All You Need to Know About Community Gravel Beds
Guide developed by University of Minnesota showing how to construct and maintain a gravel bed (including costs) for growing bare-root trees.
Planting trees for most communities can be very expensive due to equipment needs and labor costs. Bare-root trees are much lighter and do not require heavy equipment to lift and move. Bare-root trees are also less expensive to purchase from the nursery.
Gravel beds allow for bare-root trees to grow abundant fine roots, so that they can be out-planted by volunteers around the community throughout the year even when in full leaf during the growing season. Bare-root tree planting can increase survivability for young trees because proper planting depth can be more easily achieved and root problems can be corrected at time of planting.
A gravel bed maintained by a community can save a significant amount of funding on tree planting efforts and more easily get citizens involved in the planting process.
J. Busiahn, S. Peterson
2013
Click here to download article as a PDF.
Booklet
Planting, Community Forestry
Minnesota
UFSe
