Sustainable Small-Scale ATTRA Nursery Production A Publication of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service • 1-800-346-9140 • www.attra.ncat.org

By Steve Diver and Sustainable nursery practices can increase plant marketability and reduce a nursery’s impact on the Lane Greer environment. This publication focuses on the sustainable production of woody and herbaceous nursery Updated June 2008 plants, both in containers and in the fi eld. It is not a primer for inexperienced growers, but a comple- by Katherine L. Adam mentary source of information that concentrates on sustainable production techniques. Topics covered Agriculture Specialist include integrated pest management, weed control and alternative fertilizers. The publication also © 2008 NCAT introduces business management practices.

Contents Introduction Marketing ...... 2 This publication is for small-scale nurs- General ery managers who want to use sustainable production ...... 3 practices and large-scale nursery managers Integrated pest management ...... 6 interested in converting from conventional Container to sustainable practices. In this publication, production ...... 7 small-scale defines a nursery with fewer Field than fi ve acres in container production and production ...... 14 fewer than 15 acres in fi eld production. This Costs ...... 18 publication does not include everything a Summary ...... 19 nursery manager needs to know before going References ...... 19 into production. Resources ...... 21 A nursery can be part of a diversifi cation strategy to make a farm more profi table or a nursery can be a sole enterprise. In either case, it is important to start small and expand later. For general information on standard nursery production, please refer to publications and bulletins published by the Rows of greenbean beanstalks. Photo by Jandre Venter Cooperative Extension Service and common horticultural texts and trade magazines. See the Resources: Publications section Department of Agriculture National Agri- at the end of this document for a listing of cultural Statistics Service fi gures show a nursery literature. slight increase over 2006 in wholesale value of U.S. fl oriculture crops, the largest seg- Sustainable nursery practices aim to reduce ment of the nursery industry (1a). The most levels of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, important things to consider before start- use integrated pest management systems to ing production are what crops to grow and ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is deal with insects, diseases and weeds and how to market them. In today’s economy, it managed by the National Center for focus on building the soil to promote plant is no longer possible to grow crops without Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant health. This document discusses sustain- fi rst considering the crop’s marketability. from the U.S. Department of able nursery production in general before Here are some facts to keep in mind before Agriculture’s Rural Business- Cooperative Service. Visit the moving to sustainable container and fi eld starting out: NCAT Web site (www.ncat.org/ production techniques. sarc_current.php) for • Container-grown crops generate more information on our sustainable agri- The nursery industry appears to be hold- about 10 times more sales per acre culture projects. ing its own through 2007. The latest U. S. than fi eld crops (1). • Lawn and garden centers draw • Mass merchandisers want large volumes of a approximately 80 percent of their few popular plant species. Mass merchan- customers from a 5- to 15-mile disers purchase smaller plants. These cus- radius (2). More than 60 percent tomers may not care about buying specifi c of an average wholesale nursery’s plants, but focus on obtaining a good mix sales are to customers from within of fast-moving materials. Demand from the state. Small nurseries sell about these customers is seasonal (1). Plants in 20 percent of their plants to out-of- fashion vary from year to year. state customers (1). • Retail garden centers usually want There are several disadvantages to deal- Related ATTRA small plants in 1- to 3-gallon con- ing with mass merchandisers. These cus- Publications tainers. Landscaping firms and tomers want instant shipment, pay the Solar Greenhouse landscapers want larger container lowest price for plants and often do not Resources (Web only) plants in 3- to 5-gallon containers take care of plants after receiving them, which can refl ect poorly on a nursery. Renewable Energy and balled and burlapped woody Opportunities on plants. • Landscapers look for large, high-quality the Farm • The nursery industry is dependent specimens carefully identifi ed by cultivar. Energy Saving Tips on the construction industry and Landscapers generally want to buy plants for Irrigators on the rate of unemployment in the from a limited number of producers but vicinity of the nursery (1). Woody Ornamentals also want to choose among many plants for Cut Flower and plant sizes. Landscaper purchases Growers Marketing are spread out through the year, with an Phenology Web Links: Before entering the nursery business, a mar- emphasis on spring planting (1). Horticul- Sequence of Bloom, ket analysis is necessary to determine what ture degrees with specialization in land- Floral Calendars, opportunities exist to sell plant materials in scape architecture were popular career What’s in Bloom the local area. Most new fi rms begin with choices in the 1980s and 1990s, creating (Web only) only a few acres of production and market a solid base for nursery customers. Agricultural Business in a 50-mile radius, unless growing for mail Planning Templates order or on contract (1). A market analysis • Lawn and garden centers fall somewhere and Resources includes fi nding out what crops other nurs- between the mass merchandiser and the Biointensive eries grow successfully in the region. The landscaper. Some centers want variety in Integrated Pest analysis also evaluates competition potential plants and plant sizes, some do not. Management from area nurserymen. When considering the market, bear in mind this advice from Other retail outlets include mail order, Web Nematodes: Lynn Byczynski, editor of Growing for Mar- sites, farmers’ markets and starting a land- Alternative Controls ket, a newsletter for small-scale producers: scaping business. Sales at farmers’ markets Use of Baking Soda as will be local, but local can mean weekly a Fungicide “I feel quite strongly that it is a serious mis- take to commit to growing for anyone before travel of 200 to 300 miles to a large metro- Notes on you have become extremely confi dent of your politan area. Potential customers all share Compost Teas skill as a grower. My recommendation for a common need to get uniform, well-grown marketing is a simple one: Start where no plants from a producer without having to Integrated Pest one is depending on you. If you have nothing Management for to sell, no one will have to know”(3). inspect the crop before each purchase (1). Greenhouse Crops Marketing starts with a decision about what 2) Keep up with trends in buyer preferences. to produce and at what volume. Nursery Constant monitoring of customer character- managers need to: istics and purchases is crucial. Advertising 1) Determine what kind of customer the nurs- and promotion never end. Chain stores now ery will attract and what size of plants those carry nursery items. Convenience and esca- customers want. lating gas prices promote one-stop shopping.

Page 2 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production Table 1. Types of nurseries plants. A concerted effort at the federal level to limit introductions of plant species Type Description to the United States raised concerns on the Grower/retail Grows and sells plants part of some plant explorers and nursery nursery on-site owners. However, it encouraged renewed Wholesale Grows plants for sale to interest in native species formerly put at a nursery other nurseries, disadvantage by foreign imports, not only for landscapers or retailers, in situ conservation, but also for increased may grow plants on a contract basis use in landscaping. Several plants on inva- sive lists throughout the United States are Landscape Provides landscape important to the nursery trade. Plants such nursery services and retail sales as Norway maple, butterfl y bush, Japanese Farmers’ Grows plants to sell locally barberry and miscanthus have been lucra- market at retail prices tive sellers (4). Mail order/ Grows plants to sell at the Web site national level* The USDA now maintains a Web site on *Note: Recent legislation made it easier for states to invasive fl ora and fauna species at www. collect sales tax on Internet sales. invasivespeciesinfo.gov. The National Park Service provides plant fact sheets and a helpful list of natural area invaders at www. 3) Know what combination of plants will nps.gov/plants/alien. Consulting such lists is maximize profi ts. advisable when making decisions on offer- ing nursery stock to the public. Ornamental plants fall into general catego- ries of shade trees, conifers, perennials, vines, shrubs, bulbs and annuals. While most nurseries grow a range of plants, there is a trend toward specialization. Growing only native groundcovers or only daylilies are viable niche markets. The production of specialty crops, such as hardy bamboo and disease-free apple stock, and specialization in plants in short supply, like uncommon plants and very large trees, are niche mar- kets even small growers can serve. Keep abreast of recent developments in the industry. Subscribing to trade publica- tions and attending trade shows or confer- ences are good ways to learn about grower issues like plant availability, new varieties for specifi c needs, popular sizes, specifi c growing conditions and enhanced services. General production Enhanced services can include providing There are two types of nursery production: photographs of plants and making presen- fi eld and container. Field stock is either tations to landscape architects and other direct-seeded or transplanted from seed- potential customers. lings and then lifted as bare-root stock for use as nursery liners, fruit trees, seed- Invasive species lings for Christmas trees, windbreaks and The USDA and other government agencies conservation plantings. Field stock is also are increasingly concerned about invasive grown for balled and burlapped landscape plant imports. Drug enforcement personnel or shade trees. Container stock, which is are also concerned about the use of some propagated from seed, rooted cuttings and www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 3 Container and fi eld production will be dis- Grower profi le: Santa Ana Garden Center and Santa Ana cussed separately, but there is commonality Native Plant and Tree Nursery between the two forms of production. Most The Santa Ana Pueblo, a small suburb of 497 residents, is located two woody landscape plants, regardless of how miles north of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The town is home to a retail they are grown, are propagated by cuttings. nursery and a wholesale nursery that supply plants and trees that thrive Both types of production require spending under arid local conditions. The Pueblo of Santa Ana Tribal Enterprises a high percentage of a nursery’s budgets on operates the retail Santa Ana Garden Center and the wholesale Santa farm-type mechanized implements and fer- Ana Native Plant and Tree Nursery. tilizers (1). Since tribal water rights to the adjacent Rio Grande take precedence, the garden center and nursery, along with a tribally operated golf course, Soil productivity is not as important when greatly enhance landscaping and recreation options for Albuquerque growing only containerized products, but and area residents. relatively level land with good drainage is still necessary. Beginning nursery manag- The Santa Ana Garden Center and Santa Ana Native Plant and Tree Nursery maintain Web pages on the Pueblo of Santa Ana Tribal Enter- ers must learn the length of time required prises Web site, www.santaana.org. The pages list more than 250 plant to produce marketable crops and how to species, most grown from locally collected seed. The lists, organized schedule planting so the proper number of alphabetically by scientifi c name, function only as a reference to what each species is available for the fi rst year of the venues stock. Plants must be picked up on-site since the stores are sale and following years (1). not mail-order businesses. The Santa Ana Garden Center off ers a large selection of drought-toler- Irrigation ant fl owering native plants, shrubs and ground covers for xeriscaping and trees with low watering requirements. It also stocks native grasses The two most widely used irrigation systems for lawns or reclamation, herb and vegetable starts, wildfl ower seed, are overhead and drip or trickle systems. organic products, drip irrigation supplies, seasonal gift items and books. Overhead irrigation systems are designed The store can also advise customers about plants for rock gardens, to cover a large area and these systems are windbreaks, natural hedges, barriers, erosion control, wildlife habitat, the least expensive to install. However, this food and medicinal uses. method produces uneven water distribution, Respect for tribal customs and the earth are strongly encouraged when which can slow plant growth, encourage dis- visiting the nursery and garden center. Taking photographs at the sites ease and contribute to runoff. A container is restricted, but images at the tribal Web site, www.santaana.org/ nursery using overhead irrigation can use nursery.htm and www.santaana.org/garden.htm, give an idea of how from 15,000 to 40,000 gallons of water per some plants are started in hoophouses with supplementary heating acre daily in the summer (6), a reminder during the chilly north-central New Mexico winters (5). that sufficient water is a prerequisite to nursery production. Large containers are usually watered with a fi eld-grown seedlings, is common in both drip or trickle system, which uses 60 to 70 forestry and landscape nursery production. percent less water than an overhead system. Drip irrigation systems cost more to install Fifty years ago, nursery managers grew but have superior application uniformity ornamental plants in the fi eld and dug the and effi ciency. Drip irrigation systems are plants up later for transplanting. Today, 80 also affected less by wind and crop canopies percent of ornamental plants are container- and produce less runoff. Another advantage is that workers can continue working while grown. The switch occurred for several rea- the plants are being irrigated. The biggest sons. Container-grown trees have a greater disadvantage to a drip or trickle irrigation chance for survival and establishment after system, besides the initial cost, is keeping transplanting. Containerized production the pipes and emitters clean. does not require good soil and takes up less A third, less-used type of irrigation system acreage. Containerized stock also enables is subirrigation using capillary sandbeds. In the grower to extend the planting season. this system, water rises into containerized

Page 4 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production Table 2. Comparison of water systems for container nursery stock (7) Overhead sprinklers Drip or trickle irrigation Capillary beds tubes Installation cost/acre Moderate Moderate to high High Maintenance Low High High Durability Excellent Low Moderate Labor Low Moderate to high Low Water distribution Fair Fair to good* Good Water use effi ciency Poor, very wasteful Good Good Pump required Large, high pressure Small, low pressure Small, low pressure Water volume required Large Small Small Wind eff ect on distribution Serious None None *If ground is level and water quality is good plants through capillary action. The sandbed Out, see the Container production sec- is covered with at least 1 inch of fi ne sand tion. For distribution information, see the and slopes very slightly. Water is released at Resources: Suppliers section. For a list of the high end and slowly percolates to the low articles related to sandbeds and subirrigation end. These systems cost the most to install, systems, see Resources: Publications. but have no runoff or leaching. Plants need to be watered often, especially Sandbeds are normally built using wood during hot, sunny days. A typical nursery sidewalls, a plastic bed liner, sand, a small plant in a 1-gallon container can consume tank, a drainpipe and a fl oat valve. Sand- a pint of water a day, while the growing beds do not require the use of any electrical medium capacity may be only 1.5 pints. parts and provide a uniform and consistent One important aspect of irrigation manage- supply of water without forming a saturated ment is to group plants according to water water table at the base of the soil column requirements. in the container. Sandbeds offer effi cient and uniform crop growth while providing Irrigation runoff less water, less fertilizer and less pesticide. The most important issue with irrigation Sandbeds also require less labor since in sustainable nursery production is water, sprinkler heads, timers, pumps, valves and fertilizer and pesticide runoff. Many states water-treatment systems don’t need to be now have regulations limiting runoff and monitored (6). groundwater nitrate levels. The biggest disadvantage of sandbeds is Subirrigation systems are designed to elim- that weeds and containerized plants grow inate runoff, but overhead and drip or into the structure. The Agroliner is a retail trickle systems may require special atten- product designed to alleviate this prob- tion. Ditches planted with grass to slow lem. The Argoliner is a mat treated with down water fl ow or tile systems that direct Spin Out, a copper paint that prevents water to a pond or other holding area can root growth and is registered by the Envi- collect runoff water. ronmental Protection Agency. The mat is The water and some of the fertilizers placed over the sand and under the con- present can be recycled by pumping water tainers. back out of the holding tank or pond after Griffi n LLC, a supplier of crop protection impurities like sand and silt settle out. chemicals in Valdosta, Ga., sells Spin Out. Recycled water can improve plant growth. For more information on ways to use Spin In experiments with more than 100 species www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 5 of ornamentals grown in 2.8-liter contain- practices. The researchers recommend ers, the mean relative growth of plants irri- using lower amounts of N fertilizer—about gated with continuously recycled water was 50 milligrams per liter—and providing 103 percent of the control (8). suffi cient moisture. Pulse irrigation is another way to reduce Several Extension bulletins and other pub- runoff. In this system, a small amount of lications that deal with irrigation runoff water is applied fi ve or six times a day, issues are accessible on the Internet. See instead of one heavy watering daily. Very the Resources: Web sites section for more little water escapes from the container or information. runs off from the fi eld. Less fertilizer is applied because there is less leaching. Most nurseries that use this system use a com- Integrated pest management puter to control water fl ow, since watering Integrated pest management is an ecologi- plants repeatedly by hand causes a huge cally based pest control strategy that is part increase in labor expenses. of the overall crop production system. It is called integrated because all appropriate There are several cultural practices that can methods from multiple scientifi c disciplines reduce runoff: are combined into a systematic approach • Avoid irrigating bare soil for optimizing pest control. Management • Have rough soil surfaces to provide implies acceptance of pests as inevitable surface storage of water components at some population level in the agricultural system (11). • Use less-porous media that retain moisture and nutrients An integrated pest management program involves using resistant cultivars, build- • Use slow-release fertilizers instead of liquid fertilizers ing up populations of benefi cial organisms, monitoring numbers of pests, developing Researchers at The Ohio State Univer- treatment thresholds and using spot treat- sity conducted experiments to reduce the ments of pesticides that are the least harm- amount of pesticides and growth regula- ful to benefi cial organisms and the environ- tors leached from nursery pots and trays. ment. It is important to identify pests early Researchers had excellent success mixing so nursery managers can take appropriate chemicals in ordinary latex paint and then measures quickly. painting the interior of the pots. The pots leached less and the growth regulator and There are numerous publications available pesticide researchers used, commercially from the USDA’s Cooperative Extension available brands Bonzi and Marathon, pro- Service that deal with integrated pest man- vided more consistent control. This method agement for nurseries. See the Resources also reduced worker re-entry intervals in section for more information. the nursery area, since workers apply chem- icals once at the beginning of the growth process (9). Reducing moisture stress enhances growth ATTRA publications on nursery- related pest management topics more than increasing fertilizer concentra- tion, a study conducted in the late 1990s Biointensive Integrated Pest Management found (10). This study, also conducted at Nematodes: Alternative Controls The Ohio State University, used fertilizer Use of Baking Soda as a Fungicide concentrations between 50 and 200 milli- Notes on Compost Teas grams per liter of nitrogen. The research- ers showed that water stress might limit Integrated Pest Management for Greenhouse Crops growth more frequently than limited nutri- tion under current container production

Page 6 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production Container production NCAT’s Organic Crops Workbook and other A wide selection of ornamentals is produced ATTRA publications. For information about in containers. Homeowners usually prefer to whether a commercial product is permitted, buy containerized plants because the plants restricted or banned in organic produc- are easier to transport and transplant than tion, consult the Organic Materials Review balled and burlapped plants. The follow- Institute Web site at www.omri.org. ing section summarizes some important container production practices and Containers addresses sustainable nursery management There are several factors to keep in mind issues like recycling plastics, weed control when deciding what containers to use. Fac- and fertilization. tors include cost, design features that con- The advantages of containerized production trol root growth, durability, shipping capac- include: ity, availability, how the container affects growing medium moisture content and tem- • Achieving high plant densities perature and how the container suits the • Using land unsuited for field particular needs of the nursery. production Round, black plastic pots are the industry ots and • Planting at times independent of the standard, but can cause root constriction containers weather that leads to plants with poorly developed Pdesigned • Eliminating some operations, like root systems. There are other kinds of con- for enhanced root root pruning tainers that promote better root systems. growth are an Copper-lined, white and light-colored con- • Lowering transportation costs important feature in because of lightweight media tainers all produce more root growth and square and stair-step pots help keep plants containerized nurs- • Experiencing less root loss and a from becoming root-bound (1). ery production. greater chance of survival than with fi eld-grown trees Pots and containers designed for enhanced The disadvantages are also numerous: root growth are an important feature in containerized nursery production. Each pot • Small containers need frequent and container offers its own advantages and watering disadvantages. • Nutrients deplete rapidly • Plants require winter protection Copper • Plants easily become root-bound Foresters discovered that copper can con- trol root growth. Copper kills root tips that • Wind can knock over trees come in contact with it, forcing roots to • Containers are costly branch within the root ball instead of cir- • Labor costs to pot up plants are cling around it. high Plants grown in copper-treated containers • Temperature extremes stress roots are taller, less root-bound and have higher Growing certified organic nursery stock transplant survival rates. Plants grown intended for sale to vineyards, berry farms in copper-treated containers also have and orchards raising organic produce is a increased nitrogen recovery and require niche market that requires special atten- fewer applications of nitrogenous fertilizer. tion. Restricted products include common More than 120 species perform better in ingredients in conventional nursery produc- copper-treated containers versus untreated tion like chemical fertilizers, wetting agents, containers. Copper-treated pots also do not herbicides and synthetic insecticides and leach or leach very little into groundwater fungicides. For more information, refer to or soil. www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 7 Copper-treated fi ber pots, made from recy- strong tap-rooted species such as black wal- cled paper, are biodegradable and can nut, pecan and pines for Christmas trees. even be composted. The main problem with There are other types of containers that fi ber pots is that the pots can degrade too promote excellent root branching and dis- quickly. Research at The Ohio State Univer- courage root circling. RootMaker, devel- sity showed that incorporating copper into oped by Dr. Carl Whitcomb at the horticul- fi ber pots can increase their longevity (12). ture research company Lacebark, Inc., is a Dr. John Ruter at the University of Georgia pot that encourages root branching. Root- found copper-treated fi ber pots keep roots Maker pots have staggered walls and a stag- cooler in the summer, increase root dry gered bottom, which prevent root circling weight and shoot dry weight of several spe- and direct roots toward holes in the walls cies and can withstand shipping (13). and bottom of the pots. Whitcomb, formerly Griffi n LLC, a supplier of crop protection head of the nursery research program at chemicals in Valdosta, Ga., offers a product Oklahoma State University, is well known called Spin Out, a copper paint registered by for his numerous innovative approaches to the EPA. Root Right pots are round, black unusual container systems. plastic pots manufactured with Spin Out as a rowing tree component of the container walls. For more Tubes information on Spin Out and Root Right pots, seedlings in Long bottomless tubes are another produc- contact the Lerio Corporation (14). Gbottomless tion system that uses air root pruning. Tubes paper-based milk are generally made of plastic or Styrofoam. Bottomless pots cartons is one way to Nurserymen can use single tubes or several use air root pruning. Air root pruning is another way to prevent tubes imbedded in a fl at. Tube plants range root circling. Air root pruning employs a in size from large plugs sold as nursery lin- similar mechanism to copper-treated pots. ers to seedling trees grown in long, narrow Root tips that come in contact with air are pots and sold directly to consumers. Tubes killed and the root system branches out are popular because they allow massive plant within the root ball. quantities to grow in a small area. Tubes are particularly adaptable to small-scale nurs- Growing tree seedlings in bottomless paper- ery production and to specialized stock like based milk cartons is one way to use air perennials and tree seedlings. root pruning. The milk carton, when folded open, creates a long, bottomless container. For more information on containers, see The These containers are placed in a wooden Container Tree Nursery Manual, Volume 2, by fl at with a wire-screen bottom and then Landis et al., listed in the Resources: Pub- fi lled with a soilless nursery mix. Another lications section. For suppliers of unusual option is to place tree seedlings in plastic pots, see the Resource: Suppliers section. milk crates. The taproot grows downward and out through the bottom of the container. Pot-in-pot system The root tip is exposed to the air, desiccates The pot-in-pot production method alleviates and dies back. some of the problems associated with con- Repeated air-root pruning stimulates lateral tainer production, such as blow-over and branching and results in a fi brous root sys- moisture loss (15). This system involves tem as opposed to a strong taproot system. burying a holder pot, or moat pot, in the The benefi t to the tree is rapid establishment ground and placing a containerized plant in the fi eld or landscape with increased inside this pot. The main drawback to this scaffold branching and top growth. Nursery system is the high initial cost of the moat stock production by the milk carton method pot. The moat pot is a long-term investment is especially useful for on-farm tree produc- since it will last 15 years or more. For more tion and can be used in the propagation of information on pot-in-pot systems, see the a wide range of woody plants, including articles listed in the Resources section.

Page 8 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production A container system that emphasizes hardy, fi brous roots Cherry Lake Tree Farm in Groveland, Fla. Inc. (17). Larger liners are planted in pruning fabric developed by Cherry developed a better way to grow con- Tree Bands, available from Anderson Lake and manufactured by Root tainerized trees (16). Their patented Die and Manufacturing (18). Before Control, Inc. in Oklahoma City (19). The Root-Enhancement System focuses planting, all the trays are sprayed with fabric lowers root zone temperatures on growing trees with a fi brous, lateral Spin Out, a copper paint registered by and prunes roots. root system. the EPA. When the trees reach an appropriate In the fi rst stage, small liners grow in The liners are inspected before size, workers place them in pot-in-pot Deep Groove tube cell-pack trays of 38 potting. Workers cull liners with weak containers or transplant the trees into or 51 cells. The cells are cone-shaped root systems and place the rest in growbags. Finally, workers put the trees and lined with four vertical ridges that 1- or 3-gallon containers. These pots in a Spin Out-treated container in prep- guide plant roots to a large hole at the contain grids that sit about 1 inch aration for sale. bottom. These trays sit on benches in above the bottom of the pots and For a video of how this system works, the greenhouse. air-prune the roots. Container sleeves visit the Cherry Lake Tree Farm at www. Deep Groove tube cell-pack trays also hold the roots. The sleeves cherrylake.com/Resources/Resources- are available from Growing Systems, are made of a reusable geotextile Airpot.htm.

Recycling plastic Many recyclers require nurseries to gather a certain amount of plastic before sending Most nurseries use lots of plastic in the form a truck to pick it up. Smaller nurseries may of pots, fl ats, hanging baskets and green- have trouble storing a large amount of plas- house fi lm. The nursery can reuse some of tic. Try combining plastic waste with other these products, but it’s important to have growers in the community. Some recyclers a recycling system in place. Buying multi- will not pay the grower for the plastic but do year, ultraviolet-stabilized greenhouse fi lm not charge for transportation costs, which decreases the amount of sheet plastic used are often high. each year, but this kind of fi lm is very expen- sive and not always readily available (20). Weed control Fortunately, there are a number of recyclers Weed control is extremely important in con- around the country that accept nursery tainer production. Weeds compete for water plastic. The Plastics Division of the Amer- and nutrients and hinder sales of nursery ican Chemistry Council Web site, www. stock. Weed control efforts should focus on americanchemistry.com/s_plastics, provides two areas: in the pot and under the pot. a wealth of helpful information on recycling of plastics. The plastics division also main- Sanitation is the least costly and most effec- tains the United States and Canada Recy- tive method for controlling weeds. To pre- cled Plastic Markets Database with con- vent weed seeds from blowing into pots, a tact data for plastic recycling centers on a vegetation-free zone on and surrounding the state-by-state basis. The Web site is www. production bed is critical. To keep weeds americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/sec_rpmd. from growing under the pot, place pots on asp?CID=1591&DID=6053. Recyclers that geotextile weed barriers, often called fab- accept agricultural plastics often have cer- ric weed barrier or landscape cloth. Mod- tain restrictions. Recyclers may require ern landscape cloths are durable and can clean sheet plastic, which often means wash- last for 10 to 12 years in full sun. Land- ing plastic before storage. Plastic must also scape cloths do an excellent job of control- be stored indoors properly. Most hard plas- ling weeds and are permeable to water from tics like plug trays, fl ats, pots and hanging irrigation and rainfall, so drainage is not a baskets are either No. 6 polystyrene or No. problem. Although the initial cost is high, 2 high-density polyethylene. This distinc- the expense can be prorated as an annual tion is important to some recyclers (20). weed control investment. www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 9 Hand weeding is costly, but it may be appro- Alternatives to herbicides priate in a small nursery setting. Weeds Fabric weed barrier disks can control weeds must be removed when they are small since in containers. The fabric disks are pre-slit large quantities of media are lost when pull- and fi t on top of the pot around the plant ing big weeds out of containers. stem. Barrier disks prevent weeds from Herbicides are widely used in container growing in containers by excluding sunlight nursery production. Growers use a weed- and inhibiting weed germination. The disks free medium to establish nursery plants, are permeable to air and water but prevent but wind, birds and surface irrigation water germination of troublesome container nurs- all deposit weed seeds onto the pot surface. ery weeds like oxalis. The disks also reduce Broadleaf and grassy weeds love to get a evaporation. free ride into a container nursery because growing conditions in a media-rich pot are Tex-R Geodiscs are fabric disks treated with perfect. Pre- and post-emergent herbicides Spin Out. Geodiscs prevent weed growth are commonly used in commercial nursery by excluding light and pruning the roots of production to control these opportunists. weed seeds that land on the fabric. Geodiscs provide effective weed control for up to three In 1991, Monrovia Nursery, with headquar- years and can be moved from pot to pot. For ters in Azusa, Calif., compared hand weeding distributors, contact Texel USA (22). to spraying herbicides and found that a com- bination of the two is the least-costly method Bonnie Appleton, director of the horticul- (21). See Figure 1 below. Monrovia found it ture master’s degree program at Virginia took workers 10 hours of hand weeding per Tech, recently conducted research using acre, performed 10 times a year, to keep the Geodiscs on container-grown willow oaks nursery weed-free without using pre-emergent (23). The Geodiscs suppressed all weeds herbicides. By using a pre-emergent once in completely. Trees grown in the pots with the spring and once in the fall, the workers Geodiscs had higher top dry weights and only needed to perform hand weeding seven root dry weights than trees grown without times a year, spending one hour weeding each any form of weed control and trees sprayed acre. Monrovia paid workers $8 an hour, the with a conventional herbicide. cost of herbicide was $200 per acre per appli- cation and it took two hours to apply. The Bioherbicides Field production section below has more Corn gluten meal, a recently introduced information on weed control. weed control, is a by-product of corn syrup processing. Corn gluten meal is a pre-emer- Figure 1. Courtesy of American Nurseryman (21). Used with permission. gent herbicide applied in early spring. The Weed-Control Options meal works best when applied to the top 900 one-quarter inch of soil and must be reap- 800 plied every year. Corn gluten meal is 10 (in dollars) (in percent nitrogen and acts as a slow-release 700 fertilizer for the crop. Corn gluten meal is 600 patented and sold as an herbicide. See the 500 Resources: Suppliers section for corn 400 gluten meal suppliers. Treating a large area 300 can be quite expensive. Wheat gluten meal 200 has many of the same effects as corn gluten 100 meal, but it has not been patented and may be more affordable. 0 Annual Weed-Control Cost Per Acre 0 Applications 2 Applications 4 Applications Recent research revealed that corn glu- Number of Herbicide Applications per Year ten hydrosylate, which is made from corn Herbicide Cost Herbicide Application Labor Cost Hand-Weeding Cost gluten meal, is more effective controlling Page 10 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production weeds than corn gluten meal (24) and can Final Rule, more nursery growers explore be applied at less than half the rate for fertilizers acceptable in organic production. effective weed control. Iowa State Univer- ATTRA also has several publications on the sity, the patent holder of corn gluten meal topic, including Potting Mixes for Certifi ed as a natural herbicide, maintains a list of Organic Production. Unlike synthetic green- licensed suppliers for this product at www. house fertilizers, there is minimal research techtransfer.iastate.edu/en/for_industry/tech- to support the use of organic fertilizers in nology_search/cgm_licensees.cfm. See the a nursery mix recipe. Most of the follow- Resources: Suppliers section for informa- ing material will focus on organic fertilizers tion on purchasing corn gluten hydrosylate. for container nursery production. In sus- There are some new environmentally tainable nursery production the emphasis is friendly contact herbicides that break down eliminating runoff, regardless of if the fer- quickly and provide options for weed con- tilizer source is synthetic or organic. Exces- trol in container nurseries around irriga- sive nitrates and phosphorus are the most tion risers and perimeter areas and are also common problems in runoff water (25). applicable for general use in fi eld nursery There are four basic ways to fertilize con- production. One class of products is made tainerized plants: incorporate, topdress, from pelargonic acid, a fatty acid found in liquid feed and foliar feed. In a nursery plants and animals. Available commercial container, fertilizer incorporation in the products include Weed Eraser and Scythe. nursery mix combined with liquid feeding The products are sprayed on weeds and rap- should provide suffi cient nutrition. idly lower the weeds’ pH level, weakening cell walls and killing the weeds within two Several organic fertilizers provide nitro- hours. A second class of products contain gen. Fertilizers include alfalfa meal, blood acetic acid (vinegar), lemon juice, eugen- meal and cottonseed meal, among others. gol, thyme oil, orange oil and other natural Materials that provide phosphorus include ingredients. Commercially available prod- oak leaves, bone meal and shrimp wastes, ucts include Nature’s Glory, Burnout and among others. Greensand, granite meal and Bioganic. The products work as contact her- soybean meal all provide potassium. Table 3 bicides and control, with varying degrees of is not exhaustive, but it provides analyses of success, broadleaf and grassy weeds. Appli- some popular organic and synthetic slow- cation to nursery plants should be avoided release fertilizers. and several applications may be necessary Maintaining adequate levels of nutrients in to kill perennial weeds. the container medium is necessary for opti- mum growth of woody ornamentals. The Fertilization levels of soluble nutrients in containers can Large-scale container nursery production is be signifi cantly reduced after three or four a huge success largely due to advances in irrigations because of limited container vol- media and fertilizer combinations. Favor- ume and frequent application of water. Use able media and fertilizer combinations are slow-release and liquid fertilizing systems to a result of several decades of research col- overcome this problem. laborations between land-grant universi- Organic or synthetic slow-release fertilizers ties, commercial nurseries and the fertilizer help cut down levels of nitrates in runoff water industry. Commercial synthetic fertilizers (1). Slow-release and controlled-release syn- including slow-release and liquid fertiliz- thetic fertilizers, like commercially available ers play a key role in this picture. Detailed Nitroform and Osmocote, are common in con- information on commercial nursery mixes tainer production systems. Incorporate slow- and fertilizer systems is available through release and controlled-release fertilizers into the Cooperative Extension Service. the growing media for best results. Do not top- As organic production becomes standard- dress. Slow-release fertilizers are often used ized under the National Organic Program in combination with liquid fertilization. www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 11 Table 3. Analysis of organic and synthetic slow-release fertilizers

Organic fertilizers %N %P %K Other nutrients Bat guano (fresh) 10 3 1 Calcium Bat guano (old) 2 8 0 Calcium Blood meal 10 0 0 Bone meal (steamed) 1 11 0 Calcium Cottonseed meal 6 2 1 Eggshells 1.2 0.4 0.1 Calcium and trace minerals Fish emulsion 4 1 1 Sulfur Fish meal 5 3 3 Greensand 0.0 0.0 7.0 32 trace minerals Hoof and horn meal 12 2 0 Kelp meal 1.5 0.5 2.5 Trace minerals Manure Cow 2 2.3 2.4 Horse 1.7 0.7 1.8 Pig 2 1.8 1.8 Sheep 4 1.4 3.5 Poultry 4 4 2 Oak leaves 0.8 9.4 0.1 Pine needles 0.1 0.0 0.5 Sawdust, well rotted 0.0 0.2 0.2 Soybean meal 7.0 0.5 2.3 Worm castings 0.5 0.5 0.3 11 trace minerals Slow-release synthetic fertilizers Eff ective period IBDU 31 0 0 Lesco 20 6 12 4-6 months MagAmp (also contains 25% 8400100 days magnesium) Osmocote 13-19 6-14 12-14 3-4 or 8-9 months Precise 12 6 6 3-4 months Premix (also contains 24 7 8 6-8 weeks micronutrients) ProKote 20 3 10 7-9 months Sta-Green 12 6 6 6-8 weeks

Page 12 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production Table 4. Materials for organic fertigation*

Element Material Benefi ts Nitrogen Liquefi ed fi sh Biostimulant, balanced NPK Liquid manures Rapid uptake Phytamin 800 Rapid uptake, high solubility Sodium nitrate** Rapid Spray-dried fi sh** Rapid uptake, biostimulant Phosphorus Bat guano** Rapid uptake Micronized rock phosphate** Biostimulants, 16% P2O5 Seabird guano** Rapid uptake, 10% P2O5 Potassium Soluble Sul-Po-Mag** Supplies K, Mg, and S Soluble sulfate of potash** 50% K, 18% S N-P-K combination Fish products Liquefi ed manures Phytamin 3-2-3 Rapid uptake Seabird guano** 12-12-2.5 Calcium Solution grade gypsum** Calcium and sulfur Solution grade limestone** 98% CaCO3 Sulfur Micronized sulfur** Up to 90% S Solution grade gypsum** Trace mineral/ Compost teas Biostimulant, humic acids biostimulants Kelp extract powders** Trace minerals, biostimulant Kelp extract liquids Trace minerals, biostimulant Liquid humates Humic acids, biostimulants Liquid trace minerals Various formulations

Micronized compost** Biostimulant, humic acids Micronized humates** Humic acids, biostimulant Rock dusts** Trace minerals, biostimulant * Reprinted with permission from Amigo Cantisano. 2000. Organic growers can fertigate! Growing for Market. March. p. 8-9. ** Dry material: Must be premixed and thoroughly agitated in water prior to and during injection. May be less soluble than liquid formulations.

Nitrogen is the main nutrient supplied do not clog drip emitters and microsprin- through liquid feeding, or fertigation. klers (26). Fish protein, blood protein, Organic liquid fertilizers include fi sh emul- poultry protein and brewers yeast are all sion, fi sh powder, blood meal, bat guano, available as spray-dried materials. Amigo seabird guano, worm castings and compos- Cantisano, an organic agriculture con- ted manure teas. Some forms of organic fer- sultant in California, compiled Table 4 tilizers are more adaptable to low-volume (27). irrigation systems like drip or trickle sys- tems. A 1992 study found that spray-dried Foliar feeding can supplement soil and liq- fi sh protein and poultry protein fertilizers uid fertilization, especially where certain www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 13 nutrients are defi cient and must be incor- porated into the plant quickly. Use fi ltered Chris Starbuck, extension specialist at the solutions of manure, seaweed, fi sh powder University of Missouri, developed the Mis- and fi sh emulsion. Seaweed is an excellent souri Gravel Bed as an alternative growing foliar material because it contains growth system for nursery stock (29). The gravel bed uses a mixture of gravel and sand to get hormones, including auxins, gibberellins young plants established. The gravel bed is and cytokinins, as well as trace elements. inexpensive because it uses neither contain- Research suggests that foliar feeding pro- ers nor potting mix, but produces healthy grams enhance plant resistance to pest and bare-root plants. disease attack. Compost teas are popular as The gravel bed uses half-inch or smaller a foliar feed primarily because of their dis- gravel mixed with 10 to 15 percent sand ease-suppressive characteristics. and is 14 to 18 inches deep to support 1.5- For more information on alternative fertil- inch caliper trees. Starbuck places dormant, bare-root plants in the bed in early spring. izers, request the ATTRA publication Alter- He applies slow-release fertilizers on top of native Soil Amendments and the Web-only the gravel. Starbuck leaves plants in the bed database Sources of Organic Fertilizers and for at least six weeks, but pulls the plants the Amendments. Another useful resource is year they are planted. He uses an automatic Fertile Soil by Robert Parnes (28), an in- trickle irrigation system. depth publication on organic fertilizers. Starbuck helped growers in more than 40 Parnes’ publication provides detailed tables states establish gravel beds for their opera- on the nutrient content of various manures tions. A grower in Iowa successfully overwin- and plant and animal by-products. tered plants in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The roots are as pro- Potting media tected in gravel as they would be in soil and are more protected than they would be in Field soil is sometimes used in container containers. mixes. Field soil makes up 10 to 30 percent of the mix by volume, but soil is heavy and requires the additional step of pasteuriza- Mycorrhizae are soil fungi that form benefi - tion to eliminate diseases and weed seeds. cial associations with plant roots. Mycorrhi- The standard replacement for soil is peat zae enable plant roots to do a better job of moss, but there is concern that peat is a gaining nutrients and water. The fungi can non-renewable resource. Research is being be used in fi eld or container production. conducted to determine what materials can Growers achieve better stand establishment, be used to replace peat. Most of the prod- use less fertilizer and inoculate bare-root ucts being tested are some form of waste. seedlings when using mycorrhizae. Com- mercially available mycorrhizae stimulate Composted pine bark, a by-product of the the roots of almost all tree and shrub spe- lumber industry, is an excellent medium cies. For a listing of suppliers of mycorrhi- for containerized plants. Mixes containing zae, see ATTRA’s Sources of Organic Fertil- more than 20 percent composted pine bark izers and Amendments. support a signifi cant level of suppression of Pythium damping-off (30). Other alter- natives are coir, spent mushroom compost, Field production paper mill sludge, apple pomace, shredded Until the 1950s, virtually all nursery pro- newspaper, compost, processed alfalfa, pro- duction occurred in the fi eld. Field produc- cessed kenaf, recycled cardboard and com- tion is still widely used to produce bare-root posted municipal yard waste. Most studies seedlings for conservation plantings, fruit show that these alternative products should trees and nursery liners. The most profi t- not compose more than 50 percent of the able product of fi eld nurseries is bagged mix. For in-depth information on these top- and burlapped shade trees for the land- ics, ask for the ATTRA publication Potting scape industry. In-ground production is Mixes for Certifi ed Organic Production. advantageous to tap-rooted tree species, Page 14 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production mass plantings, inexpensive establishment The advantages of field grow bags are and large caliper (trunk diameter) size. Dis- numerous. Bags enhance rooting, leave 80 advantages of in-ground production include percent of roots intact during transplant- a higher percentage of plant loss and longer ing, make harvesting easier, save labor and establishment periods after transplanting. time, do not require special machinery at harvest and can be harvested year-round. Field nursery production involves the use Bagged and burlapped plants are normally of unique soil management practices. Soil- harvested only during dormancy (31). building cover crops and crop rotations are important to maintain good soil structure, There are also disadvantages. The initial fertility and organic matter. Living mulches investment in grow bags is expensive, plants are cover crops planted in the aisles to hold need more staking and water after trans- the soil, provide traction, increase water planting, damaged bags cannot be used, infi ltration and suppress weeds. Legume mechanical cultivation and precise fertilizer cover crops fi x nitrogen and can be used application are diffi cult and bag removal can to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer be diffi cult and time consuming (31). applied each year. See ATTRA’s Overview The greatest disadvantage of growing in of Cover Crops and Green Manures for fur- bags is marketing the plants. Few people ntegrating ther information and resources. know the advantages of growing in bags and living mulches, Integrating living mulches, cover crops and fi nd bagged trees less convenient to handle cover crops and the application of high-quality composts in than containerized trees. One way around I the application of fi eld nursery operations are the fastest ways this is to grow the plant in a pot for the last high-quality to improve nursery soil. To reduce pest year of production. composts in fi eld problems, plant a diversity of species rather An important consideration in bagged and than a large block of single species followed burlapped production is the loss of 200 to nursery operations by a large block of another species. Habitat 250 tons of topsoil per acre at each har- are the fastest ways to management for benefi cial insects is also an vest. The digging and removal of topsoil improve nursery soil. option in a fi eld situation. For more infor- from bagged and burlapped nursery oper- mation on this, see ATTRA’s Farmscaping ations is a practice that can, over a long to Enhance Biological Control. time, seriously deplete the farm’s most Nursery equipment and irrigation systems important resource. There are two ways to for fi eld nursery production are unique. fi ght topsoil depletion. Replace topsoil with Suppliers are listed in the trade publication something else or have a bare-root opera- Nursery Management and Production Buyer’s tion that does not require topsoil to leave Guide and in the magazine American Nurs- the farm. Many growers use compost to eryman. See the Resources: Publications replace some of the topsoil that is lost, but section for contact information. applying more than 40 tons of compost per acre is not recommended. A recent innovation in field nursery production is the use of in-ground Weed control fabric containers, sometimes called root control bags or fi eld grow bags. Dr. Carl Weed control in modern fi eld nursery pro- duction is based on the use of herbicides. Whitcomb, formerly head of the nurs- There are many excellent non-chemical alter- ery research program at Oklahoma State natives, however. These include mechanical University, developed these containers in cultivation, fl ame weeding, mulches, living the early 1980s. The bags have a fabric mulches, steam and solarization. or clear polyethylene bottom stitched or glued to walls made of non-woven fabric and come in several sizes (31). In theory, Mechanical cultivation the bags combine the best qualities of Bärtschi-Fobro (32), a Swiss manufacturer container and fi eld production. of nursery equipment, offers small-scale www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 15 implements including a brush hoe for preci- inches wide, from 1/2 inch to 10 inches sion weeding in multiple-row seedling nurs- deep. ery beds. The company also makes brush Landscape fabric can also be used in fi eld heads that disturb the soil surface and dis- production. A fast way for growers to get lodge weed seedlings as the drum turns. into production is to lay cloth in the fi eld, The company no longer has a U.S. distribu- cut or burn holes in the cloth and then plant tor, but small-scale implements may still be the liners or seedlings. available through used-equipment dealers. Researchers at Oregon State University Flame weeding found that mulches made of oyster shell, hazelnut shell and copper-treated geotex- Flame torches, or fl amers, may be an option tiles provide good suppression of liverwort, in some nursery situations. Flaming works a prevalent weed in many nurseries. These by searing and disrupting plant cells, not three mulches outperformed mulches of by burning plant tissue. Passing a fl amer rockwool, peat moss, coarse sand, perlite, quickly over a weed is enough to kill the top pumice and the commercial herbicide Ron- of the weeds, but roots can re-sprout new starand Surfl an. The mulches also outper- lame weeders growth. Broadleaf weeds are more suscep- formed iron oxide, copper sulfate and man- can be used tible to fl aming than grassy weeds. Flam- ganese sulfate fertilizers (35). ing needs to be repeated every two to three to prepare F weeks to control grasses. Living mulches a stale seedbed by fl aming off the fi rst Flame weeders can be used to prepare a In a 1990s study conducted in Minnesota, stale seedbed by fl aming off the fi rst and and second fl ushes researchers compared soil cultivation, her- second fl ushes of weeds to emerge after bicides and three living mulches for weed of weeds to emerge seedbed preparation. Weed fl amers can suppression in a fi eld with six species of after seedbed also control post-emergent weeds. To pro- ornamental trees (36). The researchers preparation. tect young seedlings from injury, use fl am- used Norcen bird’s-foot trefoil, Wheeler ing shields. Taller seedlings and trees with winter rye and a grass sod consisting of well-developed bark can withstand directed 80 percent Eton perennial ryegrass and fl aming aimed at weeds growing in and 20 percent Ruby red fescue. The grass sod between the rows. Although there is some provided excellent weed control, but was criticism that fl aming is not a sustainable overly competitive with the trees. The tre- practice because it uses fossil fuels, fl ame- foil was infested with weeds. The winter killing a nursery bed or fi eld of seedlings rye, which was killed with herbicides and uses less fossil fuel than manufacturing, then acted as a mulch, provided good weed transporting and spraying an herbicide for control and increased water infi ltration and the same job (33). For more information soil moisture. That evened out soil tempera- on fl aming, contact ATTRA at 1-800-346- ture fl uctuations, reduced soil bulk density, 9140 or www.attra.ncat.org. improved nutrient cycling and reduced fi eld maintenance costs. In general, the cover Mulches crops tended to reduce annual weeds and Mulches are another way to exclude weeds. favor perennial species. Mulches keep out weeds by limiting light and retaining moisture in the soil. Organic Steam mulches should be 3 to 4 inches thick and For years, conventional production systems need replenishing once or twice a year. used methyl bromide to sterilize soil before Millcreek Manufacturing, based in Leola, planting. One sustainable system that yields Pa., offers a row mulching machine that the same results uses steam to disinfest can apply mulch and compost to field- beds and greenhouses prior to planting. In grown stock (34). The machine costs about a fi eld planting, this system can treat plant- $5,000 and can mulch beds from 18 to 48 ing beds. Steam is nontoxic, easy to apply, Page 16 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production Table 5. Organic mulches Type Source of weeds Comments Grass clippings Yes Usually free, not very attractive Inexpensive, very eff ective, not very attractive, can Newspaper No attract slugs Very expensive, decomposes in 2-3 years, adds high Cocoa hulls No amounts of potassium Cottonseed hulls No Expensive, not available everywhere Decomposes in 2-6 years, chunks are bulky and can Pine bark nuggets No wash away Shredded softwoods (cedar, No Price depends on local availability, attractive, decom- cypress, etc.) poses in 2-5 years Can be quite inexpensive if obtained from chipped Hardwood chips No shrubs or trees, decomposes in 1-3 years Compost No Available, attractive Corn stalks No Not available everywhere, unattractive Wheat straw Yes Inexpensive, decomposes rapidly Hay Yes Inexpensive, decomposes rapidly Rice hulls Yes Not available everywhere Pine straw Yes Inexpensive, attractive, decomposes in 1-2 years Leaves Yes Usually free, compost fi rst Cardboard No Inexpensive, lasts a long time Inexpensive, depletes nitrogen, can blow away, better Sawdust No to use aged material

controls the same soil pests as conventional Solarization methods and works in a wide variety of cli- Soil solarization is another option for kill- mates and conditions (37). ing pests before planting trees, shrubs or A small portable boiler is the best unit to perennials. Treat only beds that will be use for a greenhouse. The Sioux Steam planted. The basic principle of solarization Flo, available from the Sioux Corporation, involves stretching sheets of clear plastic will work for greenhouse operations and across moist ground. Solar radiation heats costs about $5,700. For small beds in the the soil and kills pests, including weed fi eld, larger units are available from Saska- seeds and harmful insects. Solarization toon Boiler Manufacturing in Canada. See can kill annual and perennial weeds if Resources: Suppliers for contact infor- summer temperatures climb high enough. mation. The important differences in steam machines are how much heat the machines Solarization can also be used to disinfest put out, how portable the machines are reused or soil-based potting media. To and how far into the soil the steam pen- do this, enclose the media in plastic bags etrates. Although most machines heat only and leave them in the sun for two to three the top 3 to 6 inches of soil, temperatures weeks. Two layers of plastic kill more are high enough to kill most weed seeds. pests and work about four times faster Machines that heat the soil to 140 degrees than one layer (38). For more information for at least 30 minutes kill pest fungi, on soil solarization, contact ATTRA at bacteria, nematodes and weed seeds. 1-800-346-9140 or www.attra.ncat.org. www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 17 Harvest and storage • Prices and quantities offered by competitors At some point, nurseries must dig up fi eld- grown trees and plants. See the Resources: • Supply and demand for the crop, Suppliers section for manufacturers of tree except prices for high-quality prod- diggers. Plants are often stored after dig- ucts and loyal customers (1) ging. Conventional production systems dig The British Columbia Ministry of Agricul- trees in late fall or early winter and store ture, Fisheries and Food compiled a Plan- trees in warehouses until early spring. Dur- ning for Profi t series of online publications ing this time, nurseries spray bare-root that details costs involved in establishing trees with fungicides and bacteriostats to and growing several nursery species. These keep problems from arising. enterprise budgets provide information on expenses and income for perennial and tree Researchers in Rhode Island experimented crops grown in containers and in the fi eld. with Taxus bagged and burlapped stock to The guides provide a rough idea of how prevent the plants from rooting out, a con- much it costs to start production and how dition where the roots grow into the burlap long it takes to make a profi t. See the minis- bags. They used Spin Out, an EPA-approved ne way try’s Web site at www.agf.gov.bc.ca/busmgmt/ copper paint, in several different ways (39). budgets/index.htm for more information. to cut Treatments included painting the bottom produc- of the root ball with copper paint, setting For costs associated with establishing a O small perennial nursery, see the handbook tion costs is to grow the root ball on copper-treated burlap and Requirements and Costs of Establishing and plants in smaller rewrapping the root ball with copper-treated burlap before mulching. Although all these Operating a Three-Acre Herbaceous Perennial containers. treatments provided good control of rooting Container Nursery listed in the Resources: out after 12 to 16 weeks, the most effec- Perennials section. See Betrock Informa- tive treatments were setting the root ball tion System’s Web site hortworld.com for a on copper-treated burlap and leaving it list of horticultural software that focuses on plant selection and nursery management. unmulched. The researchers also found that placing the root balls on TexR Agroliner, a Competitive prices can fall below the cost Spin Out-treated non-woven fabric, stopped of production. In this circumstance, a nurs- rooting out completely. ery with a unique advantage, like proximity to its market or a superior product, may be Costs able to maintain a higher price that covers costs without experiencing a serious drop in The costs of nursery production include the number of plants sold. overhead, direct and marketing costs. Over- head costs include all the general costs of Although it is desirable to make a profi t on operating the nursery, like taxes, depre- each kind of plant, sometimes it is good ciation, interest, rent, utilities, insurance, marketing strategy to grow some plants maintenance and repair, new construction, that may not be profi table in order to offer new equipment, supplies, managerial and a well-rounded inventory. A small nurs- administrative salaries and labor wages that ery might specialize in a few high-quality cannot be assigned to a particular crop. plants or produce some plants not carried Direct costs are tied to a crop, like pur- by larger nurseries, which produce only chasing seed, potting media and fertilizers. plants with high sales volumes. Keeping excellent records is the best way to One way to cut production costs is to grow accurately determine true costs. plants in smaller containers. Although the Prices should refl ect: crop sells for less, the costs of media and containers are reduced, as well as the time • Exact production costs that include needed to produce the crop. Selling plants at a reasonable profi t for each crop wholesale prices means less money received

Page 18 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production for each plant, but also less money and time and use organic waste. Some nursery grow- spent on marketing and advertising. ers may fi nd certifi ed organic nursery stock or specialty nursery stock to be an economi- Summary cally profi table option. Healthy plants are a fi rst line of defense against insects and dis- Nursery managers can alter their produc- eases. Soil building practices and nursery tion systems to incorporate products and media modifi cations play a central role in techniques that will help the nursery meet sustainable nursery management. The end some of the goals of sustainable agriculture. result—a greener nursery—can build good Nurseries can reduce fertilizer and pesti- relations with neighbors and help market cide runoff, conserve soil, recycle plastics nursery plants to the green industry.

References 7) Whitcomb, Carl E. 1988. Plant Production in Containers. Lacebark Publications, 1a) Newman, Julie. Tough times spell changes for Stillwater, OK. p. 411. greenhouse fi rms. GreanBeam Pro. Accessed 8) Skimina, Conrad A. 1992. Recycling water, July 31, 2008. www.greenbeampro.com/content/ nutrients, and waste in the nursery industry. view/1136/43 HortScience. September. p. 968-971. 1) Heuser, C.W. and R.F. Stinson (eds.). 1989. Nurs- 9) Metzger, Jim. 1998. OSU research update: ery Production, 2nd ed. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. 216 p. New production methods to reduce pesticide leaching and run-off. Ohio Florists’ Association 2) Mathers, Hannah. 1996. An Overview of the BC Bulletin. January. p. 13. Wholesale Nursery Industry: New Grower Information Package. Nursery Production 10) Rose, Mary Ann, Mark Rose, and Hao Wang. Factsheet, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries 1999. Fertilizer concentration and moisture and Food, British Columbia. p. 2. tension affect growth and foliar N, P, and K contents of two woody ornamentals. 3) Byczynski, Lynn. 1995. Going Commercial. Special HortScience. April. p. 246-250. Report for Growing for Market. Fairplain Publications, Lawrence, KS. 8 p. 11) Zalom, F.G. et al. 1992. Integrated pest manage- ment: Addressing the economic and environ- 4) Rodda, Kelli. The Real Green Industry: Native mental issues of contemporary agriculture. In: Plants. GreanBeam Pro. Accessed July F.G. Zalom and W.E. Fry (ed.). Food, Crop 31, 2008. www.greenbeampro.com/content/ Pests, and the Environment: The Need and view/1438/44 Potential for Biologically Intensive Integrated 5) The nursery is located at 2 Dove Road, Bernalillo, Pest Management. APS Press, St. Paul, MN. NM 87004. 505-867-1323. The garden Also see www.ipmnet.org. center is at 157 Jemez Dam Road, Bernalillo, 12) Biddinger, Eric, Dave Beattie, and Robert NM 87004. 505-867-1322. Berghage. 1999. The effects of copper-treated 6) Svenson, Sven E., Dave G. Adams, and Robert L. fi ber containers on the growth of four commer- Ticknor. 1997. Slow and steady. American cial plant species. Greenhouse Product News. Nurseryman. January 15. p. 50-52, 54-59. October. p. 22, 24-27.

www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 19 13) Ruter, John M. 2000. Cross-country containers. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/greenhouse/ American Nurseryman. February 1. p. 26-28, nursery/environ/wmplan1.html 30-31. 26) Schwankl, L.J. and G. McCourty. 1992. Organic 14) NSI. www.nurserysupplies.com. Plant locations in fertilizers can be injected through low-volume Pennsylvania, California, Oregon and Florida. irrigation systems. California Agriculture. 15) Haydu, John J. 1997. To bag or to pot? American September-October. p. 21-23. Nurseryman. April 15. p. 40-42, 44-47. 27) Amigo Bob Cantisano 16) Schlossberg, Matt. 2000. Getting back to the P.O. Box 942 roots. American Nurseryman. February 1. p. No. San Juan, CA 95960 32-34, 36-37. 530-292-3619 17) Growing Systems, Inc. [email protected] 2950 N. Weil St. 28) Parnes, Robert. 1990. Fertile Soil: A Grower’s Milwaukee, WI 53212 Guide to Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers. 414-263-313 [email protected] agAccess, Davis, CA. 190 p. www.growingsystemsinc.com 29) Anon. 1998. Missouri gravel bed offers growing 18) Anderson Die and Manufacturing alternative for nursery stock. American 2425 SE Moores St. Nurseryman. October 1. p. 20, 25. Milwaukie, OR 97222 30) Hoitink, H. A. J., Y. Inbar, and M. J. Boehm. 503-654-5629 1991. Status of compost-amended potting 19) Root Control, Inc. mixes naturally suppressive to soil-borne 1158 NW 44th diseases of fl oricultural crops. Plant Disease. Oklahoma City, OK 73118 September. p. 869-873. 800-521-8089 [email protected] 31) Cole, Janet C., Roger Kjelgren, and David L. www.treebag.com Hensley. 1998. In-ground fabric containers as 20) Arent, Gale L. 1996. The greenhouse an alternative nursery crop production system. wastestream. HortTechnology. October- HortTechnology. April-June. p. 159-163. December p. 365-366. 32) Bärtschi-Fobro 21) Suttle, Walter. 1998. Weeding out costly controls. www.fobro.com American Nurseryman. October 15. p. 24-29. 33) McCargo, Heather. 1997. Nursery crops can be 22) Texel USA grown organically. Maine Organic Farmer & 9987 Winston Dr. Gardener. June-August. p. 29-30. Pinckney, MI 48169 734-878-1814 34) Millcreek Manufacturing Co. www.millcreekmfg.com 23) Appleton, Bonnie L. and Susan C. French. 2000. Weed suppression for container-grown willow 35) Svenson, Sven E. 1998. Suppression of liverwort using copper-treated fabric disks. HortTech- growth in containers using irrigation, mulches, nology. January-March. p. 204-206. fertilizers and herbicides. HortScience. June. 24) Williams, Greg and Pat Williams. 1997. More on p. 484. (Abstract) corn gluten as a pre-emergence herbicide. 36) Calkins, James B. and Bert T. Swanson. 1995. HortIdeas. June. p. 62. Comparison of conventional and alternative 25) Developing a Management Plan for Irrigation nursery weed management strategies. Weed Runoff. Texas A& M University. Technology. October-December. p. 761-767.

Page 20 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production 37) Quarles, William. 1997. Steam—The hottest Harlan, Michael and Linda Harlan. 2000. Growing alternative to methyl bromide. American Profi ts: How to Start and Operate a Backyard Nursery. Nurseryman. August 15. p. 37-43. Moneta Publications, Citrus Heights, CA. 217 p. This book has excellent practical information for start- 38) Byczynski, Lynn. 1995. Use the sun to beat ing a small-scale nursery. It includes information on insects, weeds. Growing for Market. August. starting a nursery and considers the business aspects and p. 14, 16. gives down-to-earth facts about production. The new edi- 39) Maynard, Brian K. and William A. Johnson. tion widely available online or from the publisher. 1997. Using cupric hydroxide to reduce the Moorman, Gary, 1997. Scouting and Controlling rooting-out of B&B stock during storage. Woody Ornamental Diseases in Landscapes and HortScience. June. p. 455-456. (Abstract) Nurseries. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. 112 p. http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/ Resources uhi32.pdf North Carolina State University and North Carolina Publications Association of Nurserymen. 2000. Nursery Short For a complete list of propagation supplies, tree seed, Course. Raleigh, NC. 31 p. www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ nursery liners, plant materials, nursery supplies, hort/nursery/pdf/short_course/2000/2000.pdf equipment and services associated with the green- Perry, F. B., Jr., et al. 1990. Establishment and Oper- house and nursery industries, see Nursery Manage- ation of 20- and 40-acre Container Nurseries in Cli- ment and Production—Buyer’s Guide. This information matic Zone 9. Southern Cooperative Series Bulletin is now best accessed through the product directory at 341. Dept. of Research Information, Alabama Ag. Green Beam Pro’s Web site, Expt. Station, Auburn. www.greenbeampro.com. This publication is archived in land grant university The American Nursery and Landscape Association libraries and can be accessed through Interlibrary loan. also carries a number of titles as well as nursery Whitcomb, Carl E. 2003. Plant Production in standards and booklets. Containers II. 2006. Lacebark Publications, American Nursery and Landscape Association Stillwater, OK. 460 p. www.lacebarkinc.com 12501 Street, NW, Ste. 500 This publication is widely available online as well as Washington, DC 20005 from publisher. 202-789-2900 Whitcomb, Carl E. 2001. Production of Landscape www.anla.org Plants II (in the fi eld). 2nd ed. Lacebark Publications, Stillwater, OK. www.lacebarkinc.com General production This publication is widely available online as well as Barton, Susan et al. 2002. Establishing and Operating from publisher. a Garden Center: Requirements and Costs. NRAES, S-161. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Propagation This publication is widely available or contact Heuser, Chas. W., Jr., and Michael Dirr. 2006. National Resource, Agriculture and Engineering The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Service at www.nraes.org. Varsity Press, Inc., Athens, GA. This book contains complete propagation techniques for Dirr, Michael. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape important woody plants. Material on plant tissue culture Plants. 5th ed. Stipes Publishing Co., Champaign, IL and other specialized techniques is included. The latest 1187 p. edition is widely available in paper and hardcover from This publication is widely available online or from the online sources, as well as from the publisher. publisher. Hartmann, H.T., et al. 2001. Plant Propagation: Prin- Eaton, Gregory R., and Bonnie L. Appleton. 2002. ciples and Practices. 7th ed. Prentice Hall, Getting Started in the Nursery Business. Virginia London. 880 p. and CD. Cooperative Extension. 430-050. 8 p. This is the standard reference on the science and www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/nursery430-050/430-050.pdf practice of plant propagation. It contains detailed www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 21 information on propagation from seed or cuttings and The publication is widely available online or from: describes and illustrates grafting and budding tech- Ball Publishing niques. It covers reproduction by grafting or budding, P.O. Box 9 which is practiced extensively for certain varieties of Batavia, IL 60510 coniferous landscape trees, fruit trees and deciduous 888-888-0013 woody ornamentals. This reference is widely available www.growertalks.com from online booksellers. Walker, Cathleen, and Leonard P. Perry. 1998. Macdonald, Bruce. 2006. Practical Woody Plant Herbaceous Perennials Production: A Guide from Propagation for Nursery Growers. Timber Press, Propagation to Marketing. NRAES-93. Northeast Portland, OR. Regional Agricultural Engineering Service, Ithaca, This book is widely available from online booksellers NY. 208 p. as well as the publisher. This publication is widely available online and from: Yerkes, Guy E. 1957. Propagation of Trees and NRAES Coop. Ext;. Shrubs, USDA Farmers’ Bulletin No. 1567. 54 p. P.O. Box 4557 First published in 1945, this USDA bulletin is a good Ithaca, NY 14852-4557 practical guide to the propagation of woody plants by 607-255-7654 seed and cuttings using on-farm resources. You should 607-254-8770 fax be able to obtain a photocopy of this Farmers’ Bulle- tin through a land grant university library or through Taylor, Reed D., et al. 1990. Requirements and Costs Interlibrary loan. of Establishing and Operating a Three-Acre Herba- ceous Perennial Container Nursery. Special Circular Young, James A., and Cheryl G. Young. 1992. Seeds of Woody Plants of North America. Dioscorides Press, 136, Ohio Portland, OR. 407 p. Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Seeds of Woody Plants of North America is a greatly Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio. 30 p. revised edition of the legendary USDA This is Agricul- This study identifi es the resources and costs associated ture Handbook No. 450, Seeds of Woody Plants in the with an herbaceous 3-acre perennial nursery. Calcula- United States. This edition covers plants, including new tions are based on 1989 prices. The study calculates material on native plants used in environmental plant- total costs per plant, based on how the plant was propa- ings and Asian plant materials of importance. The gated, with calculations based on 1989 prices. Included focus is on propagation from seed; vegetative propaga- in the cost estimates are land improvement, unheated tion is not covered. Presentation of material is con- densed, however, and access to the USDA handbook polyhouse, heated polyhouse, cold frame, irrigation, may be helpful for literature citations, taxonomic infor- fi xed costs, labor, machinery, capital and variable costs. mation, tables and chapters on seed biology, genetics, The study is archived in land grant university libraries pollen handling and harvesting and storage procedures. and can be accessed through Interlibrary loan. The handbook is available from online booksellers. Pests and diseases Perennials Dreistadt, Steve H. 2004. Pests of Landscape Trees and Armitage, Allen. 1998. Herbaceous Perennial Plants. Shrubs: An Integrated Pest Management Guide. Publica- Varsity Press, Athens, GA. 1141 p. tion 3359. University of California, Division of Agricul- This is a good book for general knowledge of perenni- ture and Natural Resources, Oakland, CA. 501 p. als. It is widely available. Available at UC Coop. Extension offi ces and from: Nau, Jim. 1996. Ball Perennial Manual: Propagation ANR Publications and Production. Ball Publishing, Batavia, IL. 487 p. University of California This publication is an excellent resource for perennials. 6701 San Pablo Ave., 2nd fl oor It gives a general description and information on hardi- Oakland, CA 94608-1239 ness, season of bloom, propagation, germination over- 800-004-8849 view, growing techniques, varieties and cultivars, related 510-642-2431 materials and tips on how to use in the home garden. http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu

Page 22 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production Gill, Stanton, David L. Clement, and Ethel Dutky. Milwaukie, OR 97222 1999. Pests & Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials: 503-654-5629 The Biological Approach. Ball Publishing Co., Growing Systems, Inc. Batavia, IL. 304 p. 2950 N. Weil St. Leslie, Anne R. 1994. Handbook of Integrated Pest Milwaukee, WI 53212 Management for Turf and Ornamentals. Lewis Pub- 414-263-3131 lishers/CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 672 p. [email protected] www.growingsystemsinc.com Lloyd, John et al. 1997. Plant Health Care for Woody Ornamentals. International Society of Arboriculture, Root Control, Inc. Champaign, IL. 223 p. 1158 NW 44th This publication presents proactive approaches to Oklahoma City, OK 73118 woody plant health care in nurseries and landscapes. 800-521-8089 It focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases, pests [email protected] and abiotic disorders. It is widely available online in www.treebag.com paperback and from: International Society of Arboriculture Capillary sandbeds and P.O. Box 3129 Champaign, IL 61826 subirrigation systems 888.ISA.TREE Adams, Dave G., Sven E. Svenson, and Robert L. 217-355-9411 Ticknor. 1997. Making your bed. American Nursery- [email protected] man. January 15. p. 60–62, 64–67. isa-arbor.com This publication includes detailed plans for building a sandbed. Texel USA 9987 Winston Dr. Svenson, Sven E., Dave G. Adams, and Robert L. Pinckney, MI 48169 Ticknor. 1997. Slow and steady. American Nursery- 734-878-1814 man. January 15. p. 50–52, 54–59. Uva, Wen-Fei, Thomas C. Weiler, and Robert A. Soils Milligan. 1999. Zero the hero. Greenhouse Grower. Amigo Bob Cantisano January. p. 158, 160. February. p. 68, 70. March. P.O. Box 942 p. 44, 47–48. No. San Juan, CA 95960 This is a three-part series on subirrigation systems. 530-292-3619 [email protected] USDA publications USDA publications—in the Agriculture Handbook, Pot-in-pot system Miscellaneous Publication and Farmer Bulletin Brand, Mark H. 1994. Pot-in-pot system—The best of series—are a rich source of educational materials fi eld and container production. Yankee Nursery on fi eld and container nursery production, seedling Quarterly. Spring. p. 1–4. propagation and production, species selection and related topics. Publications such as the selected titles Haydu, John J. 1997. To bag or to pot? American listed below may be found archived in university Nurseryman. April 15. p. 40–42, 44–47. libraries designated as U.S. Government Document Ruter, John M. 1997. The practicality of pot-in-pot. Repositories, or may be requested through Interli- American Nurseryman. January 1. p. 32–37. brary loan. As noted, some are now online. Some publications may be for sale; order from: Ruter, John M. 1995. Effects of pot-in-pot production U.S. Government Bookstore system on plant growth. American Nurseryman. U.S. Government Printing Offi ce February 15. p. 66–69. 710 No. Capital Street, NW Anderson Die and Manufacturing Washington, DC 20401 2425 SE Moores St. 202-512-0132 www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 23 202-512-1355 fax Management of Pests in Northwest Forest Nurseries. http://bookstore.gpo.gov Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 110 p. Carlson, J.R. 1991. Conservation Tree and Shrub Culti- vars in the Untied States. USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 692. 50 p. Forest experiment station reports Liegel, L.H., and C.R. Venator. 1987. A Technical Cordell, Charles E. 1989. Forest Nursery Pests. Guide for Forest Nursery Management in the Agriculture Handbook No. 680. Forest Service, Caribbean and Latin America. General Technical USDA. 184 p. Report SO-67. www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/1409 www.rngr.net/Publications/fnp Numerous bulletins and fact sheets on nursery Engstrom, H.E., and J.H.Stoeckler. 1941. Nursery production are available through the Extension Practices for Trees and Shrubs Suitable for Planting Service, Agricultural Experiment Station, and U.S. on the Prairie-Plains. USDA. Miscellaneous Publica- Forest Service offi ces in each state. For materials tion No. 434. 159 p. available in each region, contact horticulture and Hardenburg, R.E. et al. 1986. The Commercial Stor- forestry extension specialists. age of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Stocks. USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 66. 130 p. Web sites Landis, T.D. et al. 1990. The Container Tree Nursery Nursery references and Manual. Vols. 1–7: Agriculture Handbook No. 674-1 through 674-7. USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC. information www.rngr.net/Publications/fnp This is a thorough treatise on the production of con- Sources of Information: tainerized trees and includes seven volumes. Volume 1 Nursery Production covers, planning, development and management; Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Volume 2 deals with containers and growing media; Industries—British Columbia Volume 3 is about container nursery environment; www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ornamentals/nursery/nursourc.pdf Volume 4 covers seedling nutrition and irrigation; Volume 5 deals with pests and mycorrhizae; Volume 6 Landscape, Nursery & Urban is about propagation; and Volume 7 covers processing, Forestry storage and outplanting of seedlings. UMass Extension Peterson, G.W., and R. Smith. 1975. Forest Nursery www.umassgreeninfo.org Diseases in the United States. Agriculture Handbook No. 470. Forest Service, USDA. 125 p. Nursery Web www.nursery.umd.edu/nursery.cfm Stoeckler, J.H., and P.E. Slabaugh. 1965. Conifer University of Maryland Web site on nursery production, Nursery Practice in the Prairie-Plains. Agriculture IPM, and nutrient management. Includes a large Handbook No. 279. Forest Service, USDA. 96 p. collection of horticultural and nursery Web links, Stoeckler, J.H., and G.W. Jones. 1957. Forest Nursery organized by type. Practices in the Lake States. Agriculture Handbook PLANT—Purdue Landscape and Nursery Thesaurus No. 110. Forest Service, USDA. 96 p. http://bluestem.hort.purdue.edu/plant Williams, Robert D., and Sidney H. Hanks. Hard- Purdue University collection of Web links on land- wood Nurseryman’s Guide. Agriculture Handbook No. scape and nursery resources, with over 7,000 sites 473. Forest Service, USDA. 78 p. organized by topic.

University publications Nursery-Related Internet Resources Hamm, P.B., S.J. Campbell, E.M. Hansen. 1990. Stuewe and Sons Growing Healthy Seedlings: Identifi cation and www.stuewe.com/about/othersites.html

Page 24 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production Useful Web Pages for Nursery Operators Nursery Crop Science. North Carolina State University. www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/nursery Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida This Web site includes cultural practices, research http://hort.ifas.ufl .edu/people/ publications, upcoming nursery events and a yeagernurseopera.htm knowledge center with learning modules for the nursery and greenhouse industry. Nursery production: General, nutrition, irrigation and water Ergonomics Papers: Prevention of Worker Injury quality topics in Nursery Production. Agricultural Ergonomics Research Center, University of California Commercial Nursery Production Factsheet Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Industries—Brit- Establishment and economics of nursery ish Columbia. www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ornamentals/nursery/ nursourc.pdf production Ornamentals: Enterprise Budgets—Planning for Profi t. Green Beam Pro British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Food & www.greenbeampro.com Fisheries. www.agf.gov/bc.ca/busmgmt/budgets/ This site is maintained by Branch-Smith Publishing index.htm (NMPro, GMPro, Garden Center, Nursery Management This Web site provides enterprise budgets for commer- & Production, Garden Center Products and Supplies, cial nursery production in British Columbia. and Selling Elegance). The site offers articles, industry news and source lists for products and suppliers, as well Starting in the Nursery Business (Revised 1994). as blogs and Project: Green Industry Open Registry. Purdue University, HO-212 Texas: Nursery, Floral and Landscape Network. www.agcom.purdue.edu/AgCom/Pubs/HO/HO-212.pdf http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/greenhouse Starting a Wholesale Nursery—Part I (Revised 2004). This Texas A&M site has nursery, greenhouse and inte- University of Arkansas. grated pest management resources. www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/ Environmental Publications (2000) FSA-6055.pdf Texas A&M University, Nursery/Floral Crops. Extension Nursery Publications. Missouri Alternatives http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/greenhouse/nursery/ Center. http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/links/linkview2. environ/index.html asp?catnum=160&alpha=N This Web site covers developing a management plan for irrigation runoff, principles of irrigation manage- Integrated pest management ment, monitoring the quality of irrigation water, inte- grated pest management for greenhouse crops and Benefi cial Nematodes treating and recycling irrigation runoff. www.nematodeinformation.com Something to Grow On/Nutrient Management: The Nursery IPM at University of Connecticut Key to Growing Healthy Nursery Crops in Containers www.hort.uconn.edu/IPM/index (1997). www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/good/ Forest Insect and Disease Leafl ets growon/index.html USDA Forest Service This is a Cornell University Web site on nutrient www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fi dl.htm management for fi eld crops, container crops and container media. Nursery Diseases of Western Conifers (1979). Forest Insect & Disease leafl et 157, USDA Forest Service Irrigation Management Practices: www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fi dls/disease_west/nut_ Checklist for Oregon. 48 p. Oregon State University, diseases.htm Bioresource Engineering http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Corn Gluten Meal Research Page Dr. Nick Christians. Iowa State University Using Compost in Landscape Beds and Nursery Sub- www.hort.iastate.edu/gluten strates. North Carolina State University. www.bae.ncsu. edu/bae/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/ag473_ Biological Control of Pests in Forest 14.html Nurseries. Don Elliott, p. 145–147. In: National www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 25 Proceedings: Forest and Conservation Nursery Native plants, specialty plants Associations—1998. www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/863 and perennials Biointensive Integrated Pest Management (2002). Native Plants Journal online ATTRA. www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/ipm.html http://nativeplants.for.uidaho.edu Nursery associations and Bamboo: A Multipurpose Agroforestry Crop (2001). ATTRA. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/ technology cooperatives bamboo.html Canadian Nursery Landscape Association Perry’s Perennial Pages www.canadanursery.com Leonard Perry, University of Vermont This Web site provides links to regional associations in www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and other Canadian provinces. University of Georgia Trial Gardens http://ugatrial.hort.uga.edu Nursery Technology Cooperative Oregon State University http://ntc.forestry.oregonstate.edu Organizations Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative American Nursery & Landscape www.nurserycoop.auburn.edu Association (ANLA) 1000 Vermont Ave., NW, Ste. 300 Southern Nursery Association Washington, DC 20005-4914 www.sna.org 202-789-2900 This is a large site with newsletter archives, publica- 202-789-2893 fax tions, conference proceedings, research, news and events. www.anla.org Forest Conservation Nurseries Associations ANLA, a membership organization, publishes http://westernforestry.org key resources for the nursery industry, such as This Web site provides nursery manuals and some past American Standard for Nursery Stock. The Horticul- event information. tural Research Institute (HRI), a research division of ANLA, sponsors research and publishes Journal of Directory of Nursery Supplies Environmental Horticulture. GreenBeam Pro International Plant Propagators’ Society, Inc. www.greenbeampro.com 615 Williams Grove Road The Green Beam Pro site, maintained by Branch- Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-7512 Smith Publishing, offers extensive lists of products 717-691-8898 and supplies. 717-691-5440 fax www.isa-arbor.com Pacifi c Coast Nurseryman: Structures & Equipment This group publishes Arborist News and Journal of Suppliers List. www.pacifi ccoastnurseryman.com/ Arboriculture, as well as a catalog of books, educa- structures.htm tional materials and software. Forest Nursery Resources Perennial Plant Association 3383 Schirtzinger Road Forest Nursery Notes (FNN) Hilliard, OH 43026 www.rngr.net/Publications/fnn 614-771-8431 This publication now includes archives of Forest 614-876-5238 fax Nursery Notes. [email protected] Forest Nursery Northeastern Area Publications & www.perennialplant.org ProductsReforestation, Nurseries and This group sponsors an annual symposium with Genetic Resources at USDA Forest Service. accompanying proceedings and provides educational www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs materials.

Page 26 ATTRA Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production Horticultural associations and societies American Horticultural Supply, Inc. 4045 Via Pescador Betrock’s hortworld.com Information Camarillo, CA 93012 Systems. www.plantfi nder.com/Services/Associations.asp 800-247-1184 This Web site provides an extensive list of regional and www.americanhort.com statewide nursery associations. This company supplies unusual pots including square, stairstep and bottomless. Trade magazines Anderson Die and Manufacturing American Nurseryman 2425 SE Moores St. American Nurseryman Publishing Co. Portland, OR 97222 77 W. Washington St., Ste. 2100 503-754-5629 Chicago, IL 60602-2904 This company sells to wholesalers such as American 800-621-5727 Horticultural Supply (above). 312-782-3232 fax www.amerinursery.com E-Z Implements, Inc. This Web site requires a biweekly, print or online sub- 16700 Pueblo Blvd. scription. It provides a wide selection of books, videos Jordan, MN 55352 and software. 800-278-2531 952-492-2867 fax Branch-Smith Publishing This company sells tree diggers, tree shears and graders. P.O. Box 1868 Ft. Worth, TX 76101 Growing Systems, Inc. 800-433-5612 2950 N. Weil St. www.greenbeampro.com Milwaukee, WI 53212 See the Web site for details of publications. 414-263-3131 This company sells Deep Groove tube cell-pack trays. Pacifi c Coast Nurseryman and Garden Supply Dealer. Cox Publishing Co. Lacebark, Inc. P.O. Box 1477 P.O. Box 2383 Glendora, CA 91740-1477 Stillwater, OK 74075 800-577-5225 405-377-3539 626-914-3751 fax 405-377-0131 fax www.pacifi ccoastnurseryman.com [email protected] www.lacebarkinc.com Nursery Retailer Lacebark sells root control bags and RootMaker pots. Brantwood Publications 2310 Northside Drive TreeBag, Inc. Clearwater, FL 33761-2236 115 NW 44th St. 727-724-0020 Oklahoma City, OK 73118 800-521-8089 727-724-0021 fax 405-848-2302 fax [email protected] [email protected] Nursery Retailer www.treebag.com/html www.nurseryretailer.com RootMaker Products, Inc. This Web site provides an extensive list of horticultural P.O. Box 14553 trade magazines. Huntsville, AL 35815 800-824-3941 Suppliers 256-882-3199 Suppliers for a few general nursery supplies are men- www.rootmaker.com tioned in the text, including root control pots, nursery This company is affi liated with Lacebark, Inc. and equipment and steam distillation. sells RootMaker pots. www.attra.ncat.org ATTRA Page 27 Saskatoon Boiler Mfg. Co, Ltd. Corn gluten 2011 Quebec Ave. Corn Gluten Meal Licensees Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Iowa State University Canada S7K 1W5 www.techtransfer.iastate.edu/en/for_industry/ 306-652-7022 technology_search/cgm_licensees.cfm www.saskatoonboiler.com This company sells Saskatoon Model 30HP-15 nursery steamer. Resource directories Green Beam Pro Sioux Corp. [formerly Sioux Steam Cleaner Corp.] www.greenbeampro.com One Sioux Plaza The Green Beam Pro site, maintained by Beresford, SD 57004 Branch-Smith Publishing, offers extensive lists of 605-763-3333 www.sioux.com products and suppliers. So You Want to Start a Nursery… Pacifi c Coast Nurseryman: Structures StartaNursery.com/containers.php & Equipment Suppliers List www.pacifi ccoastnurseryman.com/structures.htm Stuewe & Sons, Inc. 2290 SE Kiger Island Drive Corvallis, OR 97333-9461 800-553-5331 www.stuewe.com This company sells unusual pots like square, stairstep and bottomless and nursery containers for tree seedlings.

Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production By Steve Diver and Lane Greer Updated June 2008 by Katherine L. Adam Agriculture Specialist © 2008 NCAT Holly Michels, Editor Amy Smith, Production This publication is available on the Web at: www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/nursery.html or www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/nursery.pdf IP104 Slot 76 Version 113008

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