Sawyer Nursery uses a variety of products and methods to culture our products. Every effort is made to put quality first. We work towards continuously improving our methods through research and discovery.
Propagation
Division: Field grown plants are divided and put into a cooler for bare-root sales or container needs.
Seed: The seeds are sown and placed into a germination chamber. They are then finished on rolling benches in the greehouses.
Cuttings: Stock plants are forced in early December for plant material. We now purchase most of our cuts.
Cultural Methods
Media
Containers: Sungrow 650 Renewed Earth
Irrigation
Greenhouse: Perfect Rain Automated Computer System, ground sprinkling systems, and two boom systems (GTI and Growing Systems, Inc)
Coldframes: Overhead Hunter and Rainbird heads
Fertility
Plugs: Liquid feed (Anderson injectors) single element feed as needed
Container: Time-release fertilizer; plants are supplemented with a liquid fertilizer as needed
Weed Control
Mainly physical, but a preventative application of pre-emergent herbicide is applied to the floor beds of the coldframes before plant material is put down.
Insect & Disease Control
Preventative programs for Rusts, Mildews, Botrytis & Phythium, Mites, and Aphids. Additional control measures are implemented as needed.
Overwintering
Plants are trimmed back in the fall, grouped together, and covered with a white cloth for better heat retention. The coldframes are also covered with two layers of poly, clear or white.
Temperature & Light Controls
Two-thirds of our production square-footage have Modine heaters for supplemental heat to provide for early spring sales. In the greenhouses, we use an environmental computer control system that tracks humidity and temperature. Artificial light is provided on an as-needed basis with HID lights (PNL Lighting).
Growth Regulators
Plant growth regulators are applied as needed to reduce plant height and improve overall quality.
Shade
Shade cloth is used on both the greenhouses and coldframes during summer months.