Container Plant Production
Commercial Plant Production
Build as you go
What do you see in this picture?
Irrigation
• Large quantity of water.
• Dependable water
source.
• Overhead irrigation.
– Drip irrigation on a
smaller scale.
• Irrigation:
– Plants need water
– Cool root systems
Planting Density
• High disease pressure.
• More plants per acre.
• Higher labor cost per
acre.
• Large amount of plant
culture.
Root System Considerations
• Root system is above-ground.
• Heating of growing medium
during summer months.
• May need winter protection in
colder climates.
• Potential for the roots to
become pot-bound.
• Confined root volume.
• Frequent up-shifting to larger
container.
• Grower supplies all plant
nutrition.
Sizes of Plastic Nursery Containers;
Injection-molded, Nursery Supplies
Poly- Trade
tainer Size
DIA
H
CC
CI
GAL
L
1BLK
#1
6
7
2,481
151
.66
2.48
2
#2
8½
8½
6189
377
1.6
6.19
3
#3
10
9¼
10,440
637
2.8
10.44
3S
#3
Squat
9½
8
7,637
466
2.0
7.64
4
#5
Egg
Can
10
12
13,735
838
3.6
13.74
5S
#5
Squat
11
10
13,909
848
3.7
13.91
Culture
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Pest control
Staking
Fertilizing
Pruning
Watering
Weed control
– Use herbicides with low
water solubilities.
• Transplanting
• Blow over
Weed Control
• The more water soluble the herbicide, the faster it
moves downward through the mix, and the greater
the likelihood of damaging the crop.
• Use preemergent herbicides with water solubilities
LESS than ONE ppm.
Recommended Herbicides (Whitcomb)
• Barricade, Factor (prodiamine) @ 0.013 ppm water solubility
• Goal (oxyfluorfen) @ 0.1 ppm
• Treflan (trifluralin @ 0.3 ppm
• Prowl, Pendulum, Southern WeedGrass Control (pendimethalin)@ 0.5
ppm
• Ronstar (oxadiazon) @ 0.7 ppm
• Gallery (isohexaben) @ 1.0 ppm
• Rout is a combination of Goal and Surflan
• Snapshot 80 DF is a combination of Gallery and Surflan
• Snapshot 2.5 TG is a combination of Gallery and Treflan
• Ornamental Herbicide II is a combination of Goal and Prowl
Facilities
•
Production areas.
–
Gravel floor.
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4-6 inches base rock
4-6 inches road gravel
Gravel roadways.
Drainage plan including proper grading of
site.
State law in CA to recycle all irrigation water.
Retention pond.
Media preparation area.
Equipment storage.
Administrative offices.
Potting area.
Holding area .
Shipping dock.
Pesticide storage.
Parking.
Employee facilities.
Bed and Road Layout
Harvesting
• 100% of the root
system.
• Easier harvest than
B&B.
• Year-round harvest.
Container Production versus Field Production
Area of
Comparison
Field
Container
Number of
Employees
Production Cycle
1 per 5-10 acres
1 per acre
Longer
1- 6+ yrs
Shorter
6 mo - 2+ yrs
Harvest
Periodic
(Spring/Fall)
Preferred
production
system for large
caliper trees
Year-round
Types and sizes
of plants
More efficient
production of
shrubs, annuals,
and perennials
Area of
Comparison
Irrigation
Overwintering
Production
centers
The future
Field
Container
Irrigation not
Frequent to daily
mandatory; but
irrigation
may be needed required; manage
during periods of high root zone
drought
temps
Little to no
Protection
protection
required
required
All across the
Most production
country
centered in the
sunbelt states
Declining
Increasing
The End