When the soil starts to warm and plants begin unfurling their sleepy leaves, spring is just around the corner. And we’re busy as bees in summer. We caught up with Duane Huss, Loma Vista Nursery’s operations manager, for a behind-the-scenes look at February’s activities.
With spring a handful of weeks ahead, Duane Huss, operations manager, reviews processes and procedures for the coming growing season.
Duane, what projects and tasks do we have happening on the nursery this month?
Quite a lot! We’ve begun cutting holes in the plastic of our hoop houses, which lets in natural sunlight and facilitates ventilation. We’ve finished seeding and we’ve started planting our unrooted cuttings.
Cutting holes in our hoop house coverings facilitates ventilation.
Pruning is also underway and this is a great time to prune later-blooming shrubs and trees. Our team is pruning tender material, like hydrangea macrophylla and buddleia, and we’re finishing up our perennials. We’re also cutting back hydrangea tree forms to make new trees. And we’ve begun fertilizing and uncovering junipers. It’s an exciting time as we head into the growing season.
With warmer temperatures throughout the Midwest, come early shipments from Loma Vista Nursery.
What are some of the tasks you do as operations manager?
Part of my responsibilities as a team leader is to keep everyone on task and informed about the order of things. Like, when we should begin de-winterizing plant material and lining up when our purchased plant liners are coming in.
A little sunshine plus a little warmth equals plants ready to begin a season of new growth.
It’s also my job to make sure all our safety procedures and processes are in place and that our equipment is ready to go. This includes ensuring that our H2A housing is ready for seasonal staff. I’ve also begun assigning their working areas for the spring rush.
February finds us taking a good look at our inventory, along with ordering and receiving shipping material.
Early spring is the prime shipping season for Loma Vista Nursery. What preparations are we making for March, Duane?
We’re busy ordering and receiving shipping material. Again, we’re giving all our shipping equipment a thorough check-up to be sure it’s in good working order.
Easy Elegance® Paint the Town Rose (Rosa ‘BAItown’) is showing gentle new growth.
We’re tagging product for the spring rush and I’m having seasonal meetings with staff on processes and procedures for the weeks ahead. All-in-all, this is one of our busiest times of year on the nursery. Watching everything come back to life after the winter season is also one of the most exciting and rewarding.
We are taking professional trade orders for the spring 2024 growing season. Click here for our container order form. Click here for our in-ground tree order form. Visit our plant catalog for more information about Loma Vista Nursery grown perennial plants, trees and shrubs – all ideal for Midwest landscapes.
Learn More About the Loma Vista Nursery Family and Our Landscape Plants
Loma Vista Nursery grows fun and healthy plants for Midwest independent garden centers, landscape contractors and wholesale distributors. Review our website to learn about our values and best-practices as a Midwest plant grower.
Our staff members are experts in the field who love helping people learn and understand more about plants. To get help with your orders and answers to plant-related questions, send an email to sales@lomavistanursery.com or call (785) 229-7200.
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