The Nursery · April 28, 2026
The Seasonal Routine of a Plant Nursery
What we're actually doing, month by month
The Seasonal Routine of a Plant Nursery
People think nursery work is just "sell plants." But every month has a completely different set of tasks. Spring is chaos. Summer is maintenance and management. Fall is cleanup and planning. Winter is thinking and infrastructure repair. Here's what we actually do.
Spring (March–May): The Madness
March
Soil prep. We amend beds that overwinterd with compost, aged manure, sulfur (for pH). Seed starting ramps up—vegetables and annuals under lights indoors. Pruning old plants. First frost risk is still real; frost cloth stays handy.
April
The trucks arrive. Weekly shipments of perennials, shrubs, annuals from growers. We receive, pot up, hardening off seedlings outdoors. Watering 3–4 times daily in warm stretches. Pricing, staging, display setup.
May
Peak sales begin after Mother's Day. Plants are everywhere. Customers are constant. We're managing inventory by moving stock, pulling plants that didn't sell, watering non-stop. Transplanting into larger pots as needed.
Summer (June–August): Maintenance and Money
June
Still busy with spring overflow. We're now watering 4–5 times daily in heat. Deadheading spent flowers. Pest management (aphids, mites) starts in earnest. Shade cloth going up in full-sun sections.
July
Heat is the enemy. Watering 5+ times daily for sensitive plants. Fertilizing to push growth before heat stress. Deadheading is constant work—keeps plants looking good, encourages blooms. Some plants are dying despite everything; we pull them.
August
Still hot, but customers are fewer (vacation season). We're preparing for fall. Fall plants arriving (mums, ornamental grasses). Clearing summer annuals that are done. Pruning back overgrown plants.
Fall (September–November): Transition and Cleanup
September
Fall color arriving. Mums, asters, grasses, perennials for autumn planting. Watering needs drop—mornings are cool. We're pruning back summer plants, cleaning up dead material. Selling off remaining summer inventory at discount.
October
Prime planting season for fall and spring bloomers. Perennials, shrubs moving well. We're spreading compost, preparing beds for winter. First frost looms; frost protection is ready. Fall cleanup intensifies—leaves, dead annuals.
November
Frost has hit. Sales slow. We're moving vulnerable plants under cover. Fall inventory is largely gone. Focus shifts to infrastructure: repairing irrigation, cleaning tools, winterizing systems. Mulching beds.
Winter (December–February): Rest and Repair
December
Holiday sales (small; mostly gift arrangements). Nursery is quiet. We're repairing equipment, maintaining irrigation lines, planning next year's inventory based on sales data. Reviewing what sold, what didn't, what to try differently.
January
Cold is here; watering is minimal. Snow protects some plants. We're doing deep cleaning of greenhouse and potting areas. Ordering seeds and plants for spring. Training and planning with the team. Maintenance work on structures.
February
Inventory still minimal. We're prepping propagation equipment. Early seed-starting begins indoors. Soil and compost orders placed for March delivery. Last real chance to repair/upgrade before spring rush.
A nursery isn't a shop that sells plants. It's a place that grows, tends, and moves plants through seasons. Every month is a completely different job.
