The PMC Update for September 23, 2021
Activities at the PMC are on schedule and continue without interruption so this week’s update is going to be brief:
Sales
New sales continue to be received and posted. They have been running at a record pace and that certainly has not changed.
Production
Most of the species being grown here have grown to their final size and are in varying stages of dormancy. It will be a while before many are fully dormant since the weather has been damp and mild. Irrigation has ceased and most likely will not be needed again unless a sudden cold snap occurs before they are fully dormant, in which case irrigation will be used for frost protection. Weeding is winding down and on October 4th the weeding crew will transition to processing live stakes for early orders.
Live Stake Production
As mentioned above the PMC will begin processing and shipping live stakes on October 4th. They will not be dormant. They will be brought into the packing shed for processing with green leaves still on them. Fortunately, willow and cottonwood are hardy enough that they will not be adversely affected as long as there is adequate soil moisture and the temperatures are not too high.
The customers requesting early shipment need them for planting while stream flows are down and the PMC is trying to do what it can to help. The PMC is reluctant to provide any earlier since the likelihood of suitable planting conditions is lower and they are still growing which could negatively affect the total yield of a cutting block.
Please contact us if you are interested in receiving live stakes early but a lead time of 2 weeks may be necessary to work any additional orders into the schedule at this time. Bare root harvest must wait until the plants are fully dormant which may not be until the first of December.
Propagation
Seed collection and processing continue for some late-season species. Seed collections for the majority of species have been completed. The start of fall seed planting will begin within the next couple of weeks. The ground is ready except for final prep and we are awaiting more seed from some of our collectors. That will most likely continue until the start of harvest.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Jim Brown, WACD PMC Nursery Manager
https://wacdpmc.org/about-us