[Branches Grown In-House] Growing Branches in Summer is a Battle Against Nature! | October 2025

I'm Hita, and I cultivate branches in Nakanojo Town, Gunma Prefecture.

This summer, I prepared about 1,800m² of field and planted eucalyptus.

In early July, I started by mowing the waist-high weeds that had grown in the field using agricultural machinery.

Since the field had been fallow for several years, there were many bamboo roots underground. After mowing, I tilled the soil three times[*] with a tractor borrowed from the Nakamura Flower Growers' Cooperative.

The bamboo roots kept getting tangled in the machinery, so I had to remove them repeatedly during the work.

[*] The process of digging up and softening the soil to make it easier for crop roots to spread.

The eucalyptus planted after preparation came from Mr. Hasegawa in Toyooka Village and from Arai Ueki in Yorii Town, Saitama Prefecture.

Arai Ueki is a grower who supplies seedlings to major home centers and various markets, and I worked with them in my previous job as a wholesaler.

Nakanojo Town, with an average altitude of over 880m, sees temperatures drop to around 24℃ in the mornings and evenings even in mid-summer, but the daytime sun is harsh.

Since working in the large field takes time, approximately 90 pots of eucalyptus populus were rested under a shade tent before planting.

After successful planting, they grew to a height of 1 to 1.2m by the end of August.

A few weeks ago, wild boars and deer made holes in the mulch, so I spread pest control tape around the field. Since eucalyptus is toxic, there was no damage from animals eating them, which was a relief.

From October onwards, I plan to continue preparing the field and planting eucalyptus and Spiraea salicifolia. Around November, I will also need to start preparing for the cold weather.

The rest of 2025 seems like it will fly by quickly.

Just wait at home, then display. Branch subscription service

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Written by
Yukio Hida

As a member of a regional revitalisation programme, he works on branch cultivation in Nakanojo, Gunma. After experience in the flower wholesale industry, he now handles shipping and delivery for the branch subscription and began his current activities in February 2025.