Nursery Production

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Nursery Production

• Competencies 33.00-36.00

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What is Nursery Production?

• The growing of plants in controlled environments
  (or nurseries).
• Nurseries are places where plants, shrubs, and
  ornamental trees are grown for transplanting into
  landscape areas.

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Field Grown vs. Container
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Field Grown vs. Container

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

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Field Grown vs. Container

• Container grown plants have some disadvantages
  such as
• requiring more water
• becoming pot-bound
• requiring winter protection for cold climates
• having a higher start-up cost.

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Field Grown vs. Container

• Types of plants grown in containers vary from
  ground covers to trees
• Proper selection of containers should include
  several considerations such as
• Cost
• Durability
• Appearance
• Insulation value to plant roots
• Shape
• Drainage
• Size

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Growing Container Plants

• Either sell or transplant to a larger container
  when the plant reaches maximum recommended size
  for the current container.

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Potting Nursery Plants
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Potting Nursery Plants

• Growing mixes (media) should provide adequate
  drainage and aeration.
• Container media must be more porous than media
  for field-grown crops.

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Potting Nursery Plants

• 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.

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Potting Nursery Plants

• Place plant in the center of the container if
  only one plant is used.
• Evenly space the plants in the container if more
  than one plant is used.

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Potting Nursery Plants

• Plant in containers at the right depth
• Planting depth varies depending upon the type of
  plant.

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Watering
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Watering Nursery Plants

• Water as needed to grow quality plants.

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Tips on Watering

• Watering is more important for container grown
  plants than field-grown plants because roots can
  go no deeper or spread any wider than the
  container.
• Plant containers are above the ground and will
  dry quicker.

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Tips on Watering

• Plants should be watered until the water runs
  through the hole in the bottom of the container.
• A gallon container needs about a pint of water at
  each watering.

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Factors that Affect Watering
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Weather

• Plants require more water in dry, windy, hot
  weather

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Plant Growth

• Plants need more water in active growth and
  flowering stage

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Media

• More porous mix requires more watering

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Kind of Plant

• Broadleaf evergreens require more water than
  narrowleaf

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Size of Container

• Small ones dry out faster

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Type of Container

• Fiber or pressed paper dry faster than plastic

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Surface Mulch

• Mulch helps reduce need to water

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Fertilizing Nursery Crops
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Fertilization

• Fertilization should be done on a schedule based
  on each type of plant grown
• Some media have fertilizer in them
• Nutrients have to be added to supply needs of
  growing plants

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Liquid Fertilizer

• Liquid fertilizer used in watering is applied at
  a rate of 100 to 150 ppm (parts per million) of
  nitrogen
• Periodic liquid fertilizing every two to three
  weeks is applied at a rate of 300-500 ppm nitrogen

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Slow-Release Fertilizers

• Slow-release fertilizers such as Osmocote and
  Magamp are mixed in potting media

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Fertilizing Containers

• Plants kept in containers more than one year
  require additional fertilizer at the rate of one
  teaspoon of 18 nitrogen for each gallon of
  container capacity and should be watered
  thoroughly after fertilizing.

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Tips on Fertilizing

• Plants should be observed and fertilization
  changed as plant foliage shows a need for either
  more or less fertilizer.

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Pruning
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Why Prune?

• To shape the plant
• To make the plant more compact
• To train the growth or form of the mature plant
  (central leader or many stems)
• To remove dead or diseased parts

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Time for Pruning

• The best time is immediately after planting and
  during the growing season
• May be done in winter in temperate climates

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Methods of Pruning

• Hand pruners
• Electrical, battery, or gasoline powered pruners
• Chemicals to kill buds of plants