Harvesting & Shipping B&B Nursery Stock

B&B Harvest is Seasonal No. of B&B Plants Harvested J F M A M J J A S O N D

Methods of Harvest By hand By machine Mechanical spade Mechanical spade Trencher Trencher

Harvesting Steps #1 Tag and grade the plant. #2 Tie up the branches. #3 Dig the plant with the appropriate ball diameter and ball depth. #4 Wrap the ball with burlap. #5 Pin burlap to remove slack. #6 Tie ball with twine. #7 Transport to the holding yard and water.

Harvesting by Hand Tagging a plant which has been previously graded.

Harvesting by Hand Tying-up the branches.

Harvesting by Hand Shaping the ball.

Harvesting by Hand Lifting the plant out of the hole.

Harvesting by Hand Putting on the burlap wrap.

Harvesting by Hand Using burlap nails to remove slack from the burlap.

Harvesting by Hand Tying the ball with sisal twine.

Harvesting by Hand The finished product.

Mechanical Spade

Putting a flat bottom on the ball.

Mechanical Spade Inserting closed “C” rings to remove slack from the burlap.

Mechanical Spade Using wire baskets.

Mechanical Spade Tightening the wire on the basket.

Wire Baskets Considerations for using… Will the soil type hold a ball? Will the soil type hold a ball? How far are the plants going to be shipped? How far are the plants going to be shipped? Should the basket be removed or left on? Should the basket be removed or left on?

Wire baskets can sometimes girdle roots

Mechanical Spade Harvested product waiting to be delivered to the holding yard.

Holding Yard Notice that some of the balls have wire baskets and others do not.

Tree Boss Articulated, robotic tree handling system. Single operator.

Trencher Digging

Shaping the ball.

Trencher Digging Applying the burlap and sisal twine.

Trencher Digging Removing the tree from the hole with a dozer mounted U-blade.

The End