How Do Nurseries Grow Plants So Fast?

As plant owners, we always want to see our plants growing fast. However, it reaches maturity only when the time comes. But, the nurseries somehow manage to grow their plants faster. How? Let’s find out. 

Nurseries can grow their plants quickly because they keep them in a controlled environment. The nursery plants receive regular watering and fertilization, good quality soil, adequate sunlight, and regular deadheading. Providing the plants with all these correctly will boost plant growth.

The nurseries also use growth regulators to increase their plants’ growth. Today, we will share how the nursery plants grow so fast, big, and beautiful.

How do the nurseries grow their plants so fast?

The nurseries provide great care to their plants.

The most important thing is that the plants remain in a steady surrounding where they receive adequate light, water, temperature, humidity, and fertilization.

The nurseries also use soil conditioners and good-quality mulch to aid the plant’s health and growth.

Let’s go through each point.

Also read: Why Do Nursery Plants Look So Good?

Nurseries water their plants regularly.

The nurseries water their plants regularly with the right amount. 

The seeds and seedlings are watered daily with overhead sprayers.

Since they are small and need extra care to develop, they are watered regularly, so the soil never stays dry for too long.

The mature plants are watered at proper intervals.

As these plants remain healthy, they absorb all the water to stay hydrated.

The nursery workers know which plants require how much water and how often.

Based on that, they give the plants the right amount of water on time, making them grow vigorously throughout the season. 

An advantage is that the nurseries have experienced people who know the time, amount, and frequency of watering every plant needs.

That’s why the plants rarely experience water issues.

The better watering the plants receive, the faster they will grow. 

Also read: How Often Do Nurseries Water Plants?

Nurseries use high-quality soil.

The nurseries always use sterile soil free from all sorts of soil-borne diseases.

So, the plants stay safe and grow faster without experiencing any infection. 

Some nurseries also use red soil.

Red soil is very good quality as it is loamy and has sound drainage properties.

Due to this, the plants don’t face watering issues either. 

The nurseries add dried leaves and grass clippings as mulch and worm castings to improve soil structure, quality, drainage, and aeration.

If the plants stay healthy in the long run, they will grow fast with consistency.

Nurseries provide the plants with adequate light.

Giving the plant adequate sunlight helps them function and photosynthesize better. 

Light is one of the key requirements every plant needs for growth and development. 

When a plant receives sufficient sunlight daily, it grows vigorously to its full potential and might reach maturity before the estimated time. 

The plants that need direct sunlight are kept under the sunlight.

If the light is insufficient, the nurseries use different types and colors of artificial lights to fulfill the light requirements. 

The plants that thrive under indirect sun or shade are grown in the shade with special care and maintenance.

All the plants are sheltered well from the winds and storms. 

The nurseries use the right fertilizers. 

The nurseries use different fertilizers to boost the plants’ growth speed. 

The nurseries generally use fertilizers that can increase plant growth but will not require repeated application.

Slow-release fertilizers are added and mixed with the potting soil. 

Liquid fertilizers are applied by diluting with water and considering foliar spray.

It’s also applied to the soil.

Liquid fertilizers show instant results than slow-release fertilizers and help the plant grow faster. 

But the repeated application can build up salts.

That is why the nurseries prefer slow-release fertilizers. 

Nurseries also rely on organic fertilizers.

These fertilizers release nutrients slowly, don’t kill the plants, and keep them healthy in the long run.

Nurseries don’t apply fertilizers repeatedly because that can kill the plant. 

So, along with using synthetic fertilizers, the nurseries also use organic fertilizers like compost and manure. 

The nurseries sometimes also add soil conditioners like worm juices and seaweed solutions to fertilize the plant.

Nurseries use organic and inorganic fertilizers to keep the plants healthy and encourage them to grow faster.

Nurseries keep the weed growth under control.

There is always a chance of weed growth around the plants, whether in the nurseries or houses. 

Weed growth highly affects the plant’s development and reduces its growth.

The nurseries always remove the weeds and keep them away from the other plants.

The nurseries also remove the dry leaves and debris to discourage weeds around the root zone. 

The cleaner the surrounding remains, the more vigorously the plants will grow.

This maintenance is sometimes ignored in the house-grown plants, which is why they don’t grow as fast as nursery plants.

Nursery plants stay in a controlled environment.

In the nurseries, the workers keep the surroundings at an average room temperature and humidity throughout the year.

Due to this, the plants never experience temperature and humidity extremes or fluctuations.

Since the nursery plants don’t face such problems, they keep growing without obstacles and reach a good height quickly. 

The nurseries use heated structures for their plants and don’t allow them to die in winters.

It encourages them to keep growing instead of becoming dormant.

This growth also makes the plant grow faster than those succumbing to dormancy.

However, some nurseries allow the plants to overwinter in unheated structures.

Dormancy allows the plant to develop more vigorously and increases the plant’s growth speed once the spring arrives.

Nurseries deal with pests and diseases beforehand.

The nurseries have a lot of employees, and they all look after all the plants daily and closely.

It helps them understand whether any plants are suffering from any infestations.

If the workers find any issues related to pests and diseases, they deal with the problem at the initial stage. 

It keeps the problem from spreading too much and helps the plant recover quickly.

The faster the plants recover, the faster they start growing and developing.

That is how the nursery plants grow fast despite having infestations. 

You should also do the same thing if you want your plants to grow faster. 

However, if you are a beginner, you need time to understand which techniques work during pest and disease removal.

And by the time you learn, the damage might have increased. 

Nurseries take immediate steps because they already have the knowledge, deal with it regularly, and excel on time.

The damage doesn’t spread much, and the plants recover and start growing.

Nurseries use growth regulators.

The nurseries are quite experienced in growing plants.

So, they use growth regulators to increase their plants’ growth speed. 

Generally, the plants already have growth hormones like auxins, which encourage the plants to grow quickly and vigorously.

Over that, the nurseries might use extra growth regulators. 

These commercial growth enhancers help the plants grow fast. 

You might not be able to use these because you are completely inexperienced with these products.

So, your plant will take more time to grow. 

Letting the plant grow independently, without using such artificials, is the best way to grow plants.

The more you let your plant develop naturally, the healthier and long-lasting it will become. 

The nursery people are experienced, and they can use the regulators as per need without hurting the plants.

But you should avoid these products.

Also read: How Often Do Nurseries Fertilize Plants?

Nurseries deadhead their plants regularly.

The nursery plants are regularly deadheaded to encourage new growth. 

The more you deadhead the plants, the more they will grow.

Not only will the plant look lush and healthy, but the plant’s growth will also increase vigorously. 

Deadheading and removing spent flowers and leaves triggers the plants’ growth hormones.

It stimulates the plant to grow faster and bushier than before. 

When a flower goes to form a seed, it means the plant will soon die. 

Removing the spent flowers also detains the seed formation, which further increases the plant’s lifespan and helps them to keep growing faster. 

That’s why the plants at the nurseries are regularly deadheaded and encouraged to grow bigger, bushier, and faster.

Nurseries keep their plants in bags.

In most nurseries, the plants are kept in bags, especially the small and young ones.

These bags are called Grow bags. 

The bags come in jute, fiber, and plastic and have in-built holes.

The bags provide excellent drainage and air circulation to the plants.

It allows the soil to come in contact with air which further aids drainage. 

Good drainage and aeration prevent watering issues and compact soil. 

Loose soil keeps the nutrients intact and passes them to the plant. 

Adequate nutrition increases the plant’s growth rate. 

Bags stop the plant from being root-bound.

When a plant is not excessively root-bound, it keeps growing bigger and faster. 

When roots grow too long, they come in contact with air, and the air stops the roots from growing more and turns the plant’s focus on growing new roots.

It is called air pruning.

In this way, the plants keep growing lots of small roots.

Transferring the plant to a pot or ground will make it grow stronger, faster, and healthier.

Also read: Why Are Plants Kept In Bags In Nurseries?

Can I increase the growth speed of my plants?

Of course, you can increase the growth speed of your plants.

You must maintain the plant’s health and care for them as the nurseries do. 

To increase your plant’s growth:

• Let your plant have adequate sunlight daily. Please protect it from scorching sunlight.
• Always maintain the soil moisture according to the plant’s needs. The rule is to keep it slightly moist all the time. 
• Use the right kind of soil for your plant. Please review the soil articles for your particular plant before bringing it home. 
• Add worm castings to your soil mix for good aeration and drainage.
• Use the right pot for potted plants, and always ensure the drainage holes. There are multiple materials – plastic, terracotta, fiberglass, metal, wooden, etc. Choose the one ideal for your particular plant. 
• Fertilize the plants in time, especially during growing, and avoid winter feeding. 
• You can use soil conditioners like seaweed or worm juice. 
• Maintain the ideal temperature and humidity levels. You may or may not overwinter them, but I suggest you let them overwinter. When spring arrives, the plant will grow vigorously after the rest.
• Deadhead the spent flowers and dead and damaged leaves regularly to promote fast and more growth. 
• Observe the plant daily and deal with pests and diseases immediately. 

However, your plants might not grow as fast and good as those in the nurseries because their plants remain under special care and maintenance.

Besides, you can’t follow the exact routine of the nurseries. 

For example, if you water your plant regularly, it may be overwatering it. 

You can’t use the growth enhancers the nurseries use, especially if you don’t know their usage and dosage. 

That is why your plants will still grow slower than the nursery plants.

But that’s a good thing; letting the plant develop naturally keeps them healthy in the long run.

Final words

Nurseries take a lot of care of the plants. They water them daily, give them enough light and fertilizer and grow them in a controlled environment. That is why they grow faster than house-grown plants. 

Nurseries use high-quality soil, consider regular deadheading, and deal with infestations immediately. They also use artificial methods like growth regulators to increase the growth speed.

But it’s better not to use them for houseplants. Let your plants grow naturally.

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Reference: Effect of Nursery Production Method, Nursery Growing Media, Nursery experiments for improving plant quality, Nursery Management.