings and bare-root cuttings were delivered to the farm on a large wooden pallet from JLPN. https://jlpnliners.com/
-
- Ryan unwrapped and uncovered all the specimens to assess their condition.
-
- These trees are Styrax japonicus ‘JLWeeping’ Marley’s Pink. These trees feature dainty lightly-scented nodding pink bell-shaped flowers from mid to late spring, and green foliage throughout the season.
-
- Each young seedling came supported by a stake, and tightly packaged in this crate – they all traveled very well.
-
- The bare-root cuttings also arrived with their roots surrounded in shavings to maintain as much moisture as possible during shipping.
-
- Among the benefits of getting bare root cuttings is that they are very easy to inspect for root development – roots should never have a dry, grayish appearance, or in contrast, be saturated or water-logged.
-
- Ryan checks every bundle to ensure all the specimens on the packing list match up with those in the crate.
-
- Each bundle of 25, 50 or 100-cuttings is inspected for signs of mechanical damage, weather-induced stress, and insect or disease infestation. Seedlings and cuttings should be fully dormant. Ryan then places like varieties together and puts them in water.
-
- Most of the species cuttings we received have an average height of about 12-18 inches, with some reaching about 24-36 inches. JLPN’s cuttings are harvested in December, graded, and then held in cold storage until they are shipped out in spring.
-
- Some of the other varieties include Acer griseum, Albizia julibrissin ‘E.H. Wilson’, Betula jacquemontii, Betula nigra, Eucommia ulmoides, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Parrotia persica, Platanus x acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ and Robinia pseudoacacia.
-
- JLPN grows them all on a 110-acre farm in Salem, Oregon. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- These are the flowers from Albizia ‘E.H. Wilson’, or mimosa. It is known for being cold hardy down to minus-15 degrees Fahrenheit and for its tropical foliage and pink silken blooms. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- This is Betula jacquemontii, with its snow white bark. It has dark, almost blue foliage that turns a golden yellow color in fall. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- This is the bark of a mature river birch, Betula nigra ‘Select’. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- And the bark of Betula nigra ‘Cully’, a heritage river birch that is great for cold climates. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- These are the roots of a Metasequoia glyptostroboides, or dawn redwood, bare-root cutting. Metasequoia has a unique branching habit that gives it a distinctive shape. It prefers moist soils that are high in organic matter. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- These are my dawn redwoods at the farm located in a field across from my tennis court.
-
- Acer griseum is also called paperbark maple. Paperbark maple is one of the finest of all peeling trees and looks outstanding grown in clump-form. It has attractive green-gold blooms in the spring, and vibrant orange-red fall color. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- Parrotia persica, or ironwood, has a mixture of red and orange leaves in fall. Grown single stem or multi-stem, Parrotia is outstanding in any form. Its mature bark exfoliates in a patchwork of gray, green, white and brown. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- Here are the leaves of Parrotia persica in the spring. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- Also in my shipment – Tilia cordata, or littleleaf lindens. Tilia cordata is a deciduous tree widely planted in the US as an ornamental shade tree because of its attractive foliage, dense, low-branched form and tolerance for urban conditions.
-
- I also ordered 25 Tilia tomentosa, commonly called silver linden or European white linden, which also has attractive foliage that is glossy green above and silvery-white below. The lindens were all placed upright in crates and given a good drink.
-
- I wanted all the bare-root cuttings potted-up in individual containers. The trees will only remain in these pots temporarily – eventually, they will be transplanted in various woodland locations, where they can thrive.
-
- Wilmer plants one bare-root cutting into each one-gallon 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 the summer.
-
- 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.
-
- All like seedlings are kept together and loaded onto a wheelbarrow, so they can be moved to a designated location, where they will be maintained until they’re transplanted into the ground.
-
- Chhewang takes this grouping to a spot next to my hay barn.
-
- They are all neatly organized and identified.
-
- The 25 Styrax japonicus Marley’s Pink Parasol Japanese Snowbell tree seedlings were added to the allee we planted last year near my tennis court.
-
- The crew used the length of a wooden shovel to align each one from the edge of the road, so all the trees looked tidy and uniform.
-
- Here, Chhewang starts digging the holes for each tree. To accommodate the space, and to match the trees already planted here, one specimen was placed every five-feet. The rows of holes on each side of the allee should be far enough apart to allow trees to reach maturity without touching.
-
- Marley’s Pink Parasol Japanese Snowbell will grow to about eight-feet tall at maturity, with a spread of about four-feet. This dwarf tree does best in full sun to partial shade, and requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth.
-
- Chhewang makes a few adjustments to make sure the tree is straight from all angles.
-
- Because I want these trees to create a canopy, any branches already growing are faced inward toward the center of the road – these will help direct the trees’ growth.
-
- Each tree is given Azomite. Azomite is used as a naturally rich soil re-mineralizer for plants and trees. It contains more than 70 trace minerals and rare earth elements which have been depleted from soils worldwide.
-
- These trees will look so pretty when mature.
-
- I always have young trees staked. A stake is planted alongside to support the seedling and to protect it from weed whackers, and snow plows.
-
- I received a larger specimen from JLPN last year and planted it near my stable. This is how it looks now – so healthy.
-
- This is a photo of a flowering Styrax japonicus Marley’s Pink at JLPN. John Lewis, the owner of JLPN, discovered this cultivar and named it after his daughter. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- With the profuse blooming character, lustrous pink flowers and sweet, cotton candy fragrance, these trees will be well-adored here at the farm. (Photo by John Lewis)
-
- The length of this carriage road to my tennis court is now filled with beautiful Styrax japonicus Marley’s Pink – I can’t wait to see them mature and full of colorful blooms.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
