Container Trees vs Dug Trees

Container Trees Grow Faster

If a 3" (trunk width) container red oak tree and a 3" (trunk width) dug red oak tree (also called harvested and B&B trees) are planted on the same day, the container tree will outgrow the dug tree for each of the following three years. The reason for this growth rate difference is because the container tree is planted with all of its roots; however, the dug tree is planted with 40% of its roots. The other 60% of the roots were cut and left behind in the ground where the tree was dug. The container tree will grow 2' (length of new branch growth) the first year and the dug tree will grow 1/2'. In year two, the container tree will grow 3' and the dug tree 15". In year three, the container tree will grow 3' and the dug tree 2'. By the end of this three year period the total branch growth on a container tree is 8' and the total branch growth on the dug tree is 4'. The container red oak will also have a trunk width of 6" and the dug red oak will have a trunk width of 5" after that three year period. With a container tree you are buying an extra inch of trunk growth over the next three years. The container tree is our best value because it is the faster growing tree.