Nursery & Soil
Operational folder for the nursery and soil production system. Seedlings, propagation, potting mix, and soil amendments. This spoke feeds every other growing system on the farm.
Sub-Categories
| Category | Location | Staff | Jump |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedling Production | Nursery area | TBD | Open |
| Propagation | Nursery area | TBD | Open |
| Potting Mix & Media | Nursery + compost area | Shared | Open |
| Nursery Sales | Farm shop | Shared | Open |
Seedling Production
Overview
Central seedling production for all farm vegetable and fruit tree needs. Surplus sold through farm shop. Seed trays, shade house, hardening area. Focus: vegetables for market garden, fruit tree seedlings, ornamentals for site landscaping.
SOPs
- Seed sowing schedule aligned with planting calendar
- Germination trays in shade house
- Watering twice daily — morning and late afternoon
- Hardening off: move to partial sun 1 week before transplant
- Label everything: species, variety, sow date, expected transplant date
Inventory
Seeds in stock by species, trays in production, seedlings ready for transplant, seedlings sold.
Finance & Costs
Seed purchase costs, tray/media costs, seedling sales income.
Propagation
Overview
Vegetative propagation for fruit trees, ornamentals, and perennial herbs. Grafting, air layering, cuttings, division. Builds genetic quality and reduces seedling purchase costs over time.
SOPs
- Grafting: select healthy rootstock and scion, clean tools, wrap securely
- Air layering: wound, moss, wrap, check monthly
- Cuttings: semi-hardwood for most species, rooting hormone optional, mist system or shade house
- Records: parent plant, method, date, success rate
Inventory
Grafted trees by species, cuttings in progress, rooted plants ready.
Potting Mix & Media
Overview
All potting mix produced on-farm from compost, rice hulls, coconut coir, vermicast, and soil. No purchased potting mix — independence from external suppliers. Different mixes for different purposes.
Mix Recipes
| Mix | Ingredients | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Seedling mix | 1:1:1 vermicast, coir, rice hull charcoal | Seed trays, delicate seedlings |
| General potting | 2:1:1 compost, coir, rice hulls | Potted plants, nursery stock |
| Fruit tree | 3:1:1 compost, soil, rice hulls + rock phosphate | Fruit tree bags/pots |
| Succulent/cacti | 1:2:1 compost, coarse sand, rice hulls | Drainage-critical plants |
SOPs
- Batch mixing — record ingredients, volumes, date
- Screen compost before mixing
- Store under cover
- Quality check: drainage, water retention, smell (no ammonia)
Inventory
Raw ingredient stocks, mixed media bags ready.
Nursery Sales
Overview
Surplus seedlings, potting mix bags, and propagated plants sold through farm shop. Creates income and builds community gardening culture. Weekend market stall potential.
SOPs
- Price list maintained and updated seasonally
- Display plants labelled clearly with care instructions
- Damaged or weak plants removed from display
- Potting mix sold in 5kg and 10kg bags
Finance & Costs
Sales income, production costs, margin tracking.
Integration with Other Spokes
- Compost system (Regen Gardening) supplies raw compost for potting mix
- Vegetable beds receive seedlings on schedule
- Fruit tree program receives grafted and propagated trees
- Farm shop sells surplus nursery products
- Livestock manure (via compost) feeds soil amendments
EOD Stock Count
End-of-day physical count for this spoke. Opening stock auto-loads from previous day's closing. Enter physical count — variance calculates automatically. Flagged items are highlighted.