ACCELERATOR®

When Frank Mariani established our Mariani Nursery in Kenosha in 1992, his passion for trees was at its core. This passion has guided us throughout our more than 30-year history as we constantly evolve and adapt to ever-changing industry needs and challenges. We identified both the need for and advantages of container trees early on. We began testing the waters of container tree production in Garden Prairie in 2013 when we trialed some multi-stem ornamentals in 10-gallon hard-walled pots. It was clear early on that production in a hard-walled pot wouldn't be sustainable due to girdling roots, so we began to explore the many different container options for air root pruning.

Our trials with the Accelerator® container began in 2015 when we potted up 250 trees in Garden Prairie. At first, we focused mainly on shade trees, but we have since expanded the program to include multi-stem and single-stem ornamentals and large shrubs. In 2016, we moved the program to Kenosha and eventually maxed out production at 5,000 plants. With the steadily growing demand for Accelerator® grown trees, we knew we needed to expand.

So, in 2021, we began construction on the nine-acre Accelerator® range at our Garden Prairie nursery, more than doubling our production capacity. The expansion was completed in 2022, giving us the capability to produce 11,000 single-stem and multi-stem Accelerator® trees annually, and ensuring that the Accelerator® program will be a major part of the future of Mariani Plants, and of our future success.

The Accelerator® air root pruning system is a natural way to help grow a better tree with a stronger root structure from propagation to final planting in the ground. The unique design of the Accelerator® container employs vertical corrugations to guide the root tips to air pruning slots located along the sidewall of the container. This results in a denser, more uniform root mass and minimizes root circling. Plus, a healthier root structure means the shelf life can be extended without worrying about plant distress.