TREES ON THE MOVE
It’s the California stack, or sometimes referred to as the California lean.
And no, I’m not making a political reference to West Coast politics.
The California stack is the name given to a method of loading nursery stock inside semi-tractor trailers. Nursery plants are tightly stacked in rows, with each row resting on the rims of the pots on the row below it. Kind of a staggered stack.
When done properly, a trailer can be filled with thousands of plants, each one tightly packed in close to its neighbors, stacked from floor to ceiling, all arranged in such a way that the whole load can safely ride thousands of miles to its final destination.
And most importantly… plants arrive in great shape.
It’s impressive when you see it, and it’s even more impressive that it works...really, really well.
Now, usually there is a little lean to the whole stack, towards the front of the trailer, away from the doors. This gentle lean keeps the whole thing from collapsing, both while traveling and while it’s being loaded/unloaded.
And that’s why it’s sometimes called the California Lean, too.
Over the last few years, a lot of growers have switched to shipping plants on palletized racks. That makes loading and unloading go a whole lot faster, but it wastes a lot of space inside the trailer and ultimately increases the shipping costs.
We don’t see as many loads come stacked as we used to, but we still have a few growers that do, especially our tree growers.
Trees are tall, often taller than the trailer itself. That means they have to be loaded lying down, and that makes them the perfect candidate for a California Stack…and in this case, a California Stack with a lot more lean.
Trees are loaded up, layer after layer, each pot straddling the ones below it, from the front of the trailer to the back, with each layer laying on top of the one before. The only extra addition with trees is trunk protection. Trunks have to be wrapped or padded to keep them from being scraped up by the pots stacked above and below them. It’s an impressive sight, with each load being its own unique interlocking puzzle of
plants!
Cameron Rees, General Manager
We’ve unstacked a lot of these loads in recent weeks. Our nursery lot is full again with fresh shipments of perennials, shrubs, conifers and trees, all ready for the fall season.
And just in time!
With the recent shift in the weather, I think it’s safe to say fall is finally here.
So, let the planting begin!
—Cameron Rees
“THYMELY'' ADVICE: Fall Skinner Buck Redemption Period Begins…Early?!
It’s almost time for Skinner Bucks!
Our Fall Skinner Buck Redemption Period officially starts Monday, October 5, and runs through Sunday, November 8. Bring your 2026 Skinner Bucks back in during this time and spend them just like money, saving up to 50% off your purchase!
And now, here’s a little something extra for you as a Dirt subscriber…
We’re going to be celebrating fall and thanking all of you for your business this weekend with some special treats…including free beer from 785 Beer Company!
We’ll also have some other drinks available; we’ll have the grill going, and we’ll have a few other snacks as well. And here’s one more…
…we’re going to be opening up our Fall Skinner Buck Redemption Period a little early!
We’re calling an audible!
We’re opening up our Fall Skinner Buck Redemption Period early…this Saturday, October 3…the weekend before the published fall dates.
It’s a little something extra we’re adding to the weekend.
And you know, because you read The Dirt.
Thanks for subscribing!
—Cameron Rees
Just arrived… spring flowering bulbs!
Dream it
〰️
plant it
〰️
Dream it 〰️ plant it 〰️
Just Arrived…Spring Flowering Bulbs!
Who doesn’t like the beautiful color in the spring?! With winter behind us and the promise of new beginnings, having beautiful, bright colored blooms popping up is just the welcome we need for spring. To get this, now is the time you should be thinking about planting those bulbs.
Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Crocus, and Allium (among others) are the bulbs you plant in the fall to come up in the spring!
These bulbs require a period of stratification to “wake” them up to begin putting out roots. All that means is that they need the cold to “wake them up” from their dormant sleep and get the ball rolling. In other words, to get blooms in the spring, they need to live through the cold of winter, so plant now.
We have multiple different unique Tulips, an array of different Daffodils, and many other bulbs to get planted in your desired area. Fall bulbs you can plant anytime in the fall to winter as long as the ground is not frozen.
We also carry Naked Ladies, and no, that’s not what you think it might be! Amaryllis Belladonna, aka Naked Ladies, is another flowering bulb, kind of like tulips and daffodils. They need to be planted in the fall, and their foliage will come up during the following spring, but their flowers won’t emerge until the end of the summer. In August and September, their bare flower stalks…or “naked” flower stalks…will emerge from the ground, topped with beautiful pink flowers. These bulbs multiply after planting and will provide blooms for many years to come.
Stop in today to check out the entire collection of Fall Bulbs and take a sneak peek at how colorful these guys are.
Thank you for shopping at Skinner Garden Store, and as always, we are here if you
need any advice. Happy Planting!!
—Melissa Anderson
What’s New?
this week: fall customer appreciation weekend!
We appreciate you! Let us show you with some tasty beer, grilled hot dogs, snacks, and refreshments… and a backdrop of dazzling fall inventory that will make you feel festive and inspired. See you down here at the store!
MORE NEWS, eVENTS & aNNOUNCEMENTS
Check back here for future updates.
