How large scale is this nursery that you are planning??
I know some of the people on this forum are involved in growing grasses for sale. Some small & large nursery people, at least one landscaper. I am at the small end of the scale. Working from my home, I have an 'Ornamental Grass Open House' in the fall aimed towards taking orders for spring pickup. I don't fall in any nursery catagory but I do grow multiple grasses for sale.

So, my answer is; why not ask some of your questions here?? We might all learn something.
A.

Absolutely...start asking! I'll be particularly interested in the answers, because I'm on the verge of starting a web-based OG mini-business, selling grasses for maritime climates.

Microsoft is coming out of beta on Office Live, and offers quite a nice service, including registering web domains and hosting sites, for free. I signed up a week ago, and am starting to put together both the site, and a business plan.

Check it out at the link below.

There's nothing there except the shell, but it's a start, and something other than winter sowing to keep me occupied during the cold months.

Here is a link that might be useful: CoastalGrasses

Well, here's a list of my top-7 questions, to start with:

1. In zone 8, would you grow OGs in a glass house or outdoors?
2. What are the proÂs and conÂs of propagation by seed (instead of by division)?
3. What precautions do you have to take against weeds or diseases?
4. Is it better to grow OGÂs in containers or in nursery beds?
5. What is the best soil to grow OGÂs in?
6. How old does the plant have to be before it can be divided?
7. What about fertilization? Can you really do without?

Maybe, some of you can add their own questions, but more importantly, what we're all interested in are The Answers.

And Donn, I really like the way your site looks so far. I'd buy my OG's from a business like that.

Ron

Interesting...
I just received an issue of the English Garden magazine & Neil Lucas in the UK was featured. He is a specialist nurseryman..of Ornamental Grasses.
Knoll Gardens web site is
http://www.knollgardens.co.uk/
Perhaps an inquiry to him would answer many questions?
I would think you are in a similar growing Zones.
It states the gardens are open February to mid December.
Tel: +44 (O)1202 873931
Sharon

Ron,
I will try to give you a scetch of my OG background and then you can decide how my experiences apply to your situation.
I have worked at a small nursery that specialized in growing ornamental grasses. Small meaning 5 plastic covered hoop houses ( my irish friend calls these tunnels) and one heated greenhouse. For the past 10 years (on and off) I have sold grasses from my home. We are talking fairly small scale. Not wanting to be tied to a full time nursery I hold an ornamental grass open house in the fall. People come and look at all the full grown grasses (well labelled) and if they wish, put in an order to be picked up (and paid for) in the spring. I took this idea from several small lily nurseriers in our area. I make an inventory list showing what I will have available in the spring and work from that. All the grasses in the garden are not available every year it just works out that way. Now, before any of you ask .. Surprisingly most people are happy to order from me and wait until the spring for their plants. In zone 5 they wouldnt gain much by planting in the fall anyway. AND . Also surprising, although I dont collect their money until they have picked up the plants I have very few orders (or none) that are not picked up in the spring.
My grasses are grown in raised beds in the ground and are only potted for sale (this is done at least 6 weeks before selling so that the grasses have had a chance to root out into the potting mix.
On to your questions (remember I am talking from my zone 5 experience where winter temperatures go as low as -20C)
1. growing in glass house vs outdoors
Glass house
- allows you to have plants with a headstart on the season.
- good for starting plants from seed in winter & early spring
- allow you to grow/keep tender grasses such as Pennisetum rubrum
- higher costs
- higher maintenance ie, watering and pest control
Outdoors
- late start on the season
- weeding required
- less time spent watering
- less pest problems
- divisions cant be made until the ground thaws
So.. I think that there is definitely an argument to have both depending on the size, scope & timing of your planned nursery.

2. Propagation by division vs. by seed
By seed:
- only a few cultivars that are actually seed strains and therefore that can be propagated by seed.
- some species produce very little viable see
- some species are slow to bulk up (eg, Achnatherum spp. & Sesleria spp.)
- variation in size & shape (eg Pennisetum alopecuroides)
- good for short lived species (NZ sedges, Stipa tennuissima, etc.)
Division
- only reliable (responsible) way to propagate most OG cultivars.
- bulk up fairly quickly from this method
- must be done early in the season while grasses are actively growing but still small (warm season grasses)
Again .. there is a place for both methods in a grass nursery. You can however get away with just propagating by division.

3. Precautions to take against weeds and diseases
Generally, I can say that I am VERY anal about any new plants that I bring onto my property. I always remove any potting soil and wash the roots. Even with that I now have an outbreak of that ugly little pop weed and it makes me crazy.
- growing under glass would negate many of the weed problems but increase problems with insects and diseases that is a whole subject in itself and Im not going there
- outdoors the best precaution you can take is to keep your grasses (nursery stock) from going to seed. I always cut mine back after they have flowered. It is very easy to identify and remove a broad-leafed weed but VERY difficult to identify a volunteer grass seedling that has sown into the crown of another grass (unless your are very good with your identification)
- I mulch my grasses with organic matter to reduce weeds and to reduce water loss

I have run out of steam AND time BUT if you find any of this helpful I would be happy to tackle the other questions later today or tomorrow.

Can you give us an idea of the scale of nursery that you might be planning??
later,
a.

Thanks a lot Achnatherum for answering my questions in such a superb and exhaustive manner. This is really a huge help! Exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I'd appreciate it very much if you'd be willing to answer the remaining questions as well (as soon as you have the time and energy to do so).
As for the scale of my plans: I'm not sure yet. It all depends on the investment and the money needed to get started. Maybe it would be wise not to be too ambitious in the beginning and slowly expand the business as I'm getting more experienced.

Again, this was really a great help and I'm sure many of us OG lovers are looking forward to your opinions on the remaining issues.

Ron

I always remove any potting soil and wash the roots.

A., that sounds really interesting to me, although I don't absolutely intend to start a grass nursery.
I never know what to do on that matter. I've always been afraid that removing the potting soil the plant would die. So I usually choose half way between removing all the soil and planting the grass (or perennial) as it comes from the nursery. I have to admit that in that way I introduced several new weeds and critters (expecially slugs and snails) into my yard.

So do you say say that it is better (and SAFER) to place only the naked roots into the ground?
Thanks!

Ron, more wordy answers to come ...

Alchemilla,
I have re-read what i said & what you wrote. Hmmmm.....
I have 'always' removed the top layer of soil in a purchased plant pot to remove any obvious weeds and weed seeds.
However, like you I have been seeing more slugs & their eggs in the pots lately. And, I often buy plants on sale in the fall. My soil is almost pure sand & if I don't remove as much soil as possible I find that my newly purchased plants pop out of the soil like a cork in the spring freeze & thaws that we have here.
I gently pry/shake off as much soil as possible and if the roots look like they can stand it, I give them a gentle spray to remove much more. LOTS of people put their plants in the ground without removing any of the potting soil but, for my money they usually do better without it.

Back again!
4. Growing grasses in pots or in nursery beds
In pots
- inventory available for sale all season long
- dries out quickly needs to be watered more regularly than in nursery beds
- unsold stock would have to be repotted every year grasses quickly outgrow their pots.
- potted grasses must be protected over the winter in zone 5
- additional fertilizer needed?
In nursery beds
- growth seems to be more vigorous
- doesnt require watering as often
- need a fertile plot of land
- has to be weeded more often
For my needs growing grasses in nursery beds is a much better solution. I am not as tied to my stock and can leave it for longer periods of time during the growing season. BUT this works for me because I only sell grasses at one time of the year. Once again, as in above points, combining both methods might be the best solution.

5. Best soil to grow OGs in
I have very mixed soil on my property. The really sandy soil is challenging for all but the toughest grasses. Patches with more clay seem to support happier Miscanthus spp. BUT, for propagation by division I would vote for a light loamy or sandy loam soil. Grasses can be divided down into very small plants and that is more easily done if the soil can be shaken off the roots. This allows the roots to be teased apart with little damage.
Nursery bed soil light fertile soil
Potted plants you will have to ask someone else. I use whatever I can lay my hands on at potting up time.

6. Age of plant before division
Any age. Grasses can be divided down to their smallest unit. BUT it pays not to be too greedy. In the nursery where I worked we would divide Miscanthus spp. down to one shoot complete with roots. Unfortunately some of those really little plants didnt survive.
On the other side of things grasses that have been grown on for one or two years are much easier to divide than older clumps. This applies grasses like Miscanthus, Pennisetum and others that develop hard tough roots. I only take divisions from established, garden grown, clumps when absolutely necessary. It is WAY too much work. My grasses grown in nursery beds provide both plants to pot up for sale & plants to divide & line out again for next years sales

7 To fertilize or not to fertilize
- fertilizer encourages growth so when propagating go for it!
- not really necessary when growing grasses as a field crop
- I usually use a liquid fertilizer with a high middle number to encourage root growth when I first plant out the grass divisions. Other than that I just improve my soil with organic matter when the beds are dug over.
- too much fertilizer = lush, weaker growth = higher susceptibility to disease and insect attack.

My own question/ experiment.
- when growing grasses from seed I give the seedlings a haircut to encourage them to make new shoots so I wonder if the same method would work for grasses growing in nursery beds. This year I used this method on a patch of Hakonechloa and it did seem to make a difference. It also kept the divisions from shading out each other. I will continue this experiment on different species next year.

Thanks to all who have contributed answers in this post. Like the original post I to am considering investing my time into an OG nursery adventure.

Having been growing grasses for over 10 years (newbie here) I have had many ask me for divisions / splits and cuttings. Why not get some financial benefit from my labor of enjoyment ?

The questions asked and answered were questions I have pondered for the past couple of years. The answers were very much in tune to what I have always practiced and felt were the proper way of proagating, growing and even selling of ornamental grsasses.

My version of an ornamental grass business will be very small but yet it will be a business none the less.

I to live in the Z4b - 5 area of the country so everything will be late start as I wait for the ground to thaw in the spring. Should I have any success then "tunnels" and green house(s) might become part of the business.

Here's to the winter dreams that will grow into the spring cultivation of "Ornamental Grasses, the Man's Perennials" by Jake.

Jake