The system has been developed to safeguard bare root and cell grown trees from weather-related and handling stress, ensuring safer, more efficient delivery and better long-term performance for woodlands across the UK.
As the UK’s largest commercial tree nursery, Maelor already offers highly controlled growing environments through its advanced mini-plug facility and ongoing investment in improved tree genetics. However, temperature fluctuations during transport remain a critical threat to tree health, particularly during the vulnerable period between lifting and planting.
When bare root trees are exposed to temperatures of 4°C and above, they begin to respire. This rapidly consumes vital carbohydrate reserves and can irreversibly damage fine root tissues, reducing the tree’s capacity to re-establish in soil. Recent years have seen increasingly erratic spring and autumn weather, increasing the risk of trees breaking dormancy while still in storage or transit.
Cold chain transport prevents this by maintaining saplings in a stable, dormant state. By keeping temperatures consistently low, respiration is suppressed, energy stores are preserved and the risk of dehydration and disease is minimised. Trees therefore arrive on site in optimal physiological condition, ready for rapid rooting and improved establishment, even within today’s compressed and unpredictable planting windows.
To enhance delivery capability even further, parent company BSW Group has expanded logistics with specialist flatbed vehicles and truck-mounted forklifts. This creates a fully integrated, mechanised delivery system. The flatbed allows for secure, space optimised loads that can access remote or constrained sites, while onboard forklifts enable fast, safe unloading without manual handling or additional machinery. This reduces both operational risk and time on site for forestry teams.
This new tree-first delivery service is now the standard for all Maelor customers, ensuring consistent, high-quality handling from collection to planting.
Andrew Henry, Nursery Director at Tilhill Forestry, said: “This development is about more than transport – it’s about quality, consistency and giving trees the best possible start. As part of the UK’s largest integrated forestry and timber business, we’re uniquely positioned to innovate across the entire supply chain. By combining cold storage, efficient logistics and on-site mechanisation, we’re helping foresters, landowners and investors achieve stronger establishment results in an increasingly challenging climate.”
This new delivery model reinforces Tilhill Forestry and the wider BSW Group’s commitment to raising standards across UK forestry, reducing risk, improving establishment success and supporting the long-term resilience of new woodlands.
