Transplants and Seedlings
Specializing in quality plug nursery stock
with the Christmas tree grower in mind
In 1975 May Tree Enterprises developed a nursery segment to grow our own planting stock and to supply other Christmas tree growers with high quality products for their purchase. Our production consists of greenhouse grown plugs… which are sold as 28 week old green house plugs, ranging from 4 - 8 inches, depending on species or put into transplant beds for later sale as Plug +1 or Plug + 2s. Production also consists of seedbed grown 2-0 stock of pine species and 3-0 stock of spruce varieties.
Many nursery products available for Christmas tree growers are grown in more northern states of Pennsylvania, Maine and Michigan. Therefore, they are unable to dig trees early in the spring because the soils are still frozen or snow covered. An important factor in the survival and vigor is early planting in the spring after the ground is thawed and has good moisture. Our plants can normally shipped by Mid-March; thus providing 2 to 4 weeks earlier planting than northern nurseries.
Canaan, Fraser, Douglas, Turkish and Concolor fir,as well as Colorado Blue and Serbian Spruce begin in the greenhouse as "Plugs". These are styro-blocks with individual cells filled with the proper media for accelerated growth. Our present plug production is about 75,000 per year. In late February these cells are seeded and grown until September, where they will be set into transplant beds for one or two more growing seasons.
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| GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION | FINISHED PLUG | STYROBLOCK OF TREES |
| The following are extra steps we take at our nursery to make our product better than our competitors: |
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Seed selected is chosen for uniformity of high grade Christmas tree species. Most seed is from seed orchards, but if not seed is grown from the best seed source available.
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All fir plugs are inoculated with mychorizae. These are symbiotic fungi, which assist the root system in developing a good strong plant by increasing nutrient and water uptake. Mychorizae improves soil structure, porosity, and plant ecosystem. It also increases plant growth and establishment while reducing transplanting stress, fertilizer use, and plant loss. The fungus grows with the roots for the life of the plant.
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Nursery beds are fumigated to kill destructive soil-borne pathogens, nematodes, and weed seeds. Soil nutrient levels are amended by adding lime and fertilizer as indicated on soil analysis.
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Supplementing transplant bed soils with leaf compost for added organic matter assists in root growth and development.
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Wrenching controls top height on Douglas fir to produce a better top/root ratio on P+2 transplants. This disturbs the soil around the roots, forcing the tree into root growth not top growth.
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All P+1 and P+2 Concolor are undercut. This removes the tap root, creating a more fiberous root system, conducive to planting larger transplants.
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All Douglas fir are guaranteed rhabdocline and swiss needle cast free when they leave the nursery.
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P+2 CANAAN FIR |
P+2 Swift Silver Concolor Fir |
P+2 DOUGLAS FIR |
TRANSPLANTS FOR THE CHRISTMAS TREE GROWER - WHY?
Assuming that soils, site, and species selections are made properly; the single most important management decisions will relate to reducing the "rotation cycle" (the time from planting to harvesting). Our goal as growers is to grow quality Christmas trees in the shortest possible amount of time. This first decision should be to plant large transplants. They often take longer to plant, but the rotation time will be reduced to 6 to 8 years. Plug transplants of firs will accomplish that for you.
You may want to consider growing your own transplants. Contract growing of plugs is available for planting in your developed beds; therefore following an additional 2 years in the transplant bed, you will have transplants which are ready when you lift them and will be less expensive than purchasing from a nursery.
Plant descriptions : Please refer to “ species “ page for descriptions.
SPRING 2008 PRICE LIST & AVAILABILITY:
| SPECIES | SOURCE | AGE | SIZE (inches) |
500+ |
100-499 |
25-99 |
AVAILABLE |
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Douglas Fir |
Lincoln |
Plug +2 Plug +1 |
12"-28" 10"-16" |
$ 0.75 $ 0.59 | $ 1.05 $ 0.89 | $ 2.10 $ 1.62 | YES YES |
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Concolor |
San Juan Sante Fe |
Plug +1 |
8"-16" |
$ 0.59 | $ 0.89 | $ 1.77 | Sold Out |
| Fraser Fir | Mount Rogers | Plug +2 | 10"-20" | $ 0.84 | $ 1.13 | $ 2.10 | Sold Out |
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Canaan Fir |
OARDC Seed Orchard, Ohio |
Plug +2 |
10"-20" | $ 0.85 | $ 1.15 | $ 2.55 | Sold Out |
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Colorado |
Majestic Blue Sante Fe |
Plug +2 3-0 |
14"-24" 10"-20" |
$ 0.88 $ 0.40 |
$ 1.14 $ 0.66 |
$ 2.42
$ 1.00 |
Sold Out Sold Out |
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Norway |
New England |
Plug+2 3-0 |
14"-28" 12"-24" | $ 0.80 $ 0.50 | $ 1.04 $ 0.83 | $ 2.00 $ 1.25 | Sold Out Sold Out |
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Scotch Pine |
Pal Select 61 Lake Superior Blue II |
2-0 2-0 |
8"-14" 8"-14" | $ 0.24 $ 0.27 | $ 0.38 $ 0.43 | $ 0.72 $ 0.81 | YES YES |
| Ponderosa Pine | 2-0 | 8"-12" | $ 0.30 | $ 0.50 | $ 0.90 | YES |
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Call 1-888-383-3708 or e-mail for details.
Contact us : Please phone 304-257-8606 for further information, to check on availability or to place an order. A visit to our nursery is welcomed to see the quality of our products. You can email David May for more information.