PRT nursery sites feature cold storageStorage of trees for winter and spring planting at temperatures above freezing, typically at 2°C (36°F). facilities. For spring plantingShort form: SP
Spring delivery products are lifted in the late fall, packaged and stored at –2°C/18°F over the winter. This allows for a wide delivery window in the spring, enabling the seedlings to be planted when field conditions are optimal, typically from mid-April to mid-June.
seedlings, we test for cold hardiness in the fall. We harvest and freeze the seedlings when they are dormant, storing them at -2 C (28 F) over the winter.
Why freeze seedlings?
Frozen storageStorage of trees for winter and spring planting at temperatures below freezing (–2°C/28°F). slows the depletion of plant reserves by keeping the seedlings dormant. This ensures your seedlings are in top condition when your sites become available for planting in spring.
We monitor freezer temperatures constantly with a computerized environmental control system. The system uses multiple temperature probes located throughout the freezer. If temperature variations are detected, an alarm immediately notifies on-call employees. We also visually check the seedlings as part of our quality control.
Custom thawing and shipping
We understand how delayed or repeat planting can increase regeneration costs. So we do everything we can to deliver healthy seedlings, when you need them. We can ship frozen stock directly from our facilities or custom-thaw seedlings beforehand.
We use “quick thaw” techniques that maintain favorable temperatures throughout the thawing process. It generally takes seven days to thaw seedlings for transportation to the field. Shipping in climate-controlled reeferTemperature-controlled trailer (“refrigerator car”) used to transport seedlings over long distances and also for storing seedlings in the field. vans helps to maintain optimum temperatures.
To learn more about our cold storage services, please contact a PRT Nursery near you.