Conifer Kingdom up close and personal

10 years ago

We visited Conifer Kingdom/Rare Tree Nursery a couple of weeks ago - what a fabulous place. See photos and some info on their cultural practices.

Sara and Jan

Here is a link that might be useful: Conifer Kingdom

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Comments (21)

ricksample
10 years ago
Looks great place! I can only imaging being employed by a place like that.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
I am most impressed with the pic titled:

Pinus x schwerinii Ã¢ÂÂWiethorstÃ¢ÂÂ is available in three different sizes, as are many selections.

=====

this type of pic should be in every plant description ... including how old the big one is ...

for the novice.. it truly shows the potential of that little one gallon plant ...

what i dont get.. is why the little one makes me happier than the larger ones??? ... maybe i have trained myself to SEE potential ... over instant gratification????

ken

ps: could you explain what this means?: Rare Tree also carries large, Ã¢ÂÂspecimenÃ¢ÂÂ plants, some of which are mountain-dug. >>>>> never heard that term before ....
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The neighbor saw the bear in her garbage at 11am one Wed, shouted to DH as he was walking up to wait for DD's bus. Hasn't bothered our garbage except at night. 6-yo DD is never outside alone (except when she went out at dusk looking for me one time when DH and I were in the attic putting the window I had just poly'd back in, and then I yelled at her to get back in the house, when we came down I told her I wasn't mad, but explained my concerns, esp. that time of night). 11 yo DS is large enough that a bobcat would not mess with him, we have explained to both of them about staying together (with a grownup if possible), making a lot of noise while they're out, so that a bear would know they're there, and to back away slowly while talking, not run, if they see a bear. I don't think it's likely they'll see a bear walking up the driveway to the bus so I let them go by themselves this AM, they have to stay together and the neighbor's house is very close to the end of our driveway if there is trouble. Thank goodness the black bears here are not as aggressive as grizzlies up north. But it worries me that it has gotten used to getting into the garbage in the neighborhood. We've been spraying ours with ammonia (the soaked Pullups didn't discourage it LOL), we don't put meat scraps or bones out until the night before pickup (early AM or else we'd just put it out that day), I keep them in ziploc bags in fridge or freezer til that night. We're going to be putting up a motion sensor floodlight on that side of the garage too. But it goes out on Wed nights/Thurs early AM and pulls garbage cans down the street (most of our neighbors have Thurs pickup, we have Friday) and then (before or after) comes to our house to see what we've got out (may have some kitchen or bathroom trash out from midweek, but as I said no food scraps - we compost everything but meat, about all it can get from our garbage is used Kleenex, Pullups, maybe a ziploc bag that might smell like deli meat). We don't let DS out to play in the woods by himself either. My brother and I used to all the time, my parents never seemed that concerned (though my dad had a run in with a "mountain lion" on this property when he was a boy, and DB found a bobcat in the play house when we lived down the road when he was a kid). I think I'd be more afraid of a gator than a black bear or a bobcat. You can't scare a gator off, can you?
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j0nd03
10 years ago
Wow wow wow wow wow wow wow

The pics are superb and I imagine it must have been an existential moment being there in person!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
i know.. if it were in MI .. it would be a blues brothers moment.. and i would pic up jon doe on the way ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
Sara Malone Zone 9b
Original Author
10 years ago
'Mountain Dug' is the term for specimens (large unique individual plants) that are literally hand dug from wild sites. They are all legit - no poaching or thievery - and there are guys who specialize in doing this. Many are twisted and weirdly shaped - lots of mountainous pine types, for example. I didn't include any photos because the photos just don't do them justice because they are not shown again solid backgrounds, etc. It is a way to get really interesting specimens for special locations, many of which are commercial or estate-types.

And Ken, which Blues Brother are you? I always wondered what you looked like!

Sara
j0nd03
10 years ago
I'd be down with that, Ken lol
Sara Malone Zone 9b
Original Author
10 years ago
Are you the other Blues Brother? And would the 'blues' be Picea pungens or maybe Abies concolor?
fairfield8619
10 years ago
Ok, I must have missed something. Are ALL the firs on firma? I don't remember anyone saying that.
hairmetal4ever
10 years ago
Wait a minute:

"The quality at Rare Tree/Conifer Kingdom begins with their careful choice of understocks. Brent explains, Ã¢ÂÂFor example, with firs weÃ¢ÂÂre using Abies firma as our rootstock for a broad range of hardiness. This even allows firs to excel in the heat and humidity of the Southeast. TheyÃ¢ÂÂve never been able to grow firs down there, but with Abies firma as the rootstock, there is a very good chance that they will thrive.Ã¢ÂÂ"

Conifer Kingdom grafts firs on A. firma??? Why wasn't I informed??

Well heck, now I'm going to have to spend some money.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
would the 'blues' be Picea pungens or maybe Abies concolor

=>> answer your own question ...

i am more reminiscent of a grapefruit than a surgical scalpel .. lol ...

ken

ps: and i dont mean a big bulbous squishy pockmarked head ....
hairmetal4ever
10 years ago
So for kicks, I emailed Brent @ CK about the A. firma rootstocks. He emailed me a pdf file of all their firs they currently have for sale with the rootstocks. Only one is available on firma as of today, Abies procera Ã¢ÂÂBlaue HexeÃ¢ÂÂ. Brent said in his email they just started grafting them (about 50% of new grafts are on firma per his email). However a lot of his existing stock is on Abies bornmuelleriana, and a decent amount on nordmanniana as well, both of which are probably satisfactory at least for my area, although perhaps not much further south than me. A few were listed as Ã¢ÂÂnord or balsameaÃ¢ÂÂ so those are a crapshoot, but there are plenty on bornmuelleriana and nordmanniana that he currently has in stock.

In MD since Nordmann seems to be one of the better Ã¢ÂÂspeciesÃ¢ÂÂ firs from what some around here have said, IÃ¢ÂÂm OK with that or Abies bornmuelleriana (basically a more heat/drought tolerant variant or subspecies of nordmann from what I understand) as rootstocks.
Sara Malone Zone 9b
Original Author
10 years ago
Yes I just tweaked the language to reflect the A. firma grafting just beginning. Hairmetal you better start saving up...

Sara
sluice
10 years ago
Sara,

Thanks, that's an excellent tour!

When I think of mountain dug conifers, trees like this one come to mind. It's a Picea pungens, estimated 600 years old. I agree, pictures don't do them justice!

Nate
ricksample
10 years ago
Only if that tree could talk... I would love to have something like that here in my garden!
fairfield8619
10 years ago
That's encouraging on the firma rootstocks, not only for me where it will still be a major crapshoot whatever the roots, but really for everyone. It seems to be impervious to disease and wet/hot soil.
Sara Malone Zone 9b
Original Author
10 years ago
sluice what a tree! Truly one of a kind.

Sounds like a lot of folks are going to be chomping at the bit for those A. firma rootstock plants! Brent better up his numbers...

Sara
botann
10 years ago
Mountain dug around here are sometimes called 'Rustics'.
They are usually Abies lasiocarpa and Tsuga mertensiana.
Mike
alley_cat_gw_7b
10 years ago
Another finely written article Sara ! muchas Kudos !

That nursery rocks...what a place!

Al
Sara Malone Zone 9b
Original Author
10 years ago
Thx Al! You'd love the nursery. Maybe a West coast trip is in order?

Sara
Skeena
10 years ago
Really enjoyed the article along with the Conifer Kingdom site. Lots of original material to read and see in both cases. I'm surprised to have missed them in the past, it might not be a stretch to place them in the top five American conifer websites.
Sara Malone Zone 9b
Original Author
10 years ago
Thx Skeena and yes we agree - his site is great. Sam takes stunning photos and knows how to use them!

Conifer Kingdom up close and personal

Comments (21)

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Conifer Kingdom up close and personal

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