New Techniques and Opportunities Bradshaw is continually on the lookout for new techniques and opportunities to increase efficiencies, reduce costs and increase revenues. New market niches fall into that category. He says, “We’re doing a project with a product called Fresh Patch, growing turf in a special medium on plastic for people that have dogs or cats but have limited access to outdoor space for the pets to relieve themselves.”

He was approached with the idea by the company, whose primary production center is in California. Bradshaw says, “We had an area we had used previously for a turf product grown on plastic, but that didn’t work out well, so I was dubious at first. But because we had so much in place—the level land and the overhead irrigation system—from that previous project, I owed it to the company to crunch the numbers. Tey showed good profits. So we signed on to be a custom grower for the product.”

Te growing medium is all organic and very absorbent. Te grower determines the best type of grass to use, depending on the growing season. Once mature, it’s harvested, packaged and shipped directly to the end user through FedEx. Orders are reoccurring, with delivery once a week.

Bradshaw says, “We found that, in the heat of the summer, by the time we harvested and shipped the product, it wasn’t in good shape when it reached the end user. We met with the company and proposed selling out of our production center from November through May. Tey agreed with the timing and agreed to step up the orders sent to us during that period so we still make the same profits. It worked out well for us. With the cooler temperatures, we can seed with a cool-season ryegrass. We’re slower with our mowing then, so we have more labor force available. We’re not devoting a huge area to it, but it’s a nice little profit center. Te Fresh Patch company went on the Shark Tank show and got the interest of two potential investors, but I’ve not heard the results of that.”

Tree Production Te market for trees within the various landscaped areas extends into and beyond Lakewood Ranch throughout the state. So tree production is another logical fit for SMR Farms. Te tree division grows over twenty popular varieties of containerized and field-grown trees.

Of course, innovative production methods are incorporated. “We’re open to exploring any options that enhance the livability of a product once it leaves the farm,” says Bradshaw. “We use ‘accelerator’ containers rather than traditional nursery containers. Tey have vertical slits at intervals along the sides of the container. Te tree roots grow out of the slits and are air pruned. Tat eliminates the problem of root circling and results in a dense, more uniform root mass. Te trees grow faster, reducing production costs, and they have a sturdier root system to ease the transition to in-ground planting and to better stand up to stress.”

Quality field-grown trees often are root-pruned to develop a dense, more uniform root mass similar to that achieved with air-pruning of containerized plants. Te root ball of a harvested field-grown tree is typically wrapped in burlap, thus the term balled and burlapped or B&B.

Ideally, B&B trees are hardened-off for a few weeks following harvest (allowed to remain above-ground with the optimum amount of water supplied to promote new root development to prepare them for replanting). A group of growers that have agreed to follow this process have adopted the Root Plus Growers (RPG) name to indicate the process has been followed. Bradshaw says, “SMR Farms is one of those growers. Our field-grown trees have the RPG tag, assuring buyers they are purchasing a hardened-off tree.”

These SFM Farms trees are grown in “accelerator” containers to produce air-pruned roots. 40

SMR uses a staking system to keep containerized trees from blowing over. Drip irrigation for both container and field-grown trees delivers water precisely, controlling moisture levels and reducing waste. Bradshaw says, “We use turf strips between the tree rows to reduce weed problems, to provide an access path for vehicles for customer viewing and our maintenance procedures, and to eliminate wet ground issues after heavy rains. Te turf adds aesthetic value as well, helping the customer visualize the trees in their landscape setting.”

TPI Turf News January/February 2017