From our sister company, White House Natives, in Luray, Virginia.

‘Eric and his team are digging spring orders.

Since we are a small team, every additional hand is helpful, and we use all of our team members to assist with the labor-intensive digging process. The actual digging with our Dutchman tree spade and Bobcat skid loader is the “easiest” part of the process, but it does require skill and experience. Eric gets assistance from Cody to help him center the spade on each tree, remove excess dirt on the bottom of the ball (helping the tree to stand up better) and steady the tree while carefully setting it into the burlap and basket. Next, we remove any excess dirt on top of each root ball to make sure the root flare is properly exposed and taper the top and sides of the root ball for uniformity. Finally, we staple the burlap to keep it tight and then lace the top of the ball with three-ply sisal to hold the entire package together. Every day we learn how to get better at this process through the knowledge and resources shared by our network of generous fellow nurserymen. ’

For details and availability, and to place your order, speak to your SRN rep.   Photos taken 27 Febr 2025.