1.3 Layout and Development
1_Nursery-Site-Selection
6a - Nursery-Site Selection, Layout, and Development PUBLIC DOMAIN
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Nursery Site Selection
Overview
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Introduction
Lesson Objectives
Evaluate the factors that influence site selection of a production nursery.
Identify factors that influence nursery site selection.
Explain the influence of climate, soil, water, topography, previous land use, site potential, and location to nursery site selection.
Key Terms
climate - an average of the long-term, prevailing weather conditions of a region
drainage - the natural or artificial removal of surface water
soil - the layer(s) of generally loose mineral and/or organic material that are affected by physical, chemical, and/or biological processes at or near the planetary surface, and usually hold water, air, and organisms and support plants
supply chain - the system of operations that collaborate to plan, produce, and provide a product or service to a market
water supply - the water available for a region which may be delivered via natural or man-made waterways
Site Selection Criteria
Modified from "Nursery-Site Selection, Layout, and Development" by F.E. Morby, USDA Forest Service is in the Public Domain
Climate
Requirements for climate and growing season will vary depending on the species and ecotypic variants that will be grown. An ecotype is a genetically distinct population that has adapted to its particular environment.
For example, red maple (Acer rubrum) has a wide natural distribution throughout Eastern North America, as far north as Canada and south into Florida. Tennessee growers would have a difficult time growing a Canadian ecotype of red maple that is adapted to the longer daylengths and shorter growing season common at a northerly latitude. A Canadian ecotype would come out of winter dormancy later in the season than a Tennessee variant. Conversely, a Florida ecotype of red maple may break dormancy too early in the growing season, resulting in cold damage (Raulston, 1994).
Climatic concerns for species or ecotypes go beyond the seasonal daylengths or the overall length of growing season. Nursery growers should also consider the temperature, precipitation, wind, and light conditions of a site.
Temperature
Extremely hot periods reduce plant growth and can damage appearance. As temperatures increase, the rate of transpiration rapidly rises, increasing the amount of water needed from irrigation. Short periods of daytime temperatures of 110°F or more can tax irrigation systems, but properly designed irrigation systems can protect plants from burning during those periods. Growth of most species is greatly impeded by ambient temperatures of 90°F and above.
Extremely low temperatures can be detrimental to unprotected young material or container plants. The site may need to be modified by incorporating a pot-in-pot system or constructing a high tunnel. Extreme cold can drive frost deep into the soil for field-grown plants, delaying harvesting and processing into spring (see Unit 6, Lesson 2: Growing Methods for Nursery Production for more information).
Precipitation
High rainfall areas are best avoided. However, the season in which the precipitation occurs is important. Heavy spring rains can delay spring operations, such as adding soil amendments, starting a cover or green manure crop, or sowing tree seed. Summer rains tend to be a problem only when they occur as cloudbursts and result in flooding, erosion, or wash-out. Frequent summer rains may be detrimental because rains may disrupt stock hardening processes already induced by withholding irrigation. Areas with heavy winter rains should be avoided; heavy rain saturates nursery soil to the point of hindering lifting, damaging soil structure, and causing flooding and erosion.
Wind
Wind can damage plants, blow over containerized material, and limit operations, such as pesticide applications. Winds will affect irrigation application and uniformity and may cause erosion. High winds can desiccate plants. In areas with high winds, choose a site with natural windbreaks or install artificial windbreaks (Acquaah, 2009).
Light
Plants grown in outdoor nurseries rely on natural sunlight for healthy growth. Sites with heavy tree cover or tall structures may need to be modified to increase light penetration to the growing environment. Exposed sites may require shade houses to protect shade-loving plants (Acquaah, 2009).
Soil
Containerized nurseries tend to use soilless growing media to fill pots rather than native soil (see Unit 6, Lesson 2: Growing Methods for Nursery Production for more information). Field production requires plants be grown in the site’s native soil. Soil qualities, such as texture, pH, and fertility, can vary across the property. Soil testing is a crucial step in choosing a site that has the most suitable soil for the crop and production method.
Texture
Soils that have good drainage, proper aeration, and a sufficient water-holding capacity are ideal for in-ground nursery production. The ideal soil texture will vary depending on whether field-grown plants will be harvested as ball-and-burlap or bare root. Ball-and-burlap plants should be grown in soil that is cohesive enough to hold around the root ball. Bare root trees should be grown in a loose sand or loam that will be easier to remove from the roots (Acquaah, 2009). Sandy loams or loamy sands with good drainage are excellent for field-grown nurseries.
Soil pH
The optimum soil reaction, or pH, for most tree species is between pH 5.0 and 6.0. Nutrients are less available to plants at excessively low and high pH levels. Soil pH can be altered with soil additives, such as sulfur, or by injecting phosphoric or sulfuric acid into irrigation water.
Fertility
While nutrients can be added in the form of fertilizer or organic matter, the soil should be responsive to fertilization (Acquaah, 2009). Soil testing will help the grower identify the nutrient holding capacity, nutrient availability, and organic matter content of the native soil.
Water
Securing an adequate water supply for domestic or irrigation reasons use can be a major problem. Water rights must be obtained for any water source. Therefore, special consideration must be given to a site where the quantity and quality of water are adequate for current and possible future requirements. All water needs and the timing of those needs must be considered. For example, in most nurseries, irrigation is necessary during the growing season and for frost protection. Restrictions on flow and on periods of delivery must be closely scrutinized.
Irrigation Water Sources
Lakes are a good source of irrigation water. Storage capacity, draw-down, other uses, and contaminants must be examined before any commitment is made. Screening may be necessary to remove water-borne debris.
Streams are sometimes used for nursery irrigation and must be checked for water rights, other uses, and quality. In addition, attention must be paid to intakes, diversions for pumping stations, protection during runoff periods, and maintenance of the stream channel to ensure maximum carrying capacity. Stream water may need to be screened to alleviate contamination by vegetation, weed seeds, animals, algae, and other water-borne debris.
Irrigation water delivered through open ditches is usually controlled by irrigation districts and is subject to specific short delivery periods. Such a source is not reliable unless storage is made available on site; therefore, irrigation water is not recommended.
Water drawn from wells is probably one of the best irrigation sources for most locations. Draw-down and pumping capacity must be checked to ensure that water is available in reliable quantities when it is required.
Domestic or irrigation pipelines are reliable. In many instances, clean water will be supplied with adequate pressure and volume to eliminate the need for pumping. The two types of pipelines are similar, and both generally well designed and constructed. However, domestic water lines usually have more connections creating a high demand for water and more concern for failure of the system. Systems must be reviewed to ensure that maintenance is adequate and repairs are timely.
Water Quality
Chemical contaminants may infiltrate an irrigation source through the soil or from precipitation or surface runoff. Contamination by minerals, such as calcium or boron, will usually be found in well water. However, because streams, lakes, and ditches also may have mineral contaminants, any potential site must have its water sources evaluated for mineral content and concentration.
Water from any open source (lake, stream, or ditch) may contain weed seeds. High concentrations of these can lead to unwanted vegetation in seedbeds and cover crops, which is a major problem. Special, well-designed screening devices can alleviate this problem.
Water-borne diseases can infect root systems and foliage. Chemical water treatment may be necessary if pathogens are present, such as Phytophthora—a fungus causing root disease.
Water Runoff
Modern nurseries must also consider how surface water runoff will be handled. Excess water from irrigation or precipitation can carry chemical or biological contaminants or eroded soil. While there are several ways to limit surface runoff, some municipalities may require growers to construct a retention pond to capture runoff in an effort to prevent contamination of waterways or groundwater (Figure 6.1.1) (Fulcher, 2013). This runoff can be re-used for irrigation (Figure 6.1.2).
Topography
The area for nursery beds should be level, or nearly so. A slight slope (2% maximum) is beneficial for better surface drainage, but slopes greater than 2% can cause erosion, necessitating expensive control measures, as well as result in leaching of soluble fertilizer salts (Wilde, 1958). Topography can also impact the ability to use farm equipment (Figure 6.1.3) and irrigation systems. Low areas may be poorly drained and can be more susceptible damage caused by frost pockets (Acquaah, 2009).
The importance of aspect will depend on the latitude and altitude of the nursery site. In most of the temperate zone, eastern and southeastern aspects should be avoided because of greater frost danger, as well as southern and southwestern aspects because of excessive dryness during periods of drought. Where irrigation is available, southern aspects in northern latitudes at high elevations are best because of their greater warmth. For most sites, though, a northwestern aspect is best because vegetative growth starts later in spring and is not subjected to injury by frost. Water loss through evaporation from the soil surface is not so rapid on northwestern aspects.
Previous Land Use
Past use of the land may influence its value as a potential nursery site. For example, past practices that have altered soil acidity or caused toxic chemicals to accumulate will be detrimental to field-grown production. If the site has been altered, the grower should determine what was done when.
Site Production Potential
Many nursery sites have been selected and developed with little or no allowance made for future expansion. Regardless of how remote it may seem; expansion should be considered. To do so, the site-selection team must examine areas adjacent or close to the property.
Proximity to Customers, Labor, and Services
Proximity of the nursery to customers, work force, transportation, utilities, and facilities for people are all important components of the supply chain. These factors should be evaluated by the site-selection team. Locating the site geographically close to customers seems to be most judicious, although, with the advent of transportation systems and refrigerated trucks, this is not as necessary as it once was. Often, other criteria prevail.
Customers
Without customer demand, the nursery business cannot succeed. The grower should ask themselves several questions as they plan the nursery, including: Will the business serve local customers or ship plants to online customers? Will the material be sold wholesale to other nurseries or landscapers, or directly to individuals as retail? Does the local area support a large enough population with sufficient income for targeted sales? (McMahon, 2020).
Labor Force
The nursery should be within easy commuting distance—about 35 miles—of an adequate, dependable labor supply. The number of workers needed varies widely, depending on size of the nursery, extent of mechanization, amount of work contracted out, degree of chemical weed control, and type of stock grown.
Transportation
A good transportation network is essential. In the case of a retail nursery, there must be a way to receive plant material from growers. In the case of a wholesale or an online order nursery, there must be a way to deliver material to customers. Climate-controlled transportation equipment is critical when delivering plants over long distances. County or state roads that are well traveled, maintained, and connected to freeways will aid the transport of both plants and people.
Utilities
Telephone, electric power, and other utilities required for nursery operation must be already available or easily secured. The history of these utilities must be evaluated, along with their current cost, supply, and reliability.
Land Availability and Cost
Are the sites under consideration actually for sale and within the price range given to the selection team? What are the owners' sale stipulations? Look at total developed cost. Unimproved land may initially cost less but require such large capital outlays for development that ultimate total cost may be more. Land that may initially cost more, on the other hand, may be developed to the point that few subsequent improvements are needed, and total cost may be less.
Layout and Development
Modified from "Nursery-Site Selection, Layout, and Development" by F.E. Morby, USDA Forest Service is in the Public Domain
The Team Approach
Like site selection, layout and development benefit from the team approach. The development team should consist of the nursery manager; civil, electrical, and mechanical engineers; landscape and structural architects; and consultants for soils, irrigation, subsurface drainage, or other areas where on-site team expertise is weak or lacking.
It's a good idea to visit similar facilities for comparison. It is expensive to develop a new nursery, and any new technology either already developed or under consideration must be evaluated. New ideas always surface when other nurseries are visited and when both positive and negative sides of a particular site or procedure are discussed.
Access and Traffic Flow
The nursery should be as compact as possible to minimize the length of the boundary fence and reduce the time lost moving from one part of the nursery to another (Aldhous, 1972).
Roads provide access to the site and to growing fields. When the site is developed, all access roads should be paved; they must be capable of taking heavy "semi" truck and tractor traffic in all kinds of weather. Parking areas must be evaluated and particular attention given to pedestrian and vehicle traffic flows. While considering connecting points (entries and exits) to existing road systems, the development team should solicit input from the local community.
Administrative Site
The administrative site includes administrative offices; storage areas for equipment, trees, seed, pesticides, other chemicals, and fuels; shops; a fuel-dispensing station; an employee center; and processing facilities. The type, number, and location of required buildings can be determined with the team approach. Other administrative development could include employee-enrichment areas (in the form of parklike surroundings), holding areas for irrigation water or soil amendments, a culled-plant disposal area, and an area for holding scrap material and used equipment until sale is possible (potential aesthetic conflicts with neighbors may arise in this last case).
Although possible future expansion must always be kept in mind, the administrative complex must optimize the use of space to avoid being spread out. The results of poor or inadequate planning can cause the manager and staff considerable anxiety in future years.
The Master Plan
Once agreement has been reached on placement of all structures and development begins, a master plan—a dynamic tool—must be made to document the team decision. Once the development team has disbanded, this plan will stand as an illustrated document of site layout, indicating growing areas, roads, buildings, outdoor storage areas, reservoirs, streams, fences, neighbors, possible expansion areas for buildings, and other site development. The master plan is not cast in concrete and should be updated as management needs change.
Development Program
To properly develop a site, an action plan must be prepared. One approach is to construct a critical-path chart that shows events and operations on a timeline (Figure 6.1.4). Tree-production scheduling must be coordinated with site development. Structures that are needed first must be built first.
Throughout nursery development, the action plan is continuously reviewed—by an individual, a team, or a contractor—and revised, as needed. Critical factors that may have been overlooked initially are identified and incorporated. It is important for everything to be viewed objectively and in proper perspective.
Budgeting and Accountability
Budgeting is critical and must have highest priority in the development process. Budgets should be planned 2 to 3 years in advance to ensure that funding, people, and facilities will be available when needed. The budget and the action plan must be developed together. If shortages of funds or people are anticipated, construction may have to be delayed or other alternatives sought.
The process of "fixing accountability" identifies objectives and action steps (Morrisey, 1976), as well as the individuals responsible for their accomplishment in the outlined time frames. Responsibilities must be reasonable, however, and should be adjusted if necessary to ensure that the work can realistically be completed.
Dig Deeper
"Nursery-Site Selection, Layout, and Development" by F.E. Morby, USDA Forest Service is in the Public Domain
"Layout and Design Considerations for a Wholesale Container Nursery" by T.H. Yeager & D.L. Ingram, University of Florida IFAS Extension. Copyright © University of Florida IFAS Extension. Used with permission.
Attribution and References
Attribution
Lesson modified from "Nursery-Site Selection, Layout, and Development" by F.E. Morby, USDA Forest Service is in the Public Domain
Title image "20150515-NRCS-LSC-0923" by USDAgov is licensed under CC PDM 1.0
References
Acquaah, G. (2009). Horticulture principles and practices (Fourth edition). Pearson Education, Inc.
Aldhous, J. R. (1972). Nursery practice. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Forestry Commun. Bull. 43. 184 p.
Chavasse, C. G. R. (1980). The means to excellence through plantation establishment: the New Zealand experience. Pages 119- 139 in Proc., Forest plantations, the shape of the future. Weyerhaeuser Science symposium, April 30-May 3, 1979. Weyerhaeuser Co., Tacoma, Washington.
Fulcher, A. & Fernandez, T. (2013). Sustainable nursery irrigation management series: Part III. Strategies to manage nursery runoff. University of Tennessee Extension. Retrieved June 2021 from, https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W280.pdf
Krugman, S. L., and E. C. Stone. (1966). The effect of cold nights on the root-generating potential of ponderosa pine seedlings. Forest Science. 12:451-459.
Kepner-Tregoe. Inc. (1973). Problem analysis and decision making. Princeton Research Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 99 p.
McMahon, M. (2020). Plant science: Growth, development, and utilization of cultivated plants (Sixth edition). Pearson Education, Inc.
Morby, F.E. (1984). Nursery-site selection, layout, and development. Forest nursery manual: Production of bareroot seedlings. Retrieved June 2021 from https://rngr.net/publications/nursery-manuals/fnm/Chapter%202
Morrisey, G. L. (1976). Management by objectives and results in the public sector. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Reading, Massachusetts. 278 p.
Raulston, J.C. & Tripp, K.E. (1994). Exploring the complexities of plant hardiness. Arnolida, 54(3): 22-31.
Van den Driessche, R. (1969). Forest nursery handbook. B. C. Forest Service. Victoria. Res. Note 48. 44 p.
Wilde, S. A. (1958). Forest soils - Their properties and relation to silviculture. Ronald Press, New York. 537 p.