Vivero Hacienda La Cruz:
Reforestation begins with the collection of seeds from hardy oyamel fir and various pine species from the areas where they will be sown. When the seeds arrive at the nursery, they are soaked in large vats then sown in ‘copper blocks’, reusable Styrofoam blocks which have been sprayed with a copper compound to prevent roots from growing outside the planting medium. This encourages the trees to develop dense, healthy root masses that are vital to quick establishment once they are planted out. The copper blocks are filled with nutrient rich organic substrate made by combining compost, manure, tree bark, coconut fiber, wood ash, bone meal, vermiculite, worm castings, and stone flour, (different types of rocks ground-up to a bread flour consistency). This organic soil produces seedlings that are healthy and resistant to disease and the stress they may face once they are growing in an open field with no further irrigation. Heavy summer rains provide the moisture the trees need to quickly establish and grow strong. No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are ever used.
The seedlings are kept evenly moistened with updated automatic robotic watering arms to develop a strong root mass. Robust seedlings are ready for transport and planting after ten months. The nursery continues, however, to produce a limited number of trees in black plastic bags to satisfy participants who prefer bag grown trees, or to plant in certain difficult areas.
