About Our Nursery

Molly and McLain Still operate Schaefer Nursery, which was established by Milton Schaefer (Molly's father) in 1977.  Our liners are rooted under mist in soil and grown outside, where they naturally build up food reserves and acclimate themselves slowly to our severe winters.  Consequently, we produce a naturally hardier, healthier plant, ready to grow off better and more quickly.  Once stuck, are undisturbed in our outdoor beds until we harvest them.  We have cold storage facilities to keep the plants healthy, fresh, and dormant if you need them later in the spring due to geographic climatic differences.

We carefully pack your liners with the roots wrapped in sphagnum moss and the tops separated with excelsior.  They are then packed in polyethylene in cardboard boxes.

Since the summer of 2015 we have inoculated all of our plants with mycorrhizae and beneficial microscopic bacteria.  Myco means fungus.  Rhiza means root. The symbiotic relationship of mycorrhizae creates an extension of the root system, making for more effective nutrient and water absorption than the root itself by increasing the surface absorbing area of the roots dramatically.

We have seen improved color and growth and believe this mycorrhizal inoculation is a big reason for this improvement.

Plants we sent for microscopic lab testing came back positive for successful mycorrhizal inoculation.  The fungi are not usually visible with a magnifying glass. However, the vegetative form of the life cycle, called mycelium, is visible. It looks like a white spider web in the root zone.  If you observe this, it is a good sign. The mycorrhizal inoculation should stay with the plants throughout their lives, and dramatically improve plant establishment, growth, drought resistance,  and long term health.

We cordially invite you to visit our nursery.  We are located in Winchester, Tennessee.  Winchester is between Nashville and Chattanooga, about 15 miles west of I-24.  Please call us first so we can avoid unnecessary delays for you.

We appreciate your business and will try our best to keep you well-satisfied with our quality and service.  If you ever have any complaints, we will do our best to give you complete satisfaction.