Nursery Facilities

1
Nursery Facilities

• What are the different types of nursery
  facilities and the important factors involved in
  the development of one?

2
Key Questions

• Why is proper nursery site selection important?
• What are the environmental factors considered in
  nursery site selection?
• What are the economic factors involved in
  selecting a nursery site?
• Explain the layout of container and field
  nurseries
• What are the different types of nursery
  structures?

3
Why is proper nursery site selection important?

• Factors to consider
• Climate
• Soil and topography
• Available water resources
• Available capital and labor
• Market potential
• Type of plant material grown
• Production method

4
What are the environmental factors considered in
nursery site selection?

• Temperature
• How hot or cold something is
• The measurement of heat energy of molecules
• Determines the length of growing season
• Plant hardiness map
• 11 zones divided by average annual minimum
  temperature
• http//www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

5

• Wind
• High winds carrying soil particles can act as a
  soil blaster
• Windbreaks
• Act as a filter
• Better plant growth
• Reduced transpiration
• Reduced evaporation
• More efficient spraying
• Works 3 to 6 times its height

6

• Soil
• Desired soil type for type of production
• Balled and burlapped (B B)- clay soil, holds
  together when dug
• Bare root- sandy or loam soils, does not crust
  over, drains quickly, less damage when plants are
  removed
• Consider the following soil factors
• Organic matter content- 2 to 5
• pH- varies by plants grown
• Native fertility- the more natural fertility the
  better
• Drainage
• Removal of surface or ground water
• Benefits Warmer soil temp in spring, Uniform
  soil moisture, ? level of pathogens, ? level of
  denitrification, ? soil erosion, ? operation
  efficiency

7

• Topography
• Surface features of an area
• Relatively level- slope of 1-2
• Rainfall
• Monitor high and low rainfall times
• Problems with heavy rainfall
• Inability to get machinery in the fields
• Delays in lifting trees and seedlings
• Damage to soil structure
• Flooding
• Erosion
• Increased pathogen activity
• Decreased efficiency of pesticides
• Stimulation of weed growth
• Excessive leaching of soil nutrients

8

• Water
• Consider current and future use
• Irrigation often necessary
• Ideal water should be slightly acidic and soluble
  levels below 500 ppm
• Air pollution
• Harmful or degrading materials in the air
• Common compounds in air
• Chlorides
• Fluorides
• Ozone
• Sulfur dioxide
• Consider prevailing winds when selecting a site

9

• Plant pests
• Survey the area to determine which pests are
  present
• Consider
• Insects
• Arachnids
• Deer
• Root rot disease
• Previous land usage and cropping

10
What economic factors are involved in selecting a
nursery site?

• Land cost and availability
• Best sites High priced
• Consider purchase and preparation costs
• Labor
• Labor intensive industry with seasonal demands
• Field nursery needs one permanent employee per 7
  to 8 acres
• Container nursery needs one employee per acre

11

• Transportation and Markets
• Consider the markets to which plants will be
  shipped
• Location near interstate highways is desirable
• May hire trucking or own a fleet
• Utilities and services
• Availability of telephone and electricity and
  prompt repair
• Competition
• Location becomes more important with competition

12
Explain the layout of container and field
nurseries

• Container production requires 2-3 times less land
  than field production
• Nursery layout
• Container nurseries

13
Container Nurseries

• Crops grown to marketable size in containers
• Areas needed for
• Propagation
• Potting
• Container production
• Shade and over-wintering
• Office and shipping
• Irrigation systems
• Roads
• Ponds
• Service areas
• Layout should allow for flow of plants from one
  area to the next

14
Field Nurseries

• Nursery crops grown to marketable size in fields
• Fields laid out in blocks surrounded by dirt
  roads
• Land preparation
• Land leveling
• With a site map in hand, clear the site
• Maintain a slope of 1-2
• Road design and construction
• Provide ample space
• Allow continuous movement of stock, equipment,
  and personnel
• Different areas require different widths and
  surfaces

15

• Irrigation
• Most important aspects
• Reliable year-round source
• Sufficient pumping and pressurizing capacity
• Design and sized main and lateral lines
• Uniform distribution of water to plants
• Contain all runoff in holding ponds for reuse
• Land drainage
• Slope away from roads and fields to contain runoff

16
What are the different types of nursery
structures?

• Considerations when choosing structure
• Type of structure
• Cost
• Type of covering
• Heating and cooling needs
• Coldframe- wooden or block frame heated by solar
  radiation through transparent covering

17

• Hotbeds- wooden or block frame heated by electric
  or hot water source
• Headhouse- work space usually located at the
  north end of a greenhouse
• Includes
• Work bench
• Storage bin for potting media
• Storage bin for chemicals
• Sinks and hose bibs
• Tasks performed in headhouse
• Sowing seed
• Transplanting
• Potting
• Grafting
• Cutting Preparation

18

• Shadehouse- structures used to protect plants
  from environmental factors such as wind,
  temperature, hail, heavy rain, solar radiation
• Use lath strips or shade cloth
• Overwintering houses- permanent frame covered to
  prevent winter damage to nursery crops
• Cover usually removed during summer

19

• Cold storage
• Bare root material requires cold storage
• 34 to 40 degree F
• Potting Areas
• Centrally located for ease of movement
• Store potting media on hard surface
• Keep potting area weed-free
• Shipping
• Holding shelter until shipment
• Offices
• Well-landscape office area can be sales tool
• Specimen plants should be included

20

• Pesticide Storage and Mixing Areas
• Building approved for storage of pesticides
• Follow EPA guidelines
• Concrete floors, which contain spills
• Good ventilation
• Store above freezing temperatures
• Mix where spills are contained
• Clean, fresh water a must for employees to wash
  after handling pesticides
• Protective clothing should be stored in a room
  away from chemicals

21

• Storage buildings
• Keep equipment protected from weather conditions
• Dry storage area for tools, fertilizers, pots,
  labels, etc.