Plant Material - Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration - page 124

FIGURE 8-3. Cottonwood and willow container production using cuttings from local donor plants. The
drip irrigation system provides water to each of the several thousand containers in this cost-effective
greenhouse. The Nature Conservancy, South Fork of Kern River, California. (Photo by John Rieger.)
profit groups have developed a system of small greenhouses with containers and cuttings supplied
with water (fig. 8-3). These are then planted like a regular container plant at the best time of the
year. The containers are cleaned and then reused the following year, maximizing the economical
and efficient nature of this approach.
Bare root plants have been grown in a modified soil bed that permits removal without extensive
damage to the major root system. This technique can be used only during limited times of the
year because the plant is vulnerable to desiccation. For one major project, the vendor developed a
technique to cut the willows out of the ground, encase the roots in a polymer, and refrigerate until
planting. Several thousand plants were successfully installed using this method. The operation
required coordination with the nursery and the construction schedule to provide a place to put the
plants at the right time of the year. The rooted cuttings were started before the contractor was hired
to prepare the planting site. Operations like this require careful scheduling and communication
among the various team members.
Seedlings are usually plants grown from seed directly in plugs or small pots. To avoid investing
in large containers and the required soil mix, planting of seedlings can be another approach to
maximize your resources.