Nursery stock is usually dug in the fall and early spring. Harvesting will either be by individual plants in rows or by harvesting entire rows. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. Consideration should be given to the overall efficiency of the operation, amount of product sold and impact such as shading. Some nurseries choose to harvest alternate plants in rows, leaving additional space for remaining plants to grow and develop.
Nurseries growing seedlings or small nurseries usually harvest entire beds or rows at the same time.
Operating Costs With field production, generally the time from planting to time of harvest will be many years. Initial expenditures, maintenance costs and interest on borrowed capital can accumulate to large sums before a single plant is sold. Similar to conducting a perk test, the grower should dig several practice holes of the same dimension as the final socket pots, place the pots in the ground and then monitor the rate of drainage. Avoid sites with extremely slow drainage rates or install a drainage system to speed proper drainage. Facilities and Equipment General facilities will mirror what is required for an aboveground container operation.