We are always happy to hear from new potential suppliers for Planting, however we do have a policy which must be adhered to:
Plant supplier requirements. Any supplier that Acme Arb Ltd work with must first agree to and subsequently adhere to the following:
For all plants:
There will be no suckering from the base of the stem
Where trees are variegated there will be no reversion
No crossing branches will be present
Plants will be labelled with the scientific name/size/ HTA specification/Suppliers name
Plant roots, stem and crown will be free from pests and diseases
Bare root trees
Will not be physically damaged or dried out or heated.
Rooting area will be proportionate to the crown
Root balled trees
The tree will have a well- balanced and fibrous root system
Soil within the root ball will be local soil
Root ball will be properly secured with a hessian wrap secured with non-galvanised wire mesh
Containerized trees
Root system will not contain spiralling or girdling roots
The container sack will be the correct size in litres as specified by the HTA
The container will be undamaged and contain drainage holes
The growing medium contained within the pot will be free of weeds and not allowed to dry out
The stem
All trees will be supplied with good stem taper
Grafts will be as near to the base of the stem as possible
There will be no weak unions or disproportionate growth
the stem will be clear of any physical damage
There will be evidence of proper formative pruning
The stem will be of correct girth with appropriate height and clear stem height ratio
The stem will be straight
The crown
The crown will be evenly balanced with good form according to species and will be free of damage
The branches will contain active, plump buds where seasonally expected
Handling, Lifting, Storage and Dispatch
All Handling, Lifting, Storage and Dispatch will adhere to CPSE Recommendations for Plant Handling from Lifting until Dispatch
In particular;
Lifting
- Damage (drying out, heating up, freezing, water-logging-physical breakage, dropping, crushing) will be avoided
- Lifting will be carried out during dormancy (between late November to early March as a guide).
- Evergreen plants will be lifted between September and April when the ground is also moist
- Time between lifting and proper storage or dispatch will be immediate or if not practical/possible there shall be adequate temporary storage areas provided to ensure tree stock is protected before dispatch
Packaging and storage
- Temporary storage areas will be shaded and sheltered
- Roots will be kept moist and surrounding with freely draining, moisture retentive material
- Bare root stock will be dispatched at least 2 weeks before dormancy is due to end
- Bundling shall be accordance with species and size in accordance with the “Specification for packaging and transporting nursery stock” from the CPSE Recommendations for Plant Handling from Lifting until Dispatch
- Bundles will be securely tied with string, twine or plastic strips which will not cause damage to the plants
- Bundles will be clearly labelled with plant name, size, and quantity
- Bundles will be in the quantities recommended in the above publication
- Trees over 14cm girth (or others that require it) will be root balled and supported with twine or other stronger material to prevent the root ball from collapse
Loading and dispatch
- Carried out in accordance with CPSE Recommendations for Plant Handling from Lifting until Dispatch
- Will be carried out by trained and competent staff that are not 3rd party contractors and where this is not possible 3rd party contractors will adhere to the specification in 5.3 of the same document
- All loading will be carried out in such a way that damage will not occur to plant stock for example stems will be supported with straw bales/ crowns will be tied up or together
- Once loaded the plant stock will be kept cool and moist at all times
For more information on how to become a supplier, please get in touch on 01143991733 or Info@acmearb.com