Potting up hundreds of trees at my Bedford, New York farm is a huge, yet exciting undertaking.
Every year I plant hundreds of trees, sometimes thousands. Trees are crucial to the environment. They provide food, protection, and homes to scores of birds and mammals. They also help combat climate change and release oxygen for all of us to live. This week, we received a shipment of bare-root cuttings from Musser Forests, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based company specializing in conifer and hardwood seedlings and transplants. Bare-root trees are so named because the plants are dug from the ground while dormant and stored without any soil surrounding their roots. Once the young specimens arrived, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew placed them in tubs to soak and then hurried to pot them up in nutrient-filled composted soil, so their root systems could develop before they're planted in more permanent locations.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
I’ve bought many trees from Musser Forests Inc. over the years and have always been very pleased with their specimens. As soon as they arrive, the roots of the plants are immersed in water, so they can soak – doing this gives the plants a better start.
All our tree potting projects are done in my large Equipment Barn where the seedlings can be kept in water and protected from the elements during the potting process.
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. Among this collection of trees and shrubs are black locust, red mulberry, swamp white oak, American chestnuts, pignut hickory, viburnum, and arborvitae.
We also have ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood – a vigorous evergreen shrub with bright green foliage that retains good color throughout winter. I have grown many of this boxwood variety and it does very well here at the farm.
And these are young junipers ‘Saybrook Gold.’ ‘Saybrook Gold’ is an evergreen shrub with a spreading, arching, feathery growth habit. It typically reaches four to five feet high and spreads horizontally to six feet wide. This juniper features mostly needle-like, bright yellow foliage with drooping tips.
We always pot bare-root cuttings in individual containers. 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.
We ordered large rolls of heavy duty commercial grade landscape fabric made with durable, woven polypropylene. This fabric will line the space where the trees will be stored, to keep the area tidy and weed-free.
Previously, we used this area for our pumpkin patch. It did not work as well as we wanted for our pumpkins, but it is a perfect spot for all our potted trees. Brian raked the area flat and removed any old root systems and debris.
And then he unrolled the weed fabric on top, covering the entire space.
To keep it down, Brian and Ernesto overlap the pieces and then secure them with industrial sod staples.
We use these strong staples for many projects around the farm. They are made from steel and are available through garden centers or big box stores carrying garden supplies. They are designed to hold a variety of items in the soil, from artificial turf mats to weed cloth.
And they look just like staples when inserted into the fabric barrier and then into the soil.
Here is the space completely covered with weed cloth. It already looks so much better.
Back in the Equipment Barn, Phurba drops loads of composted manure and top soil onto a tarp for potting. Composting manure above 131-degrees Fahrenheit for at least a couple weeks kill harmful pathogens, dilute ammonia, stabilize nitrogen, kill weed seeds and reduce any objectionable odors. I am so proud of the nutrient-rich soil we make here at the farm.
Once a mound of compost is unloaded, it is amended with some good fertilizer and then mixed well. Ryan sprinkles a generous amount of fertilizer made with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
Here is a closer look at the fertilizer – it comes in tiny pellets that are neater, easier to handle, and with reduced dust. Remember, if you eat, so should your plants and trees.
Here, each bare-root is carefully separated from the bunch and then placed into an appropriately sized pot.
The root section should fit into the pot without being crowded at the bottom. Healthy bare-root trees get off to a more vigorous start because their abundant, roots have already had a chance to develop unrestricted.
Each pot is prepared with a small layer of soil ready for the tree and backfill. The bare-root specimen is held still in the pot, so it is straight and centered in the container.
And then it is carefully backfilled. Here, it is also tamped down lightly so there is good contact between the tree roots and the surrounding soil. Each tree is placed at the same level it was grown by the nursery – where the roots start and the top shoots begin.
As each tree is potted, it is placed in a row with all like specimens. These pots are not quite filled to the top because we will also top dress each pot with mulch.
And then they are delivered to the fenced in area where they are out of the way and can develop. Most of these bare-root cuttings do not have leaves, so they are difficult to identify. It is important to keep them separated by cultivar and always properly marked. By late afternoon, dozens of bare-root cuttings are potted and carefully arranged. I am confident these trees will thrive in these pots and be in excellent condition when it is time to plant them in their more permanent locations around the farm.
It always makes me so happy when my pussy willows are ready for picking - they are true harbingers of spring.
Every year, my gardeners gather bunches and bunches of pussy willow branches from a grove just behind my main greenhouse. With their fuzzy little buds called catkins, they can easily make the most cheerful indoor arrangements. Yesterday, Ryan created two large displays for my Brown Room - just in time for Easter.
Enjoy these photos.
These pussy willows were cut and stored in my carport until it was time to put them in containers. They were then moved into my Winter House Brown Room and placed gently on old sheets in the middle of the floor.
Salix discolor is the American pussy willow. It can grow up to 20-feet or even more when left unpruned. These branches are about six to eight feet long. The willow buds will last for weeks and will not open as long as they’re kept dry.
The twigs are flexible and gray in color. My gardeners know to pick the straightest pussy willows with the most furry catkins for the arrangements.
This is one of two antique urns made of the same material used to manufacture sewer pipes. Sewer tile pottery was made by pipe workers who used leftover clay at the end of the work week to create sculptured forms such as this planter. Over the years, I’ve collected a few pieces. Made mostly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these were valued for their color, their rarity and their form. I just love these industrial looking vessels.
To protect the urn, we lined the bottom with aluminum foil. Because these will be dry arrangements, there wasn’t a huge concern about water leakage, but the foil provides a safeguard against moisture and potential scratches.
Ryan goes through the large bunch one by one and selects the nicest twigs to use.
Here, he trims off any small, unnecessary branchlets.
Once they are gathered, Ryan ties the bunch together with jute twine.
We use jute twine for many projects here at the farm. Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus Corchorus, which is in the mallow family Tiliaceae.
Because these branches are quite long, Ryan also makes sure they are tied high enough, so the branches are well supported.
He also ties the bunch together a second time for safety.
Then, using a pair of garden shears, Ryan carefully cuts the bottom of the branches, so they sit level in the urns.
Here, Ryan puts in the last of four bunches into the container. Ryan makes separate smaller bunches instead of one big one. He says this creates a more balanced arrangement in the urn and makes it less likely for the pussy willows to tip over.
This unique container is also two separate pieces, so Ryan checks to make sure everything is centered and secure.
Ryan checks the tops of the branches and trims any that are too tall.
Then he moves on to the second display.
He checks each branch to ensure it is long, straight and sturdy.
Just before he is done, he also chooses long pussy willows with multiple strong branches that can support the others and wrap around the bunch like a “claw.”
Ryan places the first of four bundles into the container in the other corner…
… And then the other three.
He steps back to make sure nothing is touching the window shades or any surfaces that could be scratched. The pussy willows will keep their upright position. I love making large arrangements for use indoors – the bigger, the better!
Both arrangements look great. They will look even prettier surrounded by all my Easter decorations. What are you planning for this weekend’s spring holiday? It is just three days away.
This year’s spring burlap removal project is almost complete.
Every autumn, I cover all my boxwood shrubs and outdoor urns to protect them from the heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures. We use strong steel frames and custom fit burlap casings sewn by hand. And just before Easter, everything is removed to expose all the lush green foliage - it's a complete transformation around my farm. This week, my outdoor grounds crew removed the protective coverings and frames around my herbaceous peony bed and behind my Summer House. And timing is just perfect - Easter is just four days away.
Enjoy these photos.
One of our annual outdoor spring chores includes removing all the burlap that surrounds my precious boxwood shrubs during winter. Here at my farm, we had a mild winter season this year – not much snow, and no damaging cold or wind. We were lucky. All my boxwood was well encased all season long.
Here is the burlap covering the boxwood behind my Summer House. We remove the burlap once the temperatures are consistently above freezing and before Easter. The crew spends several days removing all the burlap.
All of the coverings are custom wrapped and sewn to fit each individual shrub, hedge, or bush. The burlap and all the supplies are removed gently, so as to preserve as much burlap as possible.
The tall American boxwood that surrounds my sunken garden is protected with plastic netting to keep the branches from splaying. It’s not as sensitive to the cold as English boxwood, so no need to wrap it in burlap.
Here is a closer look at the protective netting, which is wrapped around the tall hedge and held tight with metal pipe framing. When removed, the netting is rolled and put away until fall.
All these rolls of fabric will be placed in our stable storage barn where it can be kept dry. One of the few downsides to this fabric is that it will start to fray and disintegrate after time, especially if exposed to moisture.
Fortunately, the weather here in the Northeast has been pleasant this week and the crew is getting a lot done outside in the fresh air. Here, the burlap is pulled off the boxwood hedge surrounding my herbaceous peony bed.
These pipes are made from rolled galvanized 16 gauge industrial tubing. The ground piping is pounded into the ground – each one about four to five feet from the next. The top pieces are 10-foot wide bow sections – these frames will last quite a while, I hope. Chhiring uses a socket bit on the drill to remove the metal fasteners.
These fasteners are called tension purlin brackets. They connect the center piping to the bow sections of the frame.
Chhiring and Phurba also remove the wooden stakes and strips that connect the pipes to the burlap. Everything is separated, so it can be stored properly. We make our own wooden strips out of unused pieces of wood.
Team work is necessary to complete this task quickly and efficiently. Here, the burlap and frames are gone, showing just the beautiful green boxwood underneath. Some question whether covering plantings each winter really helps, but look how lush and intact the plantings are when uncovered – I definitely feel it is worth the time and effort.
This is a view inside the herbaceous peony bed and the exposed green boxwood hedge – a great sight to see.
Burlap is also removed from the boxwood hedges and shrubs in my Summer House garden.
The burlap removal reveals what we hope for every year – green, healthy boxwood.
My large urns behind the Summer House are also unwrapped – they’re now ready for spring planting.
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. The boxes are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The leaves on boxwood branches are arranged opposite from each other, making pairs.
My sunken Summer House Garden is a more formal garden with both English and American boxwood. In just a few more weeks, this garden will once again look different. All the ginkgo trees will be filled with gorgeous green leaves.
Here are the dismantled metal frames removed from around the peony bed and behind the Summer house. It is all organized and stacked and ready to be stored.
This year, outside my Winter House Green Parlor, we used these round hoop house frames to hold up the burlap. It was a perfect solution for accommodating the growing shrubs. We will use the same metal piping next year.
The rounded pipes are removed and lifted by our trusted Hi-Lo. Chhiring slowly drives them to a back field where everything is stored.
Here, the pieces are organized and kept off the ground. I always impress upon the crew that staying organized saves lots of time later.
Straight pieces are also stored by size on top of wooden pallets. I am glad we are able to protect the boxwood efficiently and successfully every winter. Next task – removing all the burlap and framing from my long Boxwood Allée.
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