Farm #0028

About

Operation Type: Tree & Hedge-plant Nursery

Total Area: 50 acres

Ownership: Partnership

Certifications: Plant Healthy, Woodland Trust Accredited

Summary

Specialise in bare root tree and hedging production, producing over 4.5 million plants annually on site and sub - contract grown. The nursery grows from seedbeds and operates an intensive, scalable planting and harvesting system, with clear interest in automation, mildew control, and sustainable practices.

Currant Opperations Overview

Production Cycle Seed raised in spring → transplanting → harvesting Nov–Mar (1–2 year cycle)

Propagation From seed & transplanting

Row Widths: 1m (5 rows of trees per travel row)

Planting Equipment: 5-row seeder (Egedral), 1x planter for propagation

Irrigation: Hose reel, sprinkler system

Fertilisation Foliar: calcium nitrate, every 2 weeks via 18m sprayer

Sprayers: 8m & 18m boom sprayers

Weed Control: Manual weeding, some inter-row spraying

Harvesting: Elco 5-row & 1-row bare root harvesters

Machinery Fleet: 2x harvesters, 2x tractors, 1x boom sprayer, 3x bed formers

Labour: 5 full-time + 25 seasonal

Crop Profile & Output

Species/Types Grown: ~30

Propagation Time to Dispatch: 1–2 years

Average Row Length: Variable

Annual output: 4.5 million plants Harvest Season Nov – March

Storage: Yes (not specified)

Key Challenges & Innovation Priorities

Challenges

• Labour shortages,

• extreme weather,

• mildew pressure

Opportunities

• Automation in weeding & grading,

• Mildew prevention (UV),

• AI disease detection,

• Data & Monitoring using remote sensors,

• Digital traceability & crop planning systems,

• Sustainable biological treatments

The grower has an Interest in biological inputs, vertical farming, freezing tech (plant preservation when transplanting)

Technology & Innovation

Current Tools Details

Digital Systems: Grow master

Automation in Use: None currently

Autonomy blocks: changes each year due to crop rotation