Advances in automated shrub trimming save time and labor With its wheels stretched 60 feet apart, a mowing machine makes its way over multiple rows of rhododendrons, leaving them uniformly trimmed on top. Powered by only one person riding on top of it, this machine gets the work done quickly, saving large wholesale grower Woodburn […]
Where are the shrubs?
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Growers face recession and inflation concerns after pandemic depletes stock and strains availability The pandemic brought unexpected havoc to the nursery trade, just as it did to the rest of the economy. Strong sales volumes caused shortages and supply chain issues in all nursery sectors including shrubs. That in turn drove wide-ranging ripple effects that […]
Spraying sustainably
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An intelligent spraying system can help growers reduce pesticide use, save money and better manage their crops Until about six or seven years ago, Hans Nelson and Sons Nursery in Boring, Oregon, would apply standard pesticides to its roughly 150 acres of shade and flowering trees using traditional air-blast sprayers. The sprayers, used throughout the […]
Remixing soil mixes
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More sustainable alternatives to carbon-sequestering peat moss are entering into the planting media equation Amid growing international concerns about the environmental impacts of depleting and permanently damaging peat bogs, a movement is underway to ban or restrict the sale and use of peat moss — a nonrenewable resource that takes thousands of years to form. […]
The tribulations of big trees
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Growing bigger trees that will flourish in a changing climate takes a long-game approach For decades, tree-lined streets across the country — largely in the Southeast — would erupt in the bright white blossoms of Callery pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) every spring. Affordable, fast-growing and easily shipped, the trees had become the darlings of landscapers, […]
Finding your flow
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Today’s technology can automate every aspect of irrigation, saving labor and water, but it comes with a price With irrigation controls at your fingertips and data on soil moisture levels and plant stress a click away, today’s nursery producer has more control over plant health than at any time in history. And with labor and […]
Ponds with new purpose
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Capturing more “free” water, containing runoff and reusing costly fertilizer are benefits of keeping nursery ponds in tip-top shape Like all irrigation systems, nursery ponds require maintenance for continued smooth operation. In addition to routine inspection, testing and maintenance of pipelines, pumping plant components and other mechanical components, most ponds will require periodic cleaning, regrading […]
Water, water everywhere?
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Western nursery associations team up to tackle the rising tide of water woes Glenda Mostek, executive director of the Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association, has a colorful way of sizing up one of the bigger issues facing the Centennial State’s nursery industry. “Whisky is for drinking, water is for fighting,” she said, quoting a phrase […]
Throttling back the burn
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Efficiency improvements can help nurseries mitigate natural gas costs Whether you’re talking annuals, perennials, houseplants, veggie starts or other tender plants, it takes a variety of investments to get greenhouse-grown plants out the door and delivered to paying customers. Property expenses, labor, pots, other supplies, plant material, taxes and fees, and finally, freight are among […]
Stretched to the limit
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Extreme weather wreaks havoc on greenhouse poly film With 15 acres of greenhouses under his management, Jeremy Dewar at North American Plants in McMinnville, Oregon, replaces polyethylene (poly) film on a recurring basis. Lately, however, he is replacing it at a higher rate than usual. Like other greenhouse operations in Oregon, the greenhouses at North […]
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