105 



recognized as part of agriculture and appropriately reflected in 

 the eligibility criteria and overall administration of USDA's 

 disaster assistance programs. 



NURSERY CROP PRODUCTION 



Nursery crop production is a unique segment of agriculture, but 

 it is agriculture nonetheless. Unlike farming operations of many 

 of the "major" commodities, most nursery crops are not harvested 

 in the same year in which they are planted. Moreover, although 

 they may be planted at the same time, not all such nursery crops 

 are then harvested at the same time. 



As with other agricultural crops, nursery stock is generally 

 planted in rows — either in the ground or in containers — and 

 is cultivated by farm equipment similarly used by other farmers. 

 Most nursery farms grow hundreds of different varieties of plant 

 species which often require individual attention, so the labor 

 activity can be more intensive than other agricultural crops. 



As an example of the unique nature of growing nursery plants, 

 let's examine the production of ornamental evergreen trees. Some 

 types of evergreens are first propagated from cuttings in a 

 greenhouse. Others are propagated from seed. After several 

 months in the greenhouse, the rooted cuttings (some of which may 

 be sold to other nursery farms) are planted in beds, usually for 

 two more years. These three-year old cuttings (some of which 

 again may be sold to other nursery farms) are then transplanted 

 in fields or in other containers and cultivated for as many as 

 four or five additional years until the trees begin reaching 

 various marketable sizes. As other examples, rhododendrens may 

 be grown for four to six years or more before they reach 

 marketable sizes, and landscape specimen shade trees may be grown 

 for ten years or more. 



Seldom does a nursery farmer sell an entire "crop" in any given 

 year. For example, evergreens planted in the field at the same 

 time will not contain trees of uniform size. This is due, in 

 part, to each plant's individual rate of growth, or perhaps to 

 variations in soil quality in different parts of the field. As a 

 result, when a nursery grower receives an order from a retail 

 garden center or a landscape firm for ornamental evergreens of a 

 given size, the order may be filled out of several fields of 

 trees of varying ages. 



As with other agricultural commodities, nursery crops are subject 

 to insects, pests, and diseases. Unlike most other agricultural 

 crops, nursery plants are often shipped with soil attached. 

 Since soil increases the likelihood of harboring pests, a variety 



