Plant Containers for Restoration

Supercells (Leach tubes)

Size and Description
These containers come in four sizes, but only the two larger sizes are commonly used in restoration:

The manufacturer, Stuewe and Sons in Corvallis, Oregon, refers to these containers as Ray Leach Cone-tainers. At the North Coast Native Nursery, we call the Leach Tubes. The 8.25" tall tubes are also commonly known as Supercells, but they are also called:

Supercell on the left.
Super stubby on the right.

The 5.5" tall containers are most commonly known as Stubbies or Super stubbies, but they are also called:

Benefits of Supercells (Leach Tubes) in Restoration

This container, like most used in restoration, was developed for reforestation. The tube shape was chosen because it has the following advantages:

1. The containers are narrow, so many plants can be grown in a small amount of space.
2. A person can carry many plants at once (98 per rack).
3. The container is tall, so that the roots will be set as deep into the ground as possible.
4. The plants are relatively inexpensive
5. Small plants can be installed quickly and cheaply

Problems and Disadvantages
The containers are placed very close together in the rack. Although the roots are kept separate, the tops tend to grow into each other. If the plants remain in the rack long enough, the plants will compete with each other, leading to significant mortality. The mortality often remains hidden until the plants are removed from the rack.

Small plants easily become overrun with weeds when planted in the field. They also become easily lost under the weeds, and may be overlooked during maintenance. Small plants are susceptible to accidental mowing.

Use of Super Cells (Leach Tubes) in the Nursery and Restoration
Tubes work well for fibrous rooted plants or woody plants with thin roots. Because the plants are very close together in the rack, it is best to grow plants that tend to grow up, rather than sideways. Most grasses and herbaceous perennials grow well in tubes. Many trees and shrubs can be grown in tubes, as long as they have fibrous root systems.

It is often said that small plants acclimate more easily to life in the wild than larger plants. From our experience, however, small plants do not acclimate any better or faster than large plants.