GROWING FOR QUALITY
18 Apr 2017
Arborist inspections are now the norm for tree supply throughout Victoria. With ever increasing scrutiny on quality and root ball structures, changing our growing methods was the logical next step for Tall Trees.
Over 2016 Tall Trees saw the trend in the market, with more councils and more street tree projects inspecting stock before supply or install. Often rejecting trees, quite rightly, for even the slightest amount of root girdling. In response to this, the team at Tall Trees made the decision to gradually move all of their street trees in production over to Rocket®pot Air Root Pruning (ARP) pots.
The design of Rocket®Pot’s guide the roots through pits in the pot’s inner wall out through holes in the side and base for air root pruning. This allows Tall Trees to grow trees that they can be confident will pass all council or arborist inspections.
To ensure Tall Trees are growing the best quality trees possible, they track their best practice method back to the initial seed germination. Tall Tree’s propagation stock is directly seeded into an S1020 which is a small ARP pot ensuring a healthy tap root. From there, for each potting on stage, the trees are moved into the relevant sized ARP pot. At no stage during development are these trees grown in a rigid wall pot, this greatly mitigates the risk of root girdling, and greatly improves the quality of the tree ready for installation into the ground. Paired with correct and careful installation practices, this growing method should ensure a quality tree with a healthy root structure well into its maturity.
With increased market competition and ever-thinning margins, the last thing your project needs is for trees requiring to be replaced after installation, or throughout a maintenance period, putting pressure on budgets. Tall Trees have moved all of their eucalypts, and native trees over to this growing method, and are in the process of moving the majority of the popular ornamental street trees (pyrus, acers, lagerstroemias, and more) across to this methodology.
To enquire for high quality, best practice grown trees for your next project, please email or call one of the Tall Trees sales team members at info@talltrees.com.au or 03 5983 0166
Images (top to bottom): Rootball after S1020 pot removal, absence of root girdling | Corymbia Maculata growing in 45Lt ARP Rocket®Pot | Washed out Euc Polyanthemos S1020, note straight tap root.
