Do you have employees that are new to nursery production? Have you been producing trees and shrubs for many years but are looking to pick up tips from others in order to improve your business?

Michigan State University Extension will be hosting a summer nursery tour on Aug. 7, 2019. Participants will tour local west Michigan nurseries using field-grown, container-grown and pot-in-pot production systems. Participants will learn about the diversity of nursery businesses in west Michigan, growing markets, weed, insect, and disease management strategies.

7:45 a.m.: Refreshments at KP Tree and Nursery

8:15 – 9:15 a.m.: Tour of KP Tree and Nursery, LLC

9350 Fillmore St. Zeeland MI

Hosts: Ken and Andrew Prince

KP Tree and Nursery is a 500-acre retail and whole production nursery. KP Tree and Nursery produces balled and burlap (B&B) trees, potted trees, Christmas trees, and wreaths. They offer U-Cut and Pre-Cut Christmas trees at their Zeeland farm retail location and Pre-Cut trees at their tree lot in Jenison.

9:15-9:30 a.m.: Travel on your own (7 minutes travel time)

9:30-10:30 a.m.: Tour of Propagation at Northland Farms, LLC

11161 120th Avenue West Olive, MI 49460 (Propagation nursery is on the east side of the road accessible through the entrance of 120^thSt.)
Hosts: Jim Emery and Curtis Dale

Northland Farms grows a wide variety of perennials, herbaceous perennials, ornamental grasses and container-grown trees. The 310-acre nursery includes propagation, hoop house container production, and pot-in-pot tree production. Participants will have a tour of the propagation area of the nursery and the main emphasis of the discussion will be on weed management strategy in the field, in perennial crops, and also in non-crop areas between the hoop houses. Participants will also tour the new chemical storage and fill station at the propagation nursery.

10:30-10:50 a.m.: Travel on your own (11 minutes travel time)

10:50 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Tour of Hortech, LLC

Host: Chris Howe

Hortech Inc. is a wholesale nursery producing, perennials, ground covers, vines, ferns, ornamental grasses, and succulents. They have 5.5 acres of container-grown perennials in greenhouses, 5 acres of container-grown perennials outdoors, and 50 acres of field-grown nursery stock which includes sedums and sempervivums. Their plant brand is “Grown Earth Friendly” representing their biological control, organic, and sustainable practices. In addition to container-grown perennials, they produce and install green roofs and walls within their businesses LiveRoof and LiveWall. Chris Howe, Assistant General Manager, will lead participants on a tour of the facilities and talk about the business and their production practices. Then Dan Busby, MAEAP Verification Specialist, will discuss the MAEAP program, common things that nursery producers need to consider in order to become verified, and the benefits of the voluntary, non-regulatory program.

12 p.m.: Adjourn

Cost: Free

Registration is limited to the first 50 registrants.