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Nursery Management is an introduction to setting up and running profitable and efficient nursery businesses, covering production, wholesale and retail nurseries at various scales of operation.
The book covers all the practical aspects of nursery management from site selection, production systems, plant propagation, and materials and equipment, through to financial management, administration and marketing. Conventional as well as non-chemical biological control measures for pests, weeds and disease control are included.
It brings the reader up-to-date with the major changes that have taken place in the nursery industry, particularly the roles that landscapers, gardener centres and hardware stores now play in retailing.
This is essential reading for anyone in the nursery industry, for those either entering it as an employee, or considering starting a nursery business.
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Nursery Industry
The industry
Professional organisations
Nursery accreditation
Types of nurseries
What to grow
How to grow
Nursery standards
Starting out as a nursery producer
Assessing opportunities
Trends in the retail nursery/garden centre industry
Chapter 2 The Nursery Site
Area of the nursery site
Nursery site and location
Nursery design
Designing for effective environmental management
Chapter 3 Propagation
Sexual propagation
Asexual propagation
Propagation efficiency
Practical exercise
Chapter 4 Potting and Transplanting
Transplanting
Potting up plants
Growing on
In-ground production
Chapter 5 Selecting and Managing Nursery Stock
Considering your stock options
Criteria for selecting plants
Developing a nursery stock list – an example
Nursery stocklist worksheet
Stock plants for production/propagation nurseries
Propagation material
Quarantine issues when selecting stock
Environmental weeds and plant selection
Managing plants in retail nurseries
Exercise: nursery inspection sheet
Holding stock
Plant modification
Making flowers out of season
Using light to modify plant growth
Examples of flowering control
Chapter 6 Plant Breeding and Ownership
Genetic improvement of plants
Plant reproduction
Genetic variations
Male sterility
Genetics versus environment
Monohybrid and dihybrid crosses
Quantitative traits
Plant breeding programs
Hybrid seed production – an outline
Hybridising techniques
Micropropagation
Plant breeders’ rights/plants varieties rights and trademarks
Chapter 7 Pest and Disease Management
Integrated pest management
Identifying the problem
Resistant plants
Hygiene
Cultural controls
Quarantine
Physical controls
Biological controls
Chemical controls
Minimising chemical use
Types of chemicals
A review of chemicals
Ways of applying chemicals
Weed control
Some chemicals and their modes of action
Noxious weeds
Using chemicals
Safe use of weed killers
Chapter 8 Growing Media
Understanding soils
Soil testing and sampling
Improving soils
Potting mixes
Propagation media
The nutrient elements
Nutrition management
Chapter 9 Nursery Materials and Equipment
Containers
Labels
Stakes, trellises and trainers
Mulches
Nursery tools and equipment
Using tools
Hand tools
Hand saws
Machinery
Stages in each stroke of an engine
Drones
Robotics
Chapter 10 Irrigation
Water supply
Water quality
Water treatment
Recycling water
Irrigation systems
Pumps
Scheduling irrigation
Maintenance of watering systems
Chapter 11 Glasshouses, Shade houses and other
Nursery structures
Greenhouses
Other structures for growing plants
Environmental control in greenhouses
Sheds and workrooms
Chapter 12 Management
Operational flow charts
Human resource management
Examples of nursery job descriptions and advertisements
Work scheduling
Motivating employees
Training staff
Horticultural education
Styles of supervision
Safety and illness at work
Managing facilities
Productivity
Managing money
Practical exercise
Cash flow
Financial statements
Record keeping
Computers in the nursery
Business planning
Chapter 13 Marketing
Marketing nurseries
The marketing mix
Choosing a plant variety to sell
Product case study: marketing cut flowers
Promotions and advertising
Packaging
Transport and distribution
Sales
After sales service
Market research
Marketing budget
Legal implications of marketing
Glossary
Metric/imperial conversion table
Further reading and study
More ebooks available
Courses available
369 Pages