Highlights from a Year in Nursery Production Amy Fulcher Assistant Professor

Mention of trade names or commercial products in this power point is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. This publication contains pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time. The recommendations in this publication are provided only as a guide. It is always the pesticide applicator’s responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. The label always takes precedence over the recommendations found in this publication. Always refer to the product label for specific information on proper product use, tank-mix compatibility and crop tolerance.

Overview ! Time Management ! Jan-Dec ! Container, Field Production Tasks ! For background information http://www.ipmcenters.org/pmsp/pdf/GA-KY-NC-SC-TNnurserycropsPMSP.pdf

Good vs Great Urgent Non urgent

Important Water leak Big customer with problem

Planning, Anticipating, Preparing, Doing your job

Not Important Interruptions, Distractions, Some phone calls

Trivia Timewaster Busy work

Credit: U.S. Pres. D. Eisenhower (popularized by Steven Covey)

Important, not urgent ! Planning, preparing, anticipating, doing

your job !  Never get an email telling you to do this! !  Severe consequences at some point if

don’t! !  Owners/managers need to delegate other

tasks so that they can spend time on planning and preparing.

January-Production ! Grade and apply gravel to tractor roads. !  Inspect and replace worn irrigation

equipment and nozzles. ! Calibrate sprayers and spreaders. ! Check on overwintering houses, irrigate?

January Production !  Conduct maintenance on

equipment: replace tires, repack bearings on trailers, repair tractors, and sharpen maintenance equipment.

!  Clean out, inspect, and inventory storage areas.

!  Order pesticides, fertilizers, and amendments for growing season.

January-Production ! Dig trees when weather permits. Protect

root balls and tops on dug B&B crops. !  If necessary, apply Casoron when

daytime high temperatures are below 50ºF.

! Take soil samples and prepare remaining ground beds and fields for planting.

January-Production ! Prune - establish a single

leader and scaffold branches, and lift canopy; remove crossed or damaged branches.

! Remove basal and water sprouts, direct the growth of multiple stemmed crops.

January Production !  Review IPM and pesticide records from the

past year to determine success of IPM and pest control program. http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-213.pdf

!  Schedule and write on calendar IPM monitoring and scouting visits for coming year. http://www.ca.uky.edu/HLA/Dunwell2009IPMDeciduousTreeProduction.pdf

!  Scout nursery fields, sites or blocks of ornamental plants at least once in January. ! Japanese Maple Scale https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W277.pdf

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Carpet tape

Crawlers

January Marketing and Education ! Attend trade shows. ! Attend Extension workshops.

February Production !  Conduct any unfinished maintenance and

inventory activities on growing and non-growing areas, equipment and storage compartments.

!  Dig trees when weather permits. Protect root balls and tops on B&B crops.

!  Prune to establish leaders, scaffold branches, canopy height and conflicting/damaged branches. !  Bleeders – maples, birches, willow, dogwood !  Cutbacks - Cut any seedlings or liners to the

ground if planned !  Shear plants being grown for screening purposes.

February Production !  As orders arrive, keep liners moist: place in

sand, bark or sawdust and store in barns or in coolers under mist/fog.

!  Plant liners as soon as weather permits. Install drip irrigation in new plantings.

!  Apply preemergence herbicides on new crops and in rows of field stock.

!  Take soil samples and prepare remaining ground beds and fields for planting.

!  Check overwintering houses, irrigate?

February Production !  Treat newly planted crops with

preemergence herbicides within 48 hours of planting or as soon as label instructions permit, record application dates, rates and products.

!  Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease, weed and vertebrate pests at least once in February. !  Periods of key pest emergence may require

weekly scouting. !  Process orders, tag and assemble orders for

shipment.

February Marketing and Education

!  Attend trade shows !  Attend educational sessions

March Production !  Maintain roads and drives as needed to

avoid impeding shipping activities. !  Conduct any needed maintenance for

pumps and irrigation systems. !  Dig trees and ship harvested nursery stock;

store dug crops in cool/shaded area. Keep root balls moist and protected from freezing.

!  Hold liner stock in cool, shaded location; keep roots moist. Plant ASAP-consequences. !  Sweat hawthorn liners.

March Production !  Apply 2/3 of annual nitrogen application to field

stock if granular fertilizer is used, using an approximate rate of 0.25 oz. to 2.0 oz. nitrogen/year based upon size and species.

!  Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease, weed and vertebrate pests weekly in March. Record pests identified and select and make record of any pesticides applied.

!  Pot up container liners, bump up container liners. !  Fertilize containers. Conduct pour thru to monitor

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March Production !  Scout for spring weeds to determine which

weeds escaped the fall herbicide program, as well as which winter annuals are germinating in spring as a result of fall herbicide running out.

!  Shipping begins to dominate activities at nursery. Most available personnel may be involved in pulling orders and loading trucks.

!  Sales personnel account for inventory, process orders, route trucks, drops and billing

April Production !  Maintain facilities as needed to avoid

impeding shipping and production activities. !  Dig trees and ship. !  Plant new liners ASAP. !  Apply fertilizer and preemergence herbicides

in new fields-label for waiting period. !  Fertilize containers. Conduct pour thru to

monitor nutrients. !  Weed liner and seedbeds; apply fertilizer and

preemergence herbicides.

April Production !  Pot up container liners, bump up containers. !  Prune shrubs. !  Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease, weed

and vertebrate pests weekly in April. Record pests identified and select and record any pesticides applied.

!  Shipping is in full swing. All available personnel may be needed to pull orders, tag and load trucks.

May Production ! Check irrigation system uniformity and

efficiency on days with high temperatures.

! Digging season ends for many nurseries. ! Line out container liners, bump up

containers.

May Production !  Irrigate field-grown crops as needed with

overhead or drip irrigation. Consider fertilizing crops through drip lines based on fertigation guidelines.

! Fertilize containers. Conduct pour thru to monitor nutrients.

May Production

3 g N2 per gallon container size

May Production !  Scout fields for emerging nutsedge and

perennial weeds. Treat with postemergence herbicides and apply preemergence herbicides.

!  Reapply preemergence to containers. !  Remind no-till neighbors about threat of drift. !  Prune/shear shrubs and screening liner plants. !  B&B shipping season winds down for most

nurseries.

May Production ! Harvest or till winter cover crops into soil.

Plant summer cover crops on fallow strips or fields to improve organic matter in soil.

! Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease, weed and vertebrate pests weekly in May. Record pests identified and select and record any pesticides applied.

! Pot up container liners, bump up containers.

May Production ! Verify spray

coverage with

! Verify spray coverage

June Production !  Grade and gravel roads from spring digging/

shipping. !  Maintain weed management with directed

postemergence herbicides. Re-apply preemergence herbicides and postemergence nutsedge control as needed.

!  Mow vegetation in aisles and roadways. !  Re-establish single leaders in trees, prune tips

in competing shoots, prune excessive growth of lateral branches.

Training a Leader – 4 quadrants

!  Method #1 Cut the old central leader to 3-4" above a bud or small branch. As new growth emerges from the bud/small branch tape it to the stub left on the old central leader to force it into a straight, vertical position. Use masking tape, 2-4 wraps. You should remove the stub left after the masking tape disintegrates. (See photo.)

!  Method #2 When no central leader exists, but there are two branches to pick from that are equally vigorous and/or vertical (often happens on maple), tape the two branches together. Come back in a month and cut out the weaker, less straight leader.

!  Method #3 When there is no central leader and one obvious branch exists to make into the new central leader, tie a section of a stake (a splint) to the top of the trunk, extending it into the air above the top of the tree. The branch is tied to it in a vertical position.

!  3M2307 3/4" x 60' per roll

Leave for Caliper?

1/3 rule

Pruning Shrubs – never-ending, PGR are an alternative

June Production !  Scout fields for mature winter annual weeds

not controlled by spring treatments and emerging summer annuals and perennials. Record all species present, highlighting the most prevalent or difficult to control.

!  Apply final 1/3 of annual nitrogen application to field stock. If field grade fertilizer is applied, annual rate is 1/4 oz nitrogen to 2.0 oz nitrogen/year based upon size and species.

June Production ! Top dress containers. ! Conduct pour thru to monitor nutrients. ! Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease, and

vertebrate pests weekly in June. Periods of key pest emergence may require weekly scouting. Record pests identified and select and record any pesticides applied.

! Prune shrubs.

July Production !  Maintain irrigation equipment; assess water

supplies compared to irrigation demand. !  Irrigate field-grown crops as needed with

overhead or drip irrigation. Application of nitrogen fertilizer should be completed by end of July.

!  Mow aisles and drive roads. Summer cover crops may require mowing.

!  Make directed applications of post-emergence herbicides as needed.

July Production !  Check fall digging inventories. Order wire

baskets, burlap, twine, pinning nails and other supplies.

!  Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease, weed and vertebrate pests weekly in July. Periods of key pest emergence may require weekly scouting. Record pests identified and select and record any pesticides applied.

!  Last month to top dress, 2-3 mo. release. !  Last month to prune, except thinning cuts. !  Conduct pour thru to monitor nutrients.

July Production !  Irrigation audit: water quantity, water

quality, irrigation efficiency. ! Assess inventory, condition, order plastic

for overwintering houses. ! Daily nursery activities may be accented

with visits from customers and nursery tours.

August Production ! Maintain buildings, roads and equipment

as needed. !  Irrigate field-grown crops as needed with

overhead or drip irrigation. ! Conduct pour thru to monitor nutrients.

August Production ! Collect leaf tissue samples of crops

showing nutritional disorders and send them to a diagnostic lab (with soil test).

! Mow summer cover crops on fallow fields. ! Begin field preparation for planting. ! Mow aisles and drive roads.

August Production !  Apply preemergence herbicides for winter

annual weed control (field and container). !  Scout all field nursery blocks for weeds.

Record all species encountered. !  Many perennial weeds are controlled by

glyphosate applications in late August or September.

!  Prepare digging and shipping schedules for fall digging season.

August Production ! Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease,

weed and vertebrate pests weekly in August. Record pests identified and select and record any pesticides applied.

! Seed winter cover crops.

September Production ! Prepare fields by tilling or plowing cover

crops and amend according to soil test. ! Begin planting broadleaved and

coniferous liners. Apply preemergence herbicides within 48 hours after planting or as soon as label instructions permit.

! Digging season begins with harvest of crape myrtle, broadleaved evergreens and conifers.

September Production ! Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease,

weed and vertebrate pests at least twice in September. Periods of key pest emergence may require weekly scouting. Record pests identified and select and record any pesticides applied.

! Sept. 15 last date to fertigate.

September Production ! Sept-Oct latest to apply preemergence

herbicide to plants going in overwintering houses.

! Conduct pour thru to monitor nutrients. ! Autumn seasonal production, shipping

and harvesting seasons begin. ! Line out container liners.

October Production ! Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease,

weed and vertebrate pests at least twice in September. Record pests identified and select and record any pesticides applied.

! Autumn seasonal production, shipping and harvesting seasons begin.

! Line out container liners.

October Production ! Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease,

weed and vertebrate pests at least once in October. Periods of key pest emergence may require weekly scouting. Record pests identified and select and record any pesticides applied.

! Conduct pour thru to monitor nutrients. ! Processing fall orders.

November Production !  Turn attention to winterizing the nursery.

!  Move plants into overwintering house pot tight. !  Finish planting broadleaved liners. Irrigation

will reduce mortality of evergreen crops, due to winter desiccation. Irrigate before cold fronts and drain lines.

!  Digging season in full swing. Protect root balls from freezing and evergreen tops from wind and sun to prevent desiccation during holding and shipping harvested crops.

Place containers pot to pot

November Production ! Plan to scout for insect, mite, disease,

weed and vertebrate pests at least once in November. Periods of key pest emergence may require weekly scouting. Record pests identified and select and record any pesticides applied.

! Conduct pour thru to monitor nutrients. ! Fall shipping is in full swing.

December Production ! Finish winterizing the nursery before the

holiday season. ! Dig when weather is permitting. Protect

root balls from freezing and evergreen tops from wind and sun to prevent desiccation during holding and shipping harvested crops.

! Fall shipping for field stock continues.

December Production ! Review/develop disaster plans for nursery

for floods, hurricanes, high winds, and hail. ! Consider computer backup practices,

power failure and water supply alternatives for irrigation, employee responsibilities, structural insurance, and inventories for crop insurance.

Container Production Potting Up Details ! Hand weed, pot up, apply fertilizer or

incorporate, apply herbicides when label permits.

Questions?