Air Pruned Raised Beds for Tree Seedling Production

The Cornell Small Farms Program is hosting a hands-on workshop on Air Pruned Raised Beds (APRBs) at Dilmun Hill Student Farm on Saturday, September 27 at 10:00 a.m. – 12 pm (rain or shine).

APRBs offer an innovative, scalable approach to tree seedling propagation. By naturally pruning roots through air exposure, this system produces seedlings with stronger root architecture, higher transplant success, and the ability to grow large volumes of bare-root stock in a small footprint—no land ownership required. APRBs are adaptable to both urban and rural contexts and support high-density seedling production for a wide range of species.

Participants will learn how to construct an APRB and explore key topics including bed management, growing media, pest management, species selection, seed collection, preservation, germination, and potential markets. This workshop is ideal for producers seeking to diversify into a new, efficient tree seedling production system.

The session will be led by Sean Dembrosky, owner/operator of Edible Acres, and Connor Youngerman, Agroforestry lead with the Cornell Small Farms Program.

Attendance is free, registration is required, and participation is capped at 25. 

Parking and logistics instructions will be available to registrants the week prior.

If you have any questions please contact Connor at czy2@cornell.edu