We are in the process of digging our B&B trees for 2016 sales. We have several thousand pre booked for spring and the rest is for general availability. Here at Abby Farms we do things just a little different than some other farms. My experience is that most farms dig trees and hold them above ground for spring and early summer sales. We are digging approximately 28,000 to 30,000 trees. Once they are dug we move them to our massive mulch beds where we dig holes in the mulch and set the root ball in just like when you plant the tree. This helps protect the root ball from extreme conditions, heat or cold. We put a jacket around the root ball made of a material like a weed barrier. This stops the tree from rooting into the mulch. We then run drip irrigation lines over the root balls. This system allows us to hold our trees throughout the year which gives our customers a continuous supply of trees. They don’t have to switch to containers or another farm mid-season or worse yet mid job. When the trees are placed in the mulch beds they are put in rows just like in the field. If our customer would like to tag their own trees or bring an architect out, we do not have to run all over looking for trees. It is just like tagging in the field.

This system requires more work on our part, but we feel the convenience to our customer makes it worth doing. We also believe it is much better for the trees to have their roots protected. With a more consistent temperature in the root zone we regenerate our roots in the winter and our customer gets a hardened off tree. This will reduce mortality on the job which reduces warranty work and will allow our customer to make more money. It is also better for the canopy to have space when they flush in the spring rather than having them ball to ball in a yard with an impulse sprinkler on them trying to keep them watered.

We would love to have you come out and see our operation for yourself, and see the advantages of buying our chemical free trees that are maintained and protected by the best system possible. Please call Doug Miller to schedule a tour.

Doug Miller
240 388 0700
ddmiller@abby-farms.com