Since I am not
clever or creative enough to figure out an interesting story line to go with
this process, we will just stick to basic information. In most conifer grafting, we generally use a
two year seedling as an understock. These plants are
produced at a seedling specialist nursery that is capable of producing
accelerated growth one year plugs. We receive
these plants in late winter and use our drill potting system to transfer them
to a 4 inch pot. These liners are then
grown for an additional summer, generally increase in size three fold, and are
used for grafting the following winter.
In order to give
us flexibility to transplant into various flat configurations, we developed a
simple system using a heavy duty hand drill mounted with a dowel (we use
different bits for different size plugs).
These dowels were produced from aluminum at a local tool and die
shop. In the end, due to the fact that
this type of transplanting occurs seasonally and in many varied formats, this
simple system was far more cost effective than expensive fixed multiple drill
bits on a standard flat transplanting machine.
Points to
consider:
·
Use GFI outlets to power the drills to provide
extra electric shock protection.
· Apply extra electrical tape insulation to any
cord areas that are subject to high traffic or abrasion.
·
Inspect the cords often to insure a safe working
environment.
A crew of less than ten people
can easily transplant tens of thousands of liners a day with this simple, under
$300 system.
.JPG) |
| From left to right: fresh potted Picea abies plug to 4" pot; Picea abies 2 year seedling; trimmed Picea abies 2 year seedling with a Picea p. 'Blue Totem' side veneer graft; one gallon grafted 'Blue Totem' one year after graft; one gallon grafted 'Blue Totem' two years after graft |
Our source for these high quality
conifer plugs (Pines, Spruce, Hemlock, Fir) is:
Evergreen Nursery Co. Sturgeon
Bay, Wisconsin, 920-743-4464
Brian Decker
Le President
Propagator
Tee-Shirt Model
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