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Our Growing Process

Our Growing Process

Greenhouse at Stonehouse Nursery

Our Growing Process

We’ve always been in the roots business and shortcuts have never been part of our process. Our primary mission is to craft the finest perennial plugs to give our customers the foundation they need to grow premium quality finished plants. We do so while treading softly on the earth and following Mother Nature’s example. We live and work on this land, and we want our local environment to remain healthy for generations to come.

Soil

We start by using the most productive growing media for our perennials, paying close attention to its ingredients and how our young plants are first potted. Taking care not to compact the media, a balanced flow of water and oxygen encourages strong root growth.

Food

Each plug we grow begins its life by receiving a micronutrient package followed by a customized fertilization program to suit each perennial’s unique needs. We are careful on our timing of feedings, taking care to lighten them as the season progresses. This allows the plants to go naturally dormant for winter.

Health

For over twenty years, beneficial insects and biologicals have been our first line of defense for combating pests in our greenhouses. Our farm is, and always has been, free of neonicotinoids. Our integrated pest management system helps catch many issues before they progress. And our facilities meet quarantine standards for Japanese beetles, allowing us to ship year-round to customers with this restriction.

Vernalization

Since we plant our stock in summer and allow nature time to do her business, we can deliver heavily rooted, bulked up, vernalized PowerPlugs to our customers every spring. The extra growing time on our end ensures the plugs will take off at lightning speed for our customers who are looking for quick turns. We ship PowerPlugs year-round and nearly all of our winter and spring shipments are vernalized. Learn more about vernalization here.

Vernalized perennial plugs

PowerPlugs™

Our PowerPlugs are a vibrant mass of stored energy ready to fill your pots quickly and fully. Their heavy crowns with multiple growing points form impressive tops while the primary roots dive deep into the heart of the finished containers. These solid roots and crowns are an integral part of our customers’ success. Read more about our PowerPlugs and the sizes we offer here.

Consistency

We constantly monitor the growth of our crops, sorting and grading as they grow. Each plug is inspected before it is shipped, ensuring consistent crops with even finish times at your facility. Most of our employees have worked with us for many years and understand the intricacies of our crops.

Inspecting and sorting perennial plugs

Every grower, including us, wants to push their crops out as efficiently as possible. We know that strongly rooted crops with heavy crowns are the foundation to their success, and we work every day to provide that for all of our customers, old and new, big and small, whether you’re located in the next town, across the country, or one of our friendly neighbors to the North.