The
Sierra Gold Nurseries' UltraClean machine reduces the incidence
of soil-borne disease in bareroot trees by cleaning the trees thoroughly before
storing for sale to growers.
Bareroot trees are harvested during the winter, while the trees are dormant
and the ground is muddy. Digging machines dig up the roots intact. Typically,
nurseries hose down the trees, grade and bundle them, and then heel them back
into the ground to await sale. This approach has not proven effective against
soil-borne disease, which can show up in a tree later and damage or kill it.
The development of a machine that changes the water constantly, moderates water
flow to prevent tree damage, and eases handling, began. The UltraClean
system allows Sierra Gold Nurseries to pull, clean, bundle and place
trees in cold storage while maintaining the tree's health.
