DescriptionPlanting InstructionsAfter CareDelivery & Guarantee
Grand Fir Trees - Delivered by Mail Order from the Nursery with a 1 Year Guarantee
Grand Fir trees, Abies grandis, are large, fast growing, evergreen conifers. Although this hardy tree is suitable for most deep soils, it doesn't like polluted urban sites or growing on the coast.
Grand Fir is not suitable for a clipped hedge.
It can be grown as a screening tree up to about 60 metres high. It is a good, tall windbreak tree.
Browse all of our other varieties of Fir Trees for sale.
Grand Fir saplings are only delivered bareroot, during winter (Nov-March).
All of our young trees and shrubs are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).
General description of Abies grandis plants:
Grand fir has a straight trunk and a compact canopy. Older trees tend to develop odd shaped branches that begin growing one way and suddenly twist around for no apparent reason, giving each tree its own character. The scented needles are deep glossy green with pale grey-green, almost silver, undersides.
The Grand fir produces cigar shaped cones that fall every year, providing a regular food source to both birds and ground animals.
History & uses of Abies grandis:
Grand firs are native to the Western parts of North America and Canada. They were discovered by the Scottish Botanist David Douglas and brought back here in 1830. His explorations and the trees he sent back had a massive impact on our woodlands and timber industry. The largest Grand Fir trees on record were up to 75 metres, but the British climate is unlikely to produce such giants.
It is one of the most productive timber trees of the "silver" fir group and even though it isn't native, it has become one of the most useful trees for plantations in Britain, especially in Scotland.
It may be interesting to note that our native red squirrel, which has had such a hard time competing against the American grey squirrel, is now mostly found surviving in forests of these American trees that David Douglas discovered.
In America, they are also called: Lowland White Fir, Great Silver Fir, Western White Fir, Vancouver Fir and Oregon Fir. They have so many names because they have such a long native range, all the way down the Pacific coast.
Notes on planting Grand Fir:
Your trees tolerate quite alkaline soils, but they won't grow on shallow chalk. Their favourite soils are in moist mountain terrain, where rainfall is high and drainage is good.
They will grow steadily in quite deep shade while they are young, but mature trees need to reach full sun.
Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the area where you intend to plant several months in advance. Destroy the weeds first: nettles, brambles and ground elder are tough and a glyphosate based weed-killer is the best way to remove them. Then dig the soil over; remove rocks, roots and other rubbish. Mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades.
If you have a heavy clay soil, it might be too difficult to dig over for most of the year. Heavy clay is fertile soil, so you don't really need to improve it; killing the weeds is still necessary.
Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.
Planting accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass with Roundup weed killer.
These trees do not need protection from rabbits or deer and they will only need support from a bamboo cane if your site is extremely exposed & windy. Each 90cm tall bamboo can can be cut up to support 3 of these plants.
If your soil quality is poor, we recommend using mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of new trees and shrubs.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and Growmore.
After you plant your Grand Fir trees, the most important thing to do is water them in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Both of these will be necessary for at least a year after planting.
Water thoroughly but not too often: let the soil get close to drying out before watering your plants again.
Like all evergreen plants, Grand Fir is active and needs moisture in the ground throughout the year. This means that your establishing plants need to be watered in the winter when they are planted, if the weather is dry.
Special notes on caring for Grand Fir:
Grand Fir is a very tough plant that shouldn't need special attention once it has established. If pruning is necessary, it is best do it in winter. Always hire a tree surgeon to remove large branches.
Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.
Read our full terms and conditions here.
Delivery: The basic delivery charge for orders of bareroot plants is £9.49 + vat, which increases to £12.55 + vat if you add any pot-grown plants, standard trees or fruit trees to the order.
Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
You can choose the delivery week that suits you during checkout and we will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.
Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.
Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.
Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted hedging must be watered in dry weather while it is establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.
Our nursery has been supplying container grown and bareroot hedging plants to gardeners, farmers and town planners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying hedging plants online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.
Your 12 Month Guarantee
If any plants die within a year, we replace them if you have followed our instructions. You only pay for
the delivery of the replacements.
Place an order for £250 excluding VAT and delivery and we deliver it for FREE!
Bare-root Plants are only delivered in the winter season, from November to March. Pot grown plants can be delivered all year round
Advantages of Bare-root plants:
You pay less for the same size plants.
You can carry and plan them easily.
You only plant them in winter, so they need less maintenance after
planting. The rain will water them for their first few months.
You get the biggest selection: Many trees are not sold pot-grown.
They are "asleep" in winter - this is the best time to transplant any tree.
They use fewer fertilisers & fungicides, less water and fuel in their production & delivery.
Advantages of Pot Grown plants:
Pot grown plants can be delivered & planted all year round.
Plants with tender roots & larger specimens must be delivered in pots.
Plants in pots can be kept for months longer if there is a delay in planting.
Our Advice to You:
If you can't wait to get planting, order Pot grown plants now.
If you are not in a hurry, order bare-root plants for delivery this winter. Simply add them to your basket and choose a winter delivery date that suits you during checkout.
This will reserve your plants before they sell out.
We won't charge you until the day before delivery, so cancelling your order is always easy.
If you are only ordering chemicals and other small items, delivery is £3.50
Our delivery charge for most bareroot plants is £9.49 + VAT.
If your order contains any standard sized trees, fruit trees or pot-grown plants, then the delivery charge is £12.55 + VAT in TOTAL.
If you live in the Scottish Highlands or the Isle of Wight, there will be an extra charge of £15 + VAT on top of the appropriate basic charge, as listed above.
If your order is over £250 exc. VAT, there will be no delivery charge.
If you are uncertain, just add items to your basket which will calculate the basic shipping charge for you.
