At Moon Valley Nurseries, we grow our trees in containers so that you get the absolute best-quality tree, bar none. You may have been wondering why container-grown trees are better than field-dug trees. We asked our nursery pros, and here is what they had to say:

With a Container Grown Tree You Get:

• A tree that grows faster – container-grown trees are planted with all its roots. Field-dug trees are planted with 40% of their roots.
• Container trees have a higher survival rate – with 100% of its roots in-tact, it can absorb the adequate amount of water.
• No shock in warm weather – see above.
• A much straighter tree.
• An easier to load tree, and one that is much easier to unload and plant.
• Trees that are guaranteed to be planted at the right depth - the box is set into the hole properly.
• Container trees are grown in 100% recyclable wood containers.
• Most architects spec their jobs with container trees.
• When compared to field dug trees, there will be a greater selection of container-grown trees available during most times of the year.

Container Grown Trees are the Best Value

Get more for your money with a container-grown tree. At Moon Valley Nurseries, we sell the bigger trees in smaller containers, so you never pay for the dirt, you are paying for a beautiful tree! We value engineer our products to save you money. Les Blake, owner of Moon Valley Nurseries, said: “We value engineer all of our products, not only are they grown from our selected mother trees in our labs, but they’re also a tree that we guarantee, always. When you purchase a tree from Moon Valley Nurseries, you’re absolutely going to have the finest quality tree.” Mr. Blake explained further that “over the last 25 years we’ve found that our customers do not want to pay for dirt.” For further proof, compare what other nurseries sell as bigger trees to what we sell. The difference is obvious. With us, you get a specimen tree sold in the right size box, not some small tree in a large box filled with dirt.

Things to Consider:

Root System: A container-grown tree is grown with all its roots. Whereas, a field dug tree has had most of its roots cut and left behind in the ground where it was dug up. A container tree’s length of new branch growth will grow 2-feet the first year, whereas the field dug tree will grow ½-inch. By the end of the third-year growth period, the total branch growth on a container tree can be 8-feet, compared to 4-feet on a field dug tree. The container-grown tree is going to be the best value.

Easier, Perfect Planting: Professional planting crews, landscapers, and contractors will all tell you that a container-grown tree is much easier to plant. Here’s why. Field dug trees are much harder to handle and are going to be much heavier. Many times, a field dug tree is lifted and planted incorrectly. Plus, raising a tree by its trunk can result in damage, can cause severe injury, or possibly kill the tree. Container grown trees are set into the whole correctly, every time.