B&B Ball Size Matters

               I recently learned a good lesson that I wanted to share with any other shrub pros who are dipping their toes into the B&B tree game.  In the container world, trees and shrubs are sold by their container size with the caveat of having a minimum spec attached to the container size (e.g. 1.5” caliper for a #15 tree).  My limited experience told me that B&B was just sold by spec, meaning height or caliper, because that’s how I saw them advertised on availabilities.  Cedrus deodara, for instance, might be sold at 8’.  Cercis canadensis would be sold at 1.75” caliper.  Well, I was mistaken.

               B&B Ball size can be as important as spec size for closing a sale.  We know trees are only as strong as their root systems.  Larger root balls often mean a more advanced system whereas a small root ball may be challenging to maintain in a heel bed and struggle to become established when planted.  This can affect viability and result in more credits for sellers.

               There is a standard set forth by the American Nursery Standards Institute which can be found on the American Hort website, www.americanhort.org.  This mandates a certain ball size for various specs.  I spent some time reading through these ANSI standards, as I’m trying to avoid making too many rookie mistakes.  They’re very interesting and well worth taking the time to review for any other newbies out there!  It’s important to note however that some regions may require a larger ball size than others, simply because of their hardiness, soil quality, etc. which can increase transplant shock. 

               While working with B&B growers over the past few weeks, several have told me that Oregon has a bad rap for putting undersized balls on their B&B material.  Each of the growers I worked with took great pride in using the proper ball size for the size of tree.  They enjoyed showing off their techniques too.  Some used huge tree spades while others dug by hand.  I was able to watch the hand-diggers work one afternoon and was impressed by the precision with which they worked.  The 28” root ball looked like a pristine sculpture.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  

               One grower pointed out the importance of strong, high quality liners to improve viability of the trees.  He grows his liners in fabric bags to create dense, fibrous root systems.  He says this helps his trees last longer once they’re harvested, establish better when they’re planted, and reduce his credits substantially.  When he first started out, he just purchased whichever liners were cheapest.  Now, it’s quality first. 

               After meeting these B&B growers and visiting their nurseries, I’ve come to realize there are a ton of factors that play into the quality of any given grower.  It might be their inputs, IPM, digging techniques, ball size, etc.  The important thing is to know what you’re looking for when analyzing a new grower.  Everyone does things a little differently.  You must see their products, understand their processes, etc. before you can order off their availability. 

               As a broker in the heart of nursery country in Oregon, I have the pleasure of being able to visit their fields, talk with the growers, and make sure that the specifications of the trees I’m selling will meet the needs of the customers who are purchasing.  Please reach out if you are looking for material this spring.