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This area, a triangle portion, located at the far corner of the site, is designated for the processing of nursery stock arriving at the store. It is close to the drop and storage points of arriving inventory where all equipment is stored and handy for this process. Bulk soils for potting and re-potting are located here, the empty pot storage is here, as well as the machinery necessary for making bags of potting soil for customers. A portable processing shack is positioned in this area during all the early season. The refuse dumpsters for the store are located in this area for easy cleanup. Pallets are used extensively in this processing. The pallet storage area is located very near this site
The bark shack #M is located at this area for processing signs, holding tools, and other business activities related to this work. It is powered and equipped like all the other similar shacks at the sites.
S1. Storage of new and used pots for in store potting and re-potting
S2. Storage are for broken bags of retail products used for potting and re-potting
S3. Storage for bags of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite etc used for processing
S4. Bin for specially mixed potting soils for processing
S5. Bin for specially mixed potting soils for processing
S6. Mixing bin for producing mixed potting soils
S7. Dumpsters and cardboard recycling bins for the store
S8. Used pots to be transported off site and re-cycled
S9. Storage of re-usable and discarded pallets
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Checklist For Nursery Stock Processing
Physical plan and procedures
Physical Plan
Why is it located in this area of the site?
First, it is the best use of this area, not really handy for customer traffic. We are able to run equipment and make noise and get dirty and not disturb our customers. Second, it is near all the unloading action and all the materials needed for processing.
What is located in this section?
The forklifts, pallets, pots, soils, hand tools, and large equipment needed for producing our own soils.
What happens in this section?
All nursery stock that is in need of extra processing comes to this area; damaged plants, plants for re-potting or “dolling up”, all plants slated for discard to see if they can be redeemed in any way and plants that come in bare root and need to be potted. They will also be repriced and re-tagged on this site after they have been processed.
Procedures
Who decides what is to be re-processed and how it is to be done?
The nursery section leader is on the unloading and processing site regularly when plants arrive. He or she is also the “gatekeeper” to determine what needs to be done with all dead and damaged plants. He or she directs what plants need to be potted, the pot sizes, pruning and shaping needed, the kind of soil to be used, what fertilizer to apply or chemicals to be used in the case of insects or diseases and any extra care in handling the plants during the processing.
What kinds of plants are moved here for processing or re-processing?
Generally all woody nursery stock. Trees, shrubs, evergreens, vines, roses, etc. We will process perennials in one gallon containers and larger. The soft plants, bedding plants, for example are not processed in this area.
How are you efficient and labor saving in this section?
We have seen a lot of garden stores that absolutely break the backs of their employees and take tremendous time and effort in this process. We have observed efficient operations and continue to improve upon our procedure.
First, all of this work is done with pallets and equipment. This stuff is just too heavy to be lifting and carrying and lifting again. Roses are a good example. They are potted and placed on pallets and the pallet is placed on a trailer and golf cart for transport to the customer display area. Second, we have observed other garden stores and have copied their practices in the potting of large ball and burlapped evergreens.
When we need to pot large balled and burlapped evergreens and trees, we eliminated the lifting as much as possible. We place several pots on a pallet and used a bobcat and bucket to drop a small load of soil on the bottoms of the pots. Then we either move a load of palletted evergreens even with the pots and slide them off the pallet into the pots. In the case of large trees, we sling and lower the tree into the pot. (see diagram in entry #96). After the evergreen or tree has been positioned, we then use a bobcat and bucket to drop soil into the pots. Any soil that misses the pots is re-scooped and used again. We tamp in the soil and forklift the entire pallet out of the way for re-tagging, watering in, straightened in the pots and grooming. We just do not have back injuries with this system and it works like a charm”
Garden store owner
Do you use plastic or pulp pots for this operation?
We use both. However, we seek and receive a lot of large re-cycled heavy duty plastic pots. Our goal is to buy no pots. Pulp pots are good but we find that the bottoms rot very fast and they are difficult to reuse. When we buy pots, we buy both inexpensive “blow mold” pots and the the heavy duty plastic kinds. Of course, the huge pots have to be built sturdy to handle the strain of the plants pushing against them. We do not buy pulp pots.
Is water available for this area?
Oh yes, water is critical for this processing.
Who is in charge of this processing section?
The receiving section leader has overall responsibility in consultation with the nursery section leader. He or she is responsible for scheduling, maintaining, and production of this area.
What happens to the plants that are still viable but not saleable at this time?
After the nursery section leader decides they still have value, They are re-processed and groomed and tagged with a first aid designation. They are placed in a first aid section designed in area #U opposite the bark bins. There is adequate metered irrigation in this site. The nursery section leader then makes the call when they should be placed back into customer display or discarded.
I see that you use broken bags of retail products in this processing?
Yes, we do. We use everything that is possible that will benefit the processing of plants, bark bags, peat moss. perlite, vermiculite, sand, gypsum, lime, some kinds of fertilizers and off the shelf chemicals for insects and diseases we have to treat.
We just do not throw any of these products away if they can be of some use. We store and protect these broken or damaged bags near the processing site and mix them into our potting blends as needed.
Are there bathroom facilities in this area?
Yes, we have installed several sani-can portable toilets for the employees in this area a short distance from this processing section.
There is a lot of debris generated from this operation. Are the dumpsters located nearby?
Yes, the dumpsters are very close and can be moved closer to the section if intensive debris discarding is taking place
Can the employees’ process plants in bad weather, snow and rain?
We have purchased and installed some portable “car port” supports and covers for bad weather and excessive sun. They can be easily moved with a forklift when not needed.
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