The B&B or Specimen division of Princeton Nurseries operates on approximately 1400 acres divided into 18 farms with seven ponds and the Crosswicks Creek. 175 acres are planted annually which translates into 110,000+ units of plant material planted a year. 75% of all the material lined out in our B&B fields are produced here at Princeton Nurseries either from our Bare Root Division or Container Division. Since most of our Lining Out Stock (L.O.S.) is produced here at the nursery we have been able to establish a fall planting schedule. During this period all containerized (L.O.S.) material is planted as well as selected crops of bare root material. This fall planting program has provided the opportunity to ease the pressures of heavy spring plantings. It also gives these fall planted crops a chance to establish sturdy root systems over the late fall which equates to superior growth as compared to the following spring planted material.
We have several distinct soil types throughout the nursery ranging from a clay soil to a sandy loam based soil. This diversity gives us the advantage of matching a plant with the best soil for it to grow. All of the land, which is to be planted, is properly prepared before planting. We will first grade the soil for proper drainage either by changing the topography of the land or by changing the subsoil drainage by installing tile drainage. The field is then treated with lime if needed. This is followed by breaking up any compaction of the soil with a four-foot deep subsoiler. We then plow the field with a three-foot deep six foot wide plow and finally disced with an 18’ disc. At time of planting, all plants are spaced to provide proper space for growing and space to allow machinery through for pruning, spraying and harvest. TREES: Trees are spaced on a 10’ then 12’ wide rows and each tree is planted six foot apart in the row. Alternating 10’ and 12’ rows give us adequate area for machine harvest of the trees on the 12’ rows but helps conserve land by saving a couple feet with the 10’ row. SHRUBS: Shrubs are Spaced the same as the trees but are spaced five feet apart down the row. Certain shrubs we have spaced on six foot rows to maximize the use of our land. After planting, the plants are straightened. We will continue to straighten plants throughout the first year, as necessary. By the summer after planting, we select any trees with crooked trunks or tops and stake them with bamboo. We train these trees to grow straight and healthy. Also, we fertilize all our material once a year with a granular based fertilizer. All newly planted fields are cultivated every two weeks to keep weed problems to a minimum. The following fall after planting, the areas between the rows are seeded with a perennial rye grass and a fescue. This helps eliminate erosion and also hold the soil together when harvesting. All plants are pruned once a year within one of our two pruning periods-late fall into winter or spring. The time of year in which the plants are pruned and the shape to which they are pruned, all depend upon the growth habit of the plant. We raise or “limb-up” all single-stem trees once a year. Ornamental or flowering trees are raised to a height of 3½’-4’, while shade trees are raised to a 6’ maximum. Irrigation is done with Hobbes irrigation guns. Water is supplied from ponds located within each farm or the Crosswicks Creek.
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Last Updated:  September 11, 2007 12:10 PM