Back to the roots to regenerate the forest

How we do it

Three generations of spruce and pine plants are dealt with per season at Holmen’s nursery in Friggesund.

December – January

All of our seeds are stored in a central freezer at minus 20 degrees. When the nursery starts the first seedling of the year, seeds of the right origin are requested. Holmen is a partner to some 50 seed plantations all over Sweden. This is to be able to offer plants that suit the environment where they will grow.

January – February

Now we sow all of the seeds that will be cultivated in the first round in our five greenhouses. We use seedling trays that are filled with peat and place one seed per pot in the tray. The trays are stored in cold frames in the refrigerator while awaiting cultivation.

March

We begin to warm up the greenhouses now so the ground in the greenhouses and the water for the greenhouses thaw. Greenhouses are often heated with oil boilers but in Friggesund we have converted the heat in three of our five greenhouses to central district heating.

April

Now the ground and the water have been thawed and cultivation can begin. We fill all five of the greenhouses with the first round of cold frames. Each greenhouse holds 430 cold frames and each cold frame holds 50–60 seedling trays. The first round is now in the greenhouse for ten weeks.

June

The plants are now placed outdoors, leaving space for the second round, which is moved from the cold storage to the greenhouses. When the plants are outdoors, it is important to look after watering and fertilisation. At the same time, the seedling continues for round three. Round two takes only four weeks in the nursery before being moved outdoors, leaving space in the greenhouse for round three.

July – August

The plants are prepared for the winter, a season when they “sleep” and do not grow. We shorten the days and advance the winter season by covering the plants with blackout cloths.

October

The plants are packaged in cardboard and stored in a freezer at minus 6–7 degrees to await delivery in April.