Nursery bed

Keystonepaul

5 year old buck +
I have a bunch of crab apple seedlings coming from the Howard nursery and will plant a few where they will end up, but would like to create a nursery bed for the others so they can stay there a year or two before I give them a permanent home. Can you folks please explain a nursery bed to me, including spacing for these 6-18" crab seedlings.
 
I looked into these a while back. I'm using a root pruning container system but I understand a Missouri Gravel Bed is an alternative that offers a similar kind of root system advantages. So, if I was going to build a nursery bed, I'd look hard at one of these: http://www.mntreeinspector.com/uploads/2/0/7/0/20706756/the_gravel_bed_option.pdf

https://plantsciences.missouri.edu/PS2210/mgb/mgb_home.htm

Thanks,

Jack
 
interesting reads Jack, thank you. I will read more thoroughly than I did, but initially i dd not get an indiciation if the trees can overwinter in the gravel bed, like the effects on root development for sure. thanks for taking the time! Paul
 
My garden gets wet so I built a raised bed nursery with 2x10" boards. Top soil, compost, peat. I'd add more gravel for drainage if I did it again. I planted apple rootstocks at about 12" spacing.
 
So with the gravel bed system, could I take the bare root stock that I ordered this winter and put them in a gravel bed for a few months and then plant? If I'm understanding it right, the root system should be better a few months from now and I could plant them any time.
 
So with the gravel bed system, could I take the bare root stock that I ordered this winter and put them in a gravel bed for a few months and then plant? If I'm understanding it right, the root system should be better a few months from now and I could plant them any time.
Only problem then is your moving actively growing trees with nothing around the roots. The shock of the move will likely kill them. If you move them when they go dormant again it will be fine, but then again fall planting is not recommended for zones 5 and colder.

I have grown in a "sand box" and the root growth can be tremendous. I hope to revive mine on a much larger scale in a few years.
 
Only problem then is your moving actively growing trees with nothing around the roots. The shock of the move will likely kill them. If you move them when they go dormant again it will be fine, but then again fall planting is not recommended for zones 5 and colder.

I have grown in a "sand box" and the root growth can be tremendous. I hope to revive mine on a much larger scale in a few years.

Yes, I agree. Trees started and grown in a root pruning container system are so dense and fibrous that you can plant them will actively growing as long as supplemental water is available if needed and they don't skip a beat and continue to grow. If you start with a bare root tree, I'm not sure how long it takes to develop an equivalent root system. I would probably wait until they go dormant. I'm not sure if a gravel bed maintains the same temperature as soil and I don't know if you need to take special steps to over winter trees in one if you are far enough north. If no special precautions are require for overwintering or they are easy, I'd simply keep them in the bed until next spring and then plant them.

Thanks,

Jack
 
Okay. From what I was reading about them I thought one of the advantages for nurseries to use them was they could be kept there all summer, bought and transplanted at any time.
 
Okay. From what I was reading about them I thought one of the advantages for nurseries to use them was they could be kept there all summer, bought and transplanted at any time.

That could be but there may be some limits. For example, how long does a bare root tree planted in the gravel bed have to stay there before the root system is developed enough for transplant? Second, are there zone limits. For example, in the north there may be limits because of the weather. Also, most nurseries are selling landscaping trees that have access to supplemental water when needed once planted by the homeowner.

Let's think of things conceptually. A rootmaker tree has a very dense fibrous root system. Even without any supplemental water, if I start a tree in an 18, transplant after 12-16 weeks to a 1 gal RB2, do a second transplant in late spring or early summer to a 3 gal RB2, I can plant the tree in the fall when it is still actively growing. However, we do get fairly reliable rain in the fall/winter. The root ball is completely undisturbed as the RB2 container unwraps from around the root ball which is set into the hole undisturbed. On the other hand, I've had poor results starting trees early and planting them directly from 18s in the spring. We get plenty of spring rain. Why, I just don't think the root ball is large enough coming out of an 18. I've had better success planting in the spring from 1 gal RB2s, but not as good as keeping them for the summer transplanted into 3 gals and planting them in the fall. I'm also in zone 7a where winter kill is not a big issue.

When a bare root tree is extracted, the tap root is usually cut and it has a weak root system. You have to plant these when dormant so the root ball has time to develop enough to support the top growth. This is one reason trees are often cut back. Bare root trees are said to sleep for a year, creep for a year, and finally leap in the third year. So, you are starting with a bare root tree. True that a gravel bed will improve that root system. Extraction from a gravel bed lets you more easily extract the entire root system rather than cutting roots with a shovel. However, the root ball is significantly disturbed when extracted. Yes, you can spread those roots out the best you can when you plant, but it will still take time for the roots to adapt to the new environment. I think you will get a better root system using the bed, but the tree will still have some challenges to overcome when transplanted compared to a rootmaker tree. The question is whether the advantage of the denser root system are enough to overcome the stress of planting when not dormant or to overcome the stress of the first winter in the north.

Thanks,

Jack
 
Interesting read, I’d be curious to see results if someone did this with apple trees.

What about nutrients for the trees? It does not seem like a tree would develop terrible well in just gravel, but mate that’s the point as the roots develop a fibrous network to search out water and nutrients?
 
Interesting read, I’d be curious to see results if someone did this with apple trees.

What about nutrients for the trees? It does not seem like a tree would develop terrible well in just gravel, but mate that’s the point as the roots develop a fibrous network to search out water and nutrients?

Most medium we start trees in does not have nutrients. That is why we use Osmocote and micromax when trees are small. I presume one would provide fertilizer with one of these beds just as with most growing medium.

Thanks,

Jack
 
Jack, can they overwinter in Pennsylvania in a gravel bed nursery?
thanks, Paul
 
Jack, can they overwinter in Pennsylvania in a gravel bed nursery?
thanks, Paul

I don't know the answer. I looked into these a while back but decided to go with root pruning containers instead. I thought they were worth a hard look by anyone planning to put in a nursery bed. The key in overwintering a tree is to make sure the roots don't freeze hard. I'd chat with folks that have used them for detailed questions.

Thanks,

Jack
 
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From what I've poked around on the net, overwintering in the gravel bed is likely ok.
 
I had no problems over wintering in zone 5b.
 
thanks folks, wife ought look at me funny when I plant these in gravel, but it won't be the first time, just the first time I'll ignore the funny look and still come out ok!
 
I used Osmocote to fertilize in my sand box. I know some places use a a drain system under the bed and then recirculate the water/fertilizer. I would be careful with salt build up if you have much salt in your water.
 
Root-Trapper in-ground bags. Grow them out for 1 year or two. Easy transplant when its time.
IMG_0062.jpg
 
Rootmaker actually makes two kinds of in-ground bags to consider as an alternative. In addition to the ones pictured above that trap roots, there is another one that is green with holes that constricts roots to prune them. I have not used either of the in-ground bags so I can't compare and contrast from personal experience.

Thanks,

Jack
 
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