At the Barcham Trees site, situated in the heart of the Cambridgeshire Fens, we have our extensive range of trees for view throughout our tree nursery. With as many as 396 varieties available to see, over a site of 150 acres, the nursery offers interest to all, from those who see trees as their passion to those who plant trees on a need to basis.

The nursery at Barcham Trees not only offers an opportunity for us to showcase our product, it is also the key component to producing our trees to the high quality that people have come to expect from us. The range of activities that are performed onsite is vast and varies greatly throughout the growing season. The following gives a brief summary of the site activities that are performed upon the nursery at Barcham Trees.

Production 

First and foremost, the most important activity that is performed at the nursery is the production of our unique container grown trees. This process is initiated with the influx of fresh stock throughout the winter season to be potted into the Barcham Light Pot™. Prior to containerisation, all trees are checked against the Barcham quality requirements and those that do not meet the designated standard are rejected.

Smaller trees are potted using the Barcham Trees potting machine, which is automated and capable of potting hundreds of trees in one working day. Larger trees must be handled manually as they are too large to fit into the potting machine. These larger trees are often transported to their designated slot on the nursery and then potted in situ. The potting process, with the use of the Light Pot™, is the method by which we produce our trees to such a high standard. The rigorous checking prior to potting ensures that quality can be assured from the very beginning, and from then on we let the roots do the work!

Development of the root system with our Barcham Light Pot™ is the next stage of tree production on the nursery. Once they have been potted, the trees are placed in their respective slots on the nursery in order to develop their root systems. The beds and slots upon which the trees are located throughout the nursery are fully equipped to provide each tree with all that it needs for growth and root development.

Irrigation 

We have an extensive irrigation system that supplies the entire nursery. This irrigation system is fed by two reservoirs that have the capability to hold up to 72,000cm³ of water, the reservoirs are filled during the winter period using run off from the nursery and the water is then distributed to the trees throughout the nursery during the summer period. The water is fed to the trees using four drippers that are positioned at the points of a square in the top of the container, this ensures that water is evenly distributed throughout the container and thus this is reflected in even root development.

The water which is fed to the trees is treated before it enters our irrigation system. This prevents pathogens from spreading to the trees, causing disease, and facilitates the uptake of nutrients. During the summer period, liquid feed is also added to the water prior to irrigation; this varies in quantity and depends upon the requirements of the trees throughout the season. A dedicated irrigation team vigilantly monitors the irrigation system when it is in constant use ensuring that every tree has access to the water it needs at all times. 

Stock Selection 

Once the root system of the trees is fully developed, they become available for general sale. Orders are placed within the office onsite and a member of the specialist selection team then choose the trees to meet the requirements of each order. At this point the trees on the nursery are once again subjected to rigorous quality checks and if any trees do not conform to the required Barcham standard they are not selected for orders. Using a skilled selection team whom are conversant with the standard that Barcham Trees expects enables us to ensure that the quality of the trees picked for all orders is consistent and ultimately our customers are fully satisfied!

Dispatch and Delivery 

The dispatch process follows stock selection and this involves the use of a team of men and some heavy machinery! Following selection, a list of tree locations is produced for each order; this is then given to the dispatch team for lifting. The trees are then transported from their places on the nursery lines to the dispatch yard. The dispatch yard is an area of the nursery where activity is rife and during the winter months there is a constant flow if vehicles coming and going for loading and delivery.

The vehicles that we use vary from smaller flat bed, rigid lorries to large, articulated, curtain sided lorries and the vehicles selected can be tailored to individual customer requirements. Trees are loaded onto the lorries using vehicles equipped with lifting equipment and are laid down flat on their side and if they are on a flat bed lorry they are then sheeted over prior to beginning their journey to prevent any damage occurring whilst in transit. Additional to the standard Barcham service we can provide a quote at cost for the use of a lorry equipped with a hiab crane that can be used to unload trees directly into pre-prepared planting pits.

The tree nursery at Barcham is available for viewing by appointment only; but don’t let this put you off! Give us a call on 01353 720 748 or email sales@barchamtrees.co.uk to book an appointment now!! Alternatively we can offer you a virtual tour of the nursery in our DVD.