Nursery Operations

1
Nursery Operations

• Hort 2 Objective 33.0

2
Nursery Production

• Landscaping increasesdemand for high quality
  nursery stock increases
• Trees
• Shrubs
• Ground covers (ivy, monkey grass)
• Vines

3
Top States in Nursery production

• California
• Oregon
• Florida
• Michigan
• North Carolina!!!
• Tennessee
• Ohio

4
Growing Nursery Stock

• Field grown production is being replaced by
  container grown plants because there is less
• shock to plant, plants are easier to move,
  retailers can keep plants longer before selling,
  and insects, diseases and fertility and pH are
  easier to control in uniform media.

Field grown
Container grown
5
Disadvantages

• Container grown plants have some disadvantages
  such as requiring more water, becoming pot-bound,
  requiring winter protection for cold climates,
  and having a higher start-up cost.
• You have to transplant into a bigger pot so they
  dont become pot-bound. Creates a lot of work
  keeping plants in the right size nursery pot

Pot-bound-gt Roots have outgrown the container.
6
Types of plants grown in a Nursery

• C. Types of plants grown in containers vary from
  ground covers to trees.

7
Containers for growing nursery stock

• Proper selection of containers should include
  several considerations such as cost, durability,
  appearance, insulation value to plant roots,
  shape, drainage, and size.

8
Media (Soils used in nursery production)

• Growing mixes (media) should provide adequate
  drainage and aeration.
• Add small bark particles

9
Spacing nursery pots

• Space plants so that the tips of the branches
  almost touch those of other plants. Containers
  will have to be moved as plants get larger.
• This can create a lot of manual labor in large
  nurseries.
• Dont want lop-sided plants!

10
Head em upMove em out!

• When a plant reaches its maximum recommended size
  or its container, is should be SOLD!
• Otherwise, you are loosing money keeping it alive.