Commercial Tree Farming; Mound Planting Using Root Control Bags

Growing large caliper size trees in Root Control Bags has been a staple in the nursery business for many years. One method of bag growing, perfected by growers in the Pacific Northwest, has great potential.

Mound Planting, is the process where a tree is grown in a bag, in a mound formed on top of the ground. This allows easy harvest, even during inclement weather. To start, a shallow pilot hole is drilled with an auger, to give the Root Control Bag stability. Soil is then mounded up around the tree in the bag. Another method is to auger a hole into the mounded soil, and set the bag into the hole. Mound Planting maintains the root density in the bag, with a great concentration of root pruned roots at harvest.

Harvest is simple. In this case, forks on a small loader is all that is needed. With Mound Planting, the harvest window is also expanded. Here, it's been raining for days, yet these 2.5" pear trees are ready to go. Since the Root Control Bags are planted in a mound, the root zone is well drained. No damage occurs harvesting these trees in the rain. In fact, at Urban Forest Nursery in Washington State, trees are harvested from the mounds virtually year round.

If you would like to learn more about growing trees and shrubs in Root Control Bags in mounds, or more about Urban Forest Nursery, please contact High Caliper Growing (Smart Pots).