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Hermes Nursery Sustainability Practices
Hermes Nursery is excited about the future of the sustainability movement and all that it will bring for our company, our industry, our community, and our planet. As stewards of the original green industry, we couldn’t be happier to be in this great business of growing trees—especially at a time when our passion for a beautiful earth is beginning to draw the attention of the entire world.
At Hermes Nursery, we understand that working towards sustainability is an ongoing process of learning and discovery. We are committed to improving our methods and practices, one step at a time. Though we are still in the early stages, we are working to become a community resource on sustainability and seek to offer our customers plant material that is not only beautiful, but responsibly grown—product you can feel great about. As always, we welcome your input as we work to make Hermes Nursery a deeper shade of “green.”
Here are some of the sustainable growing practices we currently employ:
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – For years now, we have taken a proactive approach to pest management that is tough on pests, but gentle on the ecosystem. IPM is a holistic, need-based approach to pests that relies on early detection and regular inspections rather than blanket chemical applications.
Fallow crops – In order to protect the quality of the topsoil in our fields, one of Earth’s fastest-disappearing resources, we routinely plant fallow crops on selected sections of our farms. Crops like Alfalfa and Sudex replenish nutrients in our soil that would otherwise be depleted after years of tree production.
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What you're saying
“We just received our first load of trees and couldn't be happier. The communication we received before, during and after the load is better than we've ever had and it sure beats what we get from our other vendors.”
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Rested Ground – Sometimes, even dirt needs a break. We retire certain pieces of land for a year at a time to rest, replenish, and remain alive and fertile.
Mulch Recycling – Mulch that has served its purpose protecting the rootballs of the trees in our LDC is then recycled back into our soils to increase organic content.
Drip Irrigation – As opposed to the less-expensive overhead or flood irrigation options, Hermes Nursery uses drip irrigation exclusively in its growing fields, which reduces the total volume of water used and reduces wasted water in the form of runoff.
Recycled Water – Our pump irrigation system distributes water from our holding ponds directly to our crops in the field. Through systems of drainage swales, berms and strategically placed roadways, we are able to capture run-off water and direct it back into our storage ponds.
Pot Return Program – The majority of our product is made with all-natural materials, however, plastic pots are still an unfortunate offender in our industry. To help reduce a little of the waste seen in our landfills, we have implemented a pot return program available to our customers and used by our own company in which old pots can be reused and recycled.
Fertigation – We inject fertilizers through our irrigation system which allows for better nutrient absorption by the plants and limits nitrate runoff back into the water table.
Native Plants – We long ago realized the importance of growing native trees and plants in order to increase transplanting success and survivability rates. The great knock-on effect of growing native plants is that their deep root systems eliminate irrigation needs, reduce storm water runoff, and filter ground water, improving the quality of our rivers and streams. |
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