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The Root of the Issue

Planting Seeds of Success at Kuenzi Turf and Nursery

High Caliper Growing, March 30, 2016

Business Takes Root.

When Myron Kuenzi opened his nursery and turf farm in 1990, he was determined to start off on the right foot. After interviewing fellow trees farmers, he learned about a revolutionary new method of planting and harvesting. The Root Control Bag from High Caliper Growing was beginning to take hold in the industry. And Myron soon discovered why.

A Whole New Ballgame.

Compared with ball-and-burlap, Root Control Bags provide distinctive advantages. Myron learned that Root Control Bags retain 85-95% of the root ball at harvest. Not only does this improve survivability during transplant, it also allows Myron to harvest and sell trees year round. Because ball-and-burlap preserves only 30% or less of the root ball at harvest, trees must be harvested in a dormant state. By retaining the vast majority of the root ball, Root Control Bags enable year-round sales, helping Myron smooth out his cash flow and spread labor needs more evenly throughout the year.

When the Time is Ripe.

While other growers are waiting for their trees to go dormant, Myron commands premium prices from construction contractors, landscapers and re-sellers. And his trees are vastly superior thanks to their health and nutrient storage at the time of transplant. Because trees store vital nutrients in their root balls, Myron’s trees recover and grow faster than his balland- burlap competitors. This carbohydrate storage is especially vital for the liner produced in the 10” fabric bag. Survival is near 100%, and first year startup is tremendous. Myron’s customers say trees go to market two years faster than bare root!

Faster. Cheaper. Smarter.

But the benefits don’t stop there. Root Control Bags contain the root ball in a smaller area, so no tree spade is required to get the trees out of the ground. Root Control Bags reduce Myron’s harvest times and costs by approximately 50 percent for the 21” fabric bag on larger caliper trees. That’s money he can sow back into his growing business. And growing is exactly what Kuenzi Turf and Nursery has done over two-and-a-half decades.

A Growing Success.

Today, what began as a 35-acre sod farm in 1990 has expanded to more than 500 acres, selling more than 150,000 trees annually throughout the Pacific Northwest, across northern U.S. and into Ontario Canada. Myron couldn’t be happier. “We get excellent service from High Caliper Growing. The staff is knowledgeable. The product is excellent. And our orders are filled quickly and diligently.”