Plant nurseries?

Question

What do HUGE nurseries do with their stock? Green houses? They can't leave everything outside, esp. during the winter where is snows/frosts, etc. Do you know?

Answer 1

They use hoop houses to overwinter their plant stock. A basic hoop house is built over a gravel base. Wooden boards define the perimeter and provide protection from animals. Steel hoops are placed every 3-4' and the hoops are covered with sheet plastic. For more sensitive plants, double sheeting may be used with an air blower to inflate/maintain a layer of air between the two sheets. Gas heaters/blowers may be placed at either end of the hoop houses to maintain temps. Plants are placed densely on the gravel base side by side with a center aisle that runs the length of the hoop house. Mouse traps are set and the doors are locked. Hoop houses are checked periodically during the winter. On warm winter days, the doors may be open to prevent plants from getting too warm and budding out. Hoop house are sometimes outfitted with overheat sprinklers to maintain moisture levels in the pots.

Here is a pict of a hoop house loaded for winter: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sillydog/5335340/

Here is pict of a hoop house from outside: http://www.ccia-net.com/images/Includeimages/Hoop-House-2.jpg

Answer 2

Seasonal plants are ordered by expected sales and any left are sold at reduced prices. However mostly numbers run short rather than long. That is the plant buyers job. For burlap balled shrubs or trees they are mulched in for the winter. The major nurseries have large unheated greenhouses for winter plant stocks. Several in this area switch to selling home decor or Christmas seasonal gear.

Answer 3

If they are smart they don't order surplus to have to 'winter over' too much stock, and the remainder they can usually keep in a small greenhouse. The larger companies (home Depot etc..) will ship them to a warmer climate at times where they can continue selling them.