The JLPN advantage

JLPN has over three generations of nurseryman and 50 years of experience growing wholesale volumes of tree seedlings. Throughout those 50 years, we have created what we feel are some of the most effective methods of producing liners that are both durable, and adaptable to most wholesale tree nurseries' growing systems.

Bare Root Understock
By estimate, JLPN has delivered over 250 million bare root seedlings to the nursery trade, historically. Granted, the practices have drastically changed, but the objectives and methods remain the same. Before we grow a crop rotation, our soil is fumigated to prevent crown gall, and nematode infestation. This ensures healthy plants. After three crops have been produced, we rest and rebuild our soil for 4+ years, as a way of increasing organic matter, which typically comes in around 20%+. We understand that the key to a healthy, durable understock is healthy, clean soil. Our production includes a variety of budding understock for fruit, shade and flowering (Acer, Betula, Celtis, Cercis, Gleditsia, Malus, Prunus, Pyrus, Zelkova and many more).

Anderson Band Pot Grown Seedlings
From the onset of our container growing operation in 2000, JLPN adopted the 2 7/8” sq. x 5 ½” deep Anderson Band as our preferred growing container for several reasons. The “ABP’ has a solid wall design, greatly reducing water usage, and an open bottom which promotes air pruning. Unlike many propagation trays, it is a durable container that lasts up to 10 years, highly reducing our use of plastic. But above all, SEEDLINGS GET BIG, and have room to grow in a band pot, due to the size and soil volume of the container. To create the most root fiber possible, JLPN utilizes over 30 highly aerated, custom soil blends for the 50+ varieties in production. An oak isn’t just an oak with our soil -- they all have specifically adjusted blends to create a seedling unparalleled in health and nutrition. All of these micro components and attention to detail, is what sets JLPN’s ABP-grown seedlings apart from other container-grown seedlings.

Rooted Cuttings
On a typical year, JLPN sticks between 1.5 and 2 million softwood rooted shade tree cuttings. JLPN uses 100% volcanic pumice as a rooting media, which is both inert, and non-organic. The pumice provides a hydroponic environment where there is nothing but infinite air pockets to create root branching and fiber, leading to better survival upon transplant. In our knowledge, there is no better way of achieving better fiber. The cuttings in most cases are harvested on-site, cut to a uniform size, and grown with a custom blend of liquid feed to keep the cuttings vigorous, and healthy. The uniformity of the cutting ultimately shows as a result in the uniform growth of the crop. All cuttings are graded and matched for height and root structure, prior to shipping. JLPN rooted cuttings are a stand-alone product.

Grading Standards
JLPN grading standards require throwing a great deal of plants on the burn pile that some growers might deem acceptable. However, maintaining our reputation for high standards is more important that making a sale on marginal quality. Quality always sells and the consumer always remembers where they got it, just the same as they never forget where poor quality trees came from. On some varieties, it costs more to buy a JLPN tree liner, but the return comes in the form of bigger, stronger trees for the consumer to sell, resulting in higher profits.

The processes at JLPN has some of horticulture's most dynamic people taking notice.

"John [Lewis] and JLPN desires to produce the highest quality seedlings and liners, and based on my visits and experiences with his plants, he succeeds at the highest level," says Dr. Michael Dirr, horticulturist, retired professory of horticulture, plant breeder and author. "I've observed beds of red maple, American beech, Nyssa, sweetgum, nuttall and swamp white oaks that were almost too uniform to be seedlings, yet they were. It's one of the neatest nurseries I have visited, and weeds were in absentia."

Dirr also grows one of JLPN's introductions.

"The Marleys Pink, a pink flowered, weeping Styrax japonica, is performing magnificently in the Dirr Georgia garden," he adds.