"Dear Wayne,
Words are inadequate when it comes to telling you and Carl Whitcomb how much the RootTrapper II containers have meant to our tree farm the past few years. To our knowledge, there’s nothing in the industry that has ever come close to it, especially when it comes to the growth rates.
We consistently produce 3 ½ inch trees in three years, starting with plug liners right out of the green house. Factors we appreciate in addition to our superior growth rates are as the following stated below:
RootTrapper II:
a) They are an average of 23°F cooler in the summer months than the smooth black plastic standard containers. This gives us continued vigorous growth during the hot Texas summer months where other tree farms have a “shut down” in July and August. We do not see any root lose on the sun side like you always see 100% of the time with the black smooth wall plastic stuff. White is simply cooler than black!
b) We have NO CIRCLING ROOTS, but instead, PROLIFIC BRANCHES of the root system resulting in a dense fibrous rootball that impresses our landscapers and landscape architect customers. We water about 35 – 40 percent less than other tree farms.
These containers are gaining acceptance because our trees adapt into the landscape with NO OBVIOUS STRESS. They are easy to handle and transport, they do not damage trunks, and are easy for landscapers to remove.
The fibrous root systems increase absorption which increases top growth, caliper and produces much more branching. We are building and adding new customers every week. Trees grown in RootTrapper II are not an “inch or two better”, they are a MILE BETTER. Wayne, the green industry is changing. Customers today, especially the good landscapers, are better educated and have been exposed to more things than ever before. None of us in the business can afford to stop learning. Continuously “Getting Better” is absolutely necessary if you are going to survive.
We do thank you and Carl so much for all your contributions, especially for the superior RootMaker II container. The 5-30-45-65-95 gallons are the sizes that make it possible to separate Athens tree Farm from all the other conventional growers.
Because of our increased growth rates and superior trees we are now building our business by turning one time buyers and occasional buyers into customers for life. Before long we are going to stop advertising and calling as our repeat customers are buying our entire stock. Our customers love our quality and our prices!
This letter is getting to long and a little boring, but one other thing we’d like you to understand is how much money we save in labor because we do not have to do all that “bumping up” at every stage. We “bump up” one time only!
We come out of the greenhouse into 5 gallon RootMaker containers, then after about 1 year the trees are placed into 30, 45, or 65 gallon sizes and remain there for two years. The bigger liners go into 65 gallons and within 2 years, have grown to 3 ½ inches. The smaller liners are placed into 30 gallon containers for two years and reach 2 ¾ - 3 inches. The main point is, it’s only ONE 5 gallon bump up and the tree remains there until it is sold. The constant multiplying of the fibrous root system keeps the tree growing at a vigorous growth rate. The growth rate continues and the tops, with timely and correct pruning, become fantastic. The root systems as they multiply, produce so much more energy for the top. One root hits the sidewall, get’s trapped, and then branches, then the secondary and tertiary roots continue to multiply instead of circling. One root makes 5 roots, 5 roots makes 25 roots, 25 roots makes 125 and the system is off and running as energy is increased within the entire tree. And man…. THIS IS GROWTH!
I’ll close, but it’s difficult to stop talking about your product and all the benefits it has given us!
Again, thank you so much for putting us onto the RootTrapper II. If you ever have any customers interested in it, we’ll be more than happy to give them a tour and show how simple yet how incredible the results are.
Here’s hoping for the best for you and your family.
Sincerely,