Growing my own bareroot trees

[spandit]

How do nurseries produce bare root trees (i.e. how do they remove the soil without damaging the roots?)? Are they grown in sand or something?

 

Just thinking about propagating some poplar from cuttings but growing it away from rabbits, weeds and deer until it's got enough of a root on it to be able to transplant once dormant?

[Goaty]

Brutally in your eyes. Grown in any soil type. Often root pruned in winter by dragging a u shaped blade under them or lifting them trimming roots and replanting. This creates a fibrous root system that will transplant well.

 

The trees are scooped out the ground and either shaken by machine or simply bashed against the machine to knock soil off. Bare in mind it's done in winter, little uptake of moisture required and the roots are not growing much so hardened not soft tissue.

 

When I get tree planting jobs I nearly always root prune, rather than the common shove it in and fold it to fit technique used by go quicker is more profit outfits. I also single up the top growth to one shoot to balance this, helps establish a tree not a bush!

 

Here is a good piece of pro nursery kit in action

 

 

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Edited August 21, 2016 by Goaty
Clarity

[SteveA]

How do nurseries produce bare root trees (i.e. how do they remove the soil without damaging the roots?)? Are they grown in sand or something?

 

Just thinking about propagating some poplar from cuttings but growing it away from rabbits, weeds and deer until it's got enough of a root on it to be able to transplant once dormant?

 

Commercial horticulture: they use a machine to undercut during the growing season (on slightly raised beds).... whilst doing that the machine shakes the soil.

This means that they tend to grow more fibrous roots.

They are usually harvested out of the growing season.... again by a machine that undercuts and really vigorously shaking the soil.

Then a gang (probably mostly employed from Europe) come along and pull up the bare root trees/ plants and shake off any remaining soil.

 

Doing it yourself: without a machine forget trying to attempt the above!!

You may only need one growing season for Poplar so may get away with growing in pots (need to consider the watering).

 

or, search for "polythene polypots" on eBay, prob best to get some deep ones.

Stab holes in the side of those and it should make the roots more fibrous (because the roots don't like the oxygen/ it's called air pruning).

 

Hope this helps & let the Arbtalk massive know how it goes.

cheers, Steve

[spandit]

Just looked up air root pruning and it does seem interesting. Poplar seems pretty easy to establish (like willow) but there are other trees I want to grow anyway.

 

Will look at polypots, thanks!

 

Thanks both!

[Pinkfoot]

If you're only growing a few ,steel spade about four foot long ,blade opened out a little ,slide her in 'till she is just under the root system and bounce you're fat arse up and down until she heaves to.

 

If it's small stuff you're growing ,a good lifting slade is very quick ,with practice.

[7610]

Where do you start????

[7610]

What do you want them for, how many?? I have a small nursery of trees, made mistakes and learnt. I grow oak, spruce, Douglas, sycamore, ash for personal consumption, Monterey, acer, maple etc. Ask away. Birch too.

[Gary Prentice]

For air pruning you can buy purpose made pots, I think they're called air pots. i think barchams use them.

[Goaty]

For small "airpots" just buy the plastic pond baskets. Achieves same effect. Will need to shelter and water more frequently.

 

 

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Edited August 22, 2016 by Goaty

[Goaty]

For small "airpots" just buy the plastic pond baskets. Achieves same effect. Will need to shelter and water more frequently. The plants on the right are in them.

 

 

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