Our Approach

So much of growing a diverse array of quality plants in containers comes down to experience, research, and experimentation. There are many factors we consider before, during, and after production that we hope will lead to success. Many of these factors we lump under the title of “Cultural Practices.” All these decisions are made with the goal of producing the best plant, on time, at a reasonable price, with minimal impact to ourselves and our surroundings. These considerations include…

• Selecting the right plant and variety to grow.
• Production planning (potting timing)
• Potting plants to the right area (sun, shade, wind, water, deer)
• Selecting the right substrate.
• Selecting the proper pot size
• Water testing
• Proper nutrition management
• Spacing
• Cutbacks and pinching
• Proper irrigation techniques
• Winter care

This is a big one, and we take it very seriously. Our approach is to use every tool available while avoiding chemical intervention unless absolutely necessary. We are highly trained, regulated professionals who weigh many considerations before acting. When chemicals are needed, we always start with the most targeted, lightweight option and escalate only from there. We never blanket spray any area of the nursery and rarely use any product with an REI greater than 12 hours. We have maintained a neonicotinoid-free program for many years.

We have a robust IPM program that we have worked with for many years. The introduction, maintenance, and partnership with our “invisible workforce” starts in our propagation facility, carries through our early-season covered growing houses, and is continued into the open field. The health of our beneficial friends is another incentive for us to be thoughtful in any decision to make a chemical intervention when problem-solving.

Water is a key resource for growing operations and a foundational element of the surrounding landscape, so we take it very seriously. Not only do we use only the water we need, monitoring and reporting monthly volume totals to NHDES, but we also take great care to minimize any impact on our local ecosystems.

We draw water from three wells, two irrigation ponds, and our marsh. We also employ a large drainage system that directs water back to the irrigation ponds for reuse.

We stay current on invasive plants, insects, and other organisms — both present threats and emerging ones. We will not grow or sell any plant listed as invasive in the states we service, and we continually monitor incoming stock and nursery grounds for signs of invasive organisms. Sometimes a good plant has to go, but finding a better-behaved replacement is its own reward.

Click here to learn more about Van Berkum’s monitoring practices in our invasive worm fact sheet.

Weed control is a big job, and we approach it from several angles. It starts with a clean plant in production and propagation. Once a plant is potted, monitoring and hand-weeding begin. As weed pressure builds with warmer weather, we routinely pull a large crew to sweep the entire nursery. Preventing weed seed from blowing into pots is an ongoing effort — we mow perimeter areas regularly to stay ahead of it. We do treat roadways with herbicide once in spring and once in fall to keep them clear. We do not use any herbicide in our potting mix or on potted plants.

Reducing energy consumption is a vital, ongoing process, and doing it well means examining every input, at every scale, with fresh eyes.

Small actions add up: lights off, doors closed, leaks fixed, old fixtures replaced, carts and machinery going electric. We also routinely winterize our offices, greenhouses, and cold frames.

Ten years ago, we installed heat-retention curtains in our propagation greenhouses and reduced fuel consumption in that greenhouse by 30%.

We do not heat our 23 overwintering houses, even on the coldest nights. Instead, we have been covering the plants inside the house to maintain consistent pot temperatures— “Eliot Coleman style.” Over the years, this has conserved incredible amounts of heating fuel and minimized maintenance headaches. The reduction in carbon footprint over the years has been significant.

In fall 2024, we partnered with Revision Energy to bring a solar array online, another meaningful step toward a lower-impact operation. As part of our B Corp certification quest, our energy systems, along with every aspect of our operations, are subject to rigorous documentation and third-party assessment. That process holds us accountable and pushes us to keep improving. We’re proud of how far we’ve come, and we’re not done yet.

Recycling has been part of how we operate for a long time. For five years, we’ve recycled all pots, trays, and liners we produce through our partnership with East Jordan Plastics. On-site single-stream recycling handles bottles, cans, paper, and cardboard. Starting each year in late summer, we’ll also pick up used containers at customer locations, a service we’re extending to partner plant sales and member perks programs, like Native Plant Trust.

Greenhouse film has been harder to solve. We reuse as much as possible, have fitted our growing houses with roll-up sides to extend poly life to several years, and donate the rest to neighbors and community members for greenhouses, cold frames, and skating rinks.

We’re actively researching alternatives to plastic altogether. Fiber and coir pots performed well in trials, but durability remains a barrier; many of our plants need containers that hold up during long growing seasons and through overwintering. Promising alternatives exist on the horizon, though none are economically viable yet. We’re hopeful that will change soon.

We generate a lot of compost. Beyond food waste, our propagation and production processes produce discarded potting medium, mountains of cuttings, and the occasional plant that didn’t make it. All of this is collected in bins around the nursery and either used on-site for property maintenance or trucked to a neighboring farm to be spread and worked into their fields.