Jsw98
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Winter Tree Farming

So I am a landscaper and am going to to start a tree farm in my backyard to make extra money on projects, I have 200 trees ordered everything from maples to aspens oaks cherries etc, my question is since we are going into winter and they will be dormant if I set up a grow room inside with lights will the trees become not dormant and starting growing under the artificial light, if this is possible I could get a 4 month head start on grow on some?
Ill be using 1000w metal halide bulbs and leds

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rainbowgardener
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It may be possible, but it is very bad for the tree. Cold hardy, deciduous trees require cold dormancy:
Dormancy is a survival strategy that temperate climate species have evolved to stay alive over the winter. These species have a biological clock that tells them to slow activity and prepare soft tissues for an onslaught of freezing temperatures.
Species that have well developed dormancy needs cannot be tricked out of them. If you attempt to give a such as species, for instance Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, an eternal summer by bringing it in the house, it will grow continuously for as long as two years. After a maximum period of sustained growth, a temperate climate plant will automatically go dormant no matter what the season or condition. Deciduous plants will lose their leaves, evergreens will curtail all new growth. This is very stressful to the plant and usually fatal. It will be 100% fatal if the plant does not receive the necessary period of cold temperatures required to break the dormancy.

To summarize, temperate climate plants require a cold dormant period. They have internal clocks that tell them when to go dormant. The clocks can be tricked to some degree. After a normal growing season, dormancy can be brought on by decreasing temperatures and shortened daylength, or delayed by maintaining summer temperatures and daylength.
https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/dormancy.htm

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applestar
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I only have limited experience from planting trees around my own property, and researching the individual care needs for them, but I would think that what you are doing by purchasing trees to plant and grow in the fall is providing chance for them to grow and establish roots during the cooler months and in this way, have a head start compared to same size trees shipped in spring.

You are, however, taking on the risks of possible winter injury and loss. So it would be a good idea to learn what they need in terms of winter protection, including forage by deer and gnawing damage by rabbits and rodents, as well as climate/weather in your particular neck of the woods. I have seen full tree sleeves and tubes in nurseryman catalogs. I don’t know exactly what they are for or how effective they are since I never bought them, but apparently, there are many products related to growing trees in the nursery business.

I imagine you will need to learn how to dig them up correctly for transporting — ball-and-burlapping, etc. Well, Winter is gardener’s time to sit comfy and study, and imagine how and what to plant and grow during the next season. :wink:

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ElizabethB
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Jsw -

I agree with RBG. Forcing deciduous trees out of dormancy prematurely is not a good idea. Trust Mother Nature. Trees need that period of dormancy. Your fruit trees not only need the rest but require "chill hours" in order to produce fruit.

I hate to bum you out but Applestar is correct - you need to do a little home work.

BTW - I had a landscaping business for 10 years. Strictly landscaping - no lawn service. I focused on the landscaping and left the plant growing to wholesale nurseries.

Good luck. :)

Jsw98
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I just figured since I like growing turning at tree form a couple dollars to $100+ in 5 years seems like a decent turnaround to turn into a commercial production later on, id say its more of test to see if we can do 20 acres, which is a hefty task



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