We custom-grow containerized seedlings and rooted cuttings on contract, according to our customers’ height and root collar diameter (RCD) specifications. We grow from seed or cutting material that you provide, or we can help you procure the appropriate seed for your requirements. Approximately 2/3 of our stock is frozen stored at -2°C/28°F over the winter, for planting when the sites are ready in the spring. The other third is hot-lifted and transported directed to the planting site for planting without storage, typically during the fall. We also grow seedlings for transplant into nursery beds for 1+1 plug field stock.

We condition our seedlings to ensure they are field adapted for successful outplanting when the customer needs them: summer, fall, winter or spring. 

Our proactive IPM (Integrated Pest Management) program prioritizes non-chemical and cultural processes, minimizing the use of pesticides.

While we got our start growing Vancouver Island coastal species, we have honed our skills over many years and are now proficient in growing reforestation species for all of British Columbia, Yukon, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Our specialty remains Douglas-fir, coastal and interior varieties, which comprises roughly half of our annual crop. However we grow a diverse crop of up to 25 different native species of both coastal and interior species, primarily conifers, although we grow broadleaf species as well.

We know what works to grow strong seedlings year after year, but we also love trying new stocktypes! Connect with us if you have anything you’d like to try and we’ll be open to partnering with you on it. Don’t forget to ask us about what we’ve been working on in-house and with university researchers.  

Our process starts in the seed lab. Prior to receiving your seed, we use your seed information to calculate the optimal seed usage – saving as much seed as possible while still reaching requested numbers of seedlings. We provide a range of services via our in-house dedicated and experienced seed lab technician including: short and long-term seed storage, stratification, upgrading, cleaning, and sanitation to ensure the best germination possible. We are also able to use our wide contact network if our customers need assistance with procurement. 

We take pride in our impeccable record keeping and data tracking – and we share our data with our customers early and often to provide them with a level of confidence that goes above and beyond the industry norm.

On the harvest line, our lead hands audit a minimum of 1% of all seedlings harvested. This ensures harvest seedlings meet our customer’s height, RCD, root, health and form specifications.

Quality starts from the beginning. We have extremely high sanitation standards for our seed lab, greenhouses, warehouses, benches/tables and styroblocks including a custom-built steam sanitizer. This ensures the seeds are sown into the cleanest and highest quality materials available, minimizing the potential for cross-contamination and disease.

We send samples of representative seedlots to a BC forestry university for two types of independent testing.

The first, storability testing, ensures that seedlings destined for freezer-storage are dormant and cold hardy prior to harvest. We do not harvest any frozen stored seedlots until they have passed this test.

Second, we have root growth potential (RGP) testing conducted on hot-lift seedlings taken from the lift line, and frozen stored seedlings after one month of storage.

Seedlings are potted up and grown for two weeks in a greenhouse under ideal conditions. After which the seedlings are unpotted, the roots counted and rated via the Burdett scale, along with shoot and bud development.