Optimum Work Methods in the Nursery

Potting Process

Stage 1
Useful ideas for reducing
Potting Labour Costs
in your nursery

W. Radajewski, D. Brown, K. Bodman, T. Franklin

Queensland Horticulture Institute – Centre for Amenity and
Environmental Horticulture

July 1999
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Copyright notice

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or stored in a database or

retrieval system, or transmitted or distributed in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without written permission from the
Department of Primary Industries.

 DPI 1999
Brisbane (07) 3286 1488
All rights reserved
JULY, 1999
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................................. 2

FOREWORD.................................................................................................................................................... 4

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................... 5

SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................................... 6

1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 8

2. DATA COLLECTION........................................................................................................................... 9
2.1 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2 POTTING TASKS FOR DATA COLLECTION PURPOSES .............................................................................. 9
2.2.1 Stage of potting ........................................................................................................................ 10
2.2.2 Process of potting..................................................................................................................... 12
3. POTTING PRODUCTION METHODS AND SYSTEMS ............................................................... 15

4. FACTORS AFFECTING POTTING PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY ........................................... 17

4.1 WORK ORGANISATION ........................................................................................................................ 17
4.1.1 Management of the potting system ........................................................................................... 18
4.1.2 Management of labour ............................................................................................................. 18
4.1.3 Material handling and equipment ............................................................................................ 19
4.1.4 Communication of information ................................................................................................ 20
Organisation of work station.................................................................................................................. 21
4.2.2 Potting techniques.................................................................................................................... 21
4.2.3 Worker skill .............................................................................................................................. 22
4.2.4 Break downs and malfunctions ................................................................................................ 22
4.2.5 Mechanisation and automation of tasks................................................................................... 23
4.2.6 Optimum speed of operation .................................................................................................... 24
4.3 WORKER RELATED ISSUES .................................................................................................................. 24
4.3.1 Worker safety ........................................................................................................................... 24
4.3.2 Worker comfort ........................................................................................................................ 26
4.3.3 Worker motivation.................................................................................................................... 28
4.4 POTTED PLANT RELATED FACTORS ..................................................................................................... 29
4.4.1 Plant type ................................................................................................................................. 29
4.4.2 Containers used........................................................................................................................ 29
4.4.3 Quantities of plants potted ....................................................................................................... 30
4.4.4 Fertiliser placement ................................................................................................................. 30
4.4.5 Watering................................................................................................................................... 31
4.4.6 Spacing plants in the growing area.......................................................................................... 31
4.4.7 Pruning plant stock .................................................................................................................. 31
5. RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION...................................................................................................... 31
5.1 OVERALL POTTING PERFORMANCE ..................................................................................................... 32
5.2 AVERAGE POTTING COST.................................................................................................................... 44
5.3 POTTING SYSTEMS .............................................................................................................................. 55
5.3.1 Standard Bench ........................................................................................................................ 55
5.3.2 Modified bench......................................................................................................................... 56
5.3.3 Mobile Bench ........................................................................................................................... 56
5.3.4 Comet potting machine ............................................................................................................ 57
5.3.5 Javo potting machine ............................................................................................................... 58
5.3.6 Mayer potting machine ............................................................................................................ 59
5.3.7 Williams Hi Tec International potting machine ....................................................................... 59
6. PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS........................................................................................................ 61
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7. CREATING THE OPTIMUM POTTING SYSTEM FOR YOUR NURSERY ............................. 75

7.1 POTTING OPTIMISATION FACTORS...................................................................................................... 75
7.2 POTTING SYSTEMS ............................................................................................................................. 76
7.2.1 Standard bench........................................................................................................................ 77
7.2.2 Modified bench........................................................................................................................ 77
7.2.3 Mobile bench........................................................................................................................... 78
7.2.4 Comet ...................................................................................................................................... 78
7.2.5 Javo ......................................................................................................................................... 79
7.2.6 Mayer ...................................................................................................................................... 80
7.2.7 Williams Hi Tec International potting machine ...................................................................... 80
8. CHANGING A SYSTEM TO REDUCE LABOUR COSTS ............................................................ 82

9. GENERAL PROJECT CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................... 83

10. GENERAL PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................. 84

11. APPENDIXES ...................................................................................................................................... 86

A. RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF POTTING PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY ............................................ 87

B. EVALUATING POTTING COST AT YOUR NURSERY .............................................................. 92

C. OVERALL EVALUATION OF POTTING SYSTEM ..................................................................... 95

D. CALCULATING THE COST/BENEFIT OF IMPROVING YOUR POTTING SYSTEM........ 105

BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................ 106

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FOREWORD

This booklet is not a final report on the project. It is an interim publication providing
information about the aims and scope of the project Optimum Work Methods in the
Nursery Potting Process and discusses general issues relating to potting productivity.
The appendixes contain forms and instructions to help you evaluate potting
production efficiency and potting labour costs at your nursery. To better understand
project findings and how they relate to your nursery it is recommended that you read
the main body of the booklet before using the forms to carry out any evaluations at
your nursery.

The Centre for Amenity and Environmental Horticulture in Brisbane provides a

consultancy service for nurseries interested in improving the efficiency of their plant
dispatch and/or plant potting systems. For a free quote on the evaluation of an existing
production system or the design of a new production system contact Dr. S. Underhill
on telephone (07) 3286 1488 or facsimile (07) 32863094.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research project was sponsored by the Horticultural Research and Development
Corporation and was made possible by pot levy funding and the involvement of
NIAA and the cooperation of nurseries from QLD, NSW and VIC. The authors would
also like to thank state nursery industry development officers John McDonald,
Richard Stephens and Greg King as well as Jeremy Badgery-Parker from NSW
Agriculture for their valuable assistance in selecting suitable nurseries for the project
and helping collect research data and organise field days.
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SUMMARY

The project Optimum Work Methods in the Nursery Potting Process is being
undertaken in collaboration with 35 nurseries: Queensland (11), New South Wales
(14) and Victoria (10). Potting production is being studied at small, medium and
large nurseries in pot sizes ranging chiefly from 100mm to 200mm.

Both hand potting and machine aided potting are being investigated in the 40 potting
systems commercially operating in the collaborating nurseries. Nine distinct potting
systems are being studied in the project: standard bench, modified bench, mobile
bench, Javo, Comet, Mayer, Bag filler, rotary table and the prototype of the WHTI
potting machine.

The labour cost of overall potting production was divided into three potting stages:
preparation, potting, and after potting. The labour cost of potting was investigated on
the basis of nine potting processes: handling planting stock, pot handling, fertiliser
handling, media handling, handling pot with media, handling the potted plant,
handling other associated materials, maintaining the potting area and preparing the
growing area.

Research has revealed that for all potting systems investigated the average labour cost
of preparation for potting is 1.86 cents per pot, the average cost of potting is 8.50
cents per pot, the average cost after potting is 2.48 cents per pot and the average cost
of total potting (combined times of preparation for potting, potting and after potting)
is 12.85 cents per pot. This average was produced from all of the data collected from
nurseries involved in the project and as such represents potting production carried out
using various pot sizes, various plant species and various potting systems.

The lowest amount recorded for total potting of 3.1 cents per pot represents potting
easy to pot plants into small sized pots and the highest amount for total potting of
35.43 cents represents potting difficult to pot plants into large sized pots. Even with a
proviso about the potting difficulty factor of plants and its affect on potting labour
cost figures at individual nurseries, the range of total potting costs (from 3.1 cents per
pot to 35.43 cents per pot) does indicate that a very significant opportunity exists for
many nurseries to reduce their current potting labour costs.

The initial parts of the investigation concluded that:

• a great difference exists in potting efficiency between nurseries mostly due to
inefficient organisation of potting procedures often combined with the use of an
inappropriate potting system and equipment;
• major potting labour costs lie in the areas of handling planting stock and handling
the potted plant;
• overall potting production performance can be easily improved by combining
plants for potting that have the same requirements and potting difficulties;
• many nurseries could instantly reduce their potting labour costs by reviewing
handling methods and ensuring that all actions carried out on potting inputs and
outputs were performed on quantities that represented a significant period of
potting production.
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From the investigation and analysis of potting data results from the 35 participating
nurseries the following general recommendations for improving potting production
efficiency can be made:

Worker issues

• Maintain high levels of worker health and safety, worker comfort, worker
motivation and worker skill
• Ensure all staff are competent to (a) operate the potting machine and (b) make any
adjustments to the machine necessary to cope with situations that may arise during
production
• Follow safety guidelines when potting - always wear gloves and face masks when
handling or working around potting media (Steele 1996) and always follow safe
handling guidelines for herbicides used during the potting process
• Allocate tasks to staff taking into consideration their ability in performing
different potting tasks

Organisation and potting procedures

• Hand potting should be used when the average daily quantities of plants to be
potted (during the potting season) is approximately 1000 plants or less and/or
when the nursery is potting a larger number of different species requiring
different treatments in various pot sizes, pot colours, and the average batch size of
these plants requiring different treatments is approx. 300 or below
• Improvements to the handling of potted plants should be investigated as a first
priority as this are offers the greatest potential savings
• Ensure workers have all the information necessary to carry out potting production
before production commences
• Analyse the allocation of tasks within the potting process to improve the
distribution of productive tasks between workers and thereby reduce non-
productive time
• Analyse the sequence and coordination of the delivery of inputs and the removal
of outputs to reduce non-productive time

Improvements to the potting system

• Establish existing cost of potting

• Identify problems related to potting systems, procedures and worker issues
• Establish cost/benefits of potential improvements
• Introduce most beneficial changes
• Re-evaluate potting system.

General recommendation is to increase the average daily number of plants to be

potted that have similar requirements with regard to treatments, potting procedures,
pot sizes, pot colours. This strategy will immediately lower potting labour costs
without any expenditure.
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1. Introduction

The investigation of potting labour costs is being carried out by a team of researchers
from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries in collaboration with the
Queensland, New South Wales and Victorian Nursery Industry Associations, their
Industry Development Officer and with NSW agriculture. All of the investigative
work has been carried out on representative nurseries in these states.

‘Optimum Work Methods in the Nursery Potting Process’ is an HRDC sponsored

project. The aim of the project is to identify and recommend methods for improving
nursery labour efficiencies in the area of potting up. In order to achieve the project
aim the following objectives were defined and addressed:

• Identify labour costs involved in different tasks in the potting process

• Identify current areas and reasons for inefficiency in these areas

• Identify and develop industry best practices for potting operations

• Technology transfer into industry during and at the completion of the project by
means of written materials, consultative workshops, field days and most
importantly, developing an information package and tools for a subsequent
industry run, national training course.

The project will progress through the following stages:

(i) development of data collection methods,
(ii) collection of data,
(iii) evaluation of data
(iv) development and introduction (including testing and evaluation) of optimum
potting methods. At the time of preparing this booklet the first three project
stages have been completed.

The general terms of reference of the project are to investigate potting labour costs in
small (1-5 staff), medium (5-10 staff) and large (15+ staff) wholesale nurseries chiefly
producing pots in the range from 100mm to 200mm. The break up of nurseries
collaborating with the project is shown in Table 1.

Table 1: The break up of project nurseries based on state and nursery size

Number of nurseries per state

Small Medium Large Total
QLD 5 4 2 11
NSW 6 5 3 14
VIC 3 4 3 10
Total 14 13 8 35
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2. Data collection

2.1 Methodology

The following methods of data collection have been used in the investigation of
potting labour costs:

• Generic data:
The collection of information on nursery production profiles, container size
preferences, plant type, staff, machinery and current systems used for the potting
process. This information has been used to categorise the various types and sizes
of operations and to define how they can be compared on a common basis.

• Detailed data collection (video recording):

Video records have allowed project staff to evaluate overall work practices in
different nurseries. The information gained has been used firstly to benchmark all
tasks involved in the potting process for each different nursery environment and,
secondly, to define the labour cost of specific tasks.

• Potting events data logging

An electronic data logger has been used for collecting data for the whole range of
potting events. This device is designed so that recording of events takes a
minimum of time and further data processing is greatly simplified.

• Statistical data (collected by nursery operators).

Nursery potting records have been requested from collaborating nurseries. This
information has helped to established long term performance capabilities,
including the extent and reasons for unproductive and down time. This form of
data is useful for comparing different production environments.

• Observation of potting events

Potting events have been observed by project staff in order to define existing work
practices. Based on these observations and further discussion with nursery
operators, potting production flow charts have been created and analysed.

2.2 Potting tasks for data collection purposes

The number and sequence of tasks performed during potting production is different in
different nurseries and largely depends on the potting system used and type of plants
produced. The following potting production information was recorded:

• Time required to complete any task related to potting

• Number of pots processed during this time
• Type and size of input and output container used
• Number of staff involved in task
• Plant potting difficulty
• Name of plant
• Method and potting system used
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• Distances between different potting areas

• Capacity of pot handling equipment

For the purposes of data collection two criteria were used to categorise tasks in the
potting process:

• which stage (area) of potting tasks occurred in, and

• which particular potting process tasks occurred in

2.2.1 Stage of potting

The tasks performed during overall potting can be related to the three major stages of
production:

• preparation for potting

• potting

• after potting

Table 2 shows how potting tasks were categorised for the purpose of data collection
and for the purpose of establishing where labour costs lay.
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Table 2. Tasks as they relate to the main potting stages.

Preparation for potting Potting After potting

Plant to general potting area Eject plants Remove old pots
Unload stock Pop plants Fertiliser to pot in field
Prune Plant to immediate area Dispose of reject plants
Grade Plant to bench Potted plants transport to
growing area and return
Remove old stakes & ties Plant to pot Take potted plants to field
Pots to general potting area Pot to immediate potting area Carry tray into growing area
& return
Open container of pots Pot to pot dispenser Take pot from tray & space
Pot to bench
Fertiliser to general potting Fertiliser to immediate potting Carry pot or tray into growing
area area area unload pots & space
Mix fertiliser & media Fertiliser to bench Return to potting area
Media into hopper Shift media on bench Apply herbicide to potted
plants
Trays to general potting area Free soil in hopper Take pots to water & water in
Deliver stakes etc. Put media to pot Staking
Deliver trailer Load media filled pot to Stake & tie
trailer
Maintaining potting area Trailer with media filled pots Prune / trim
to planting area
Set up machines, conveyor Unload media filled pots Record work
Set up string line Dibbling empty tray to trailer
Preparing growing area Fertiliser to pot at bench Collect & return empty tubes,
trays
Block up plants Plant to pot Equipment to storage
Top up pot with media
Compress media in pot
Potted plant to tray, trailer,
etc.
Move full trays on conveyer
Load full trays to trailer,
conveyer, etc.
Move full trays on trailer
Move empty trays on trailer
Empty tray to immediate
potting area
Empty tray to bench
Move trailer while loading
pots
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2.2.2 Process of potting

The labour tasks (costs) of potting were also divided into 9 separate processes:

• Plant stock handling – (Plant stock handling refers to any action carried out on
plant stock during the potting process from the time it is picked up from the
hardening off area until the plant is placed into the pot with media)

• Pot handling (any actions related to handling empty pots prior to filling the pot
with media)

• Fertiliser handling (any actions related to handling fertiliser during the overall
potting event)

• Media handling –(all actions carried out on potting media from the time media is
loaded to the hopper, etc. to the time media is placed into the pot)

• Handling pot with media (any actions carried out with pot and media before
stock is inserted)

• Handling potted plant –(any action carried out on the potted plant immediately
after the stock plant has been placed in the pot to the time the pot is placed in the
growing area)

• Handling other materials (any action associated with trays, trolleys, trailers,
stakes, labels, etc. used in the potting event)

• Maintaining potting area (any cleaning action or setting up machinery used for
potting)

• Preparing growing area (any action carried out to prepare growing area for newly
potted plants)

A brief description of tasks and how they are categorised under the nine potting
processes is shown in Table 3.
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Table 3. Potting processes and the tasks which occur in them

Potting process Definition of task

Plant stock handling
Plant to general potting area Deliver plant stock to the potting area
Unload stock Unload plant stock from internal transport
Prune Prune top or trim roots of plant stock
Grade Grade plant stock suitability for potting
Remove stake Remove the stake from plant stock containers
Eject plants Dislodge stock from cell trays
Pop plants Remove stock from tubes
Plant to immediate potting area Deliver plant stock to a position near the
potting bench
Plant to bench Deliver plant stock onto the potting bench
Plant to pot Insert plant stock to the pot
Dispose of reject plants Dispose of inferior plant stock
Pot handling
Pot to general potting area Deliver empty pots to the potting area
Open container of pots Open the packaging pots are delivered in
Pot to immediate potting area Deliver pots to a position near the potting
bench
Pot to dispenser Place pots into a potting machine’s automatic
pot dispenser
Pot to bench Place pots onto the potting bench or into a
machine without an automatic pot dispenser
Remove old pots Dispose of pots plant stock grew in
Fertiliser handling
Fertiliser to general potting area Deliver fertiliser to the potting area
Mix fertiliser & media Add fertiliser to potting media and mix using
tractor bucket, concrete mixer, shovel, etc.
Fertiliser to immediate potting area Deliver fertiliser to a position near the potting
bench
Fertiliser to bench Place fertiliser onto the potting bench
Fertiliser to pot at bench Place fertiliser into the pot
Fertiliser to pot in field Apply fertiliser to the surface of newly potted
plants in the growing area
Media handling
Media into hopper Load potting media into a hopper or onto a
potting bench
Shift media on bench Use hand, shovel, rake, etc. to move media
closer to the potter on a potting bench
Free soil in hopper Free the obstructed flow of media in a hopper
by hitting the sides or digging into the media
with a shovel, etc.
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Potting process Definition of task

Top up pot with media After inserting the plant stock add potting
media up to the rim of the pot
Compress media in pot Applying pressure to the soil around the plant
stock to fix it upright
Handling pot with media
Put media to pot Filling an empty pot with potting media
Load media filled pot to trailer Loading pots filled with potting media only (no
stock planted) to a trailer
Trailer with media filled pots to planting area Driving a trailer of media filled pots to an area
where planting of stock will take place
Unload media filled pots Unload pots filled with media to the ground or
a bench for planting of stock to occur
Dibbling Making a hole in the potting media for the
insertion of plant stock or fertiliser
Handling potted plant
Potted plant to tray, trailer, etc. Loading a potted plant to internal transport
Move full trays on conveyor Push trays of potted plants on conveyor to the
trailer
Load full tray to trailer, conveyor, etc. Place full tray of plants onto a conveyor
Move full trays on trailer Pushing full trays of potted plants across the
trailer during trailer loading
Take potted plant to field Transport potted plants to the growing area
Carry tray into growing area & return Carry a full tray of plants into the growing
area, place the tray on the ground and return to
the trailer without unloading the tray
Take pot from tray & space Take pots from a tray and space them out in
the growing area
Carry pot/tray into growing area unload pots & Carry loose pots or full trays into the growing
space area and space pots on the ground
Return to potting area Drive empty trailer back to the potting area
Apply herbicide to potted plants After potting apply pre-emergence herbicide to
plants
Take pots to water and water in After potting drive to the watering area and
water plants
Staking Fix stakes into media of potted plant
Stake & tie Fix and tie stakes to potted plant
Prune/ trim Prune potted plant
Record work Make a record of the type and quantity of
plants potted
Handling other materials
Tray to general potting area Deliver empty trays (to be used to hold potted
plants) to the potting area
Deliver stakes, etc. Deliver stakes to the potting area
Deliver trailer Deliver trailer (or other means of transporting
potted plants) to potting area
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Potting process Definition of task

Move empty trays on trailer Arrange empty trays on trailer for the loading
of individual pots
Empty tray to immediate potting area Deliver empty trays to a position near the
potting bench
Empty tray to bench Move empty tray onto potting bench
Move trailer while loading pots Move (push or drive) trailer during potting to
reduce walking distance between potting bench
and trailer
Empty tray to trailer Place empty tray onto trailer
Collect and return empty tubes, trays Gather empty trays or tubes from the potting
area and return to storage
Maintaining potting area
Clean potting area At the end of potting event clean up media,
plant refuse etc.
Set up machine, conveyor Carry out any tasks needed to ready machine
for operation. Attach conveyor to machine or
move and assemble conveyor in the growing
area.
Equipment to storage Return to storage any equipment used during
potting
Preparing growing area
Set up string line Use string, straight edge, etc. to define where
potted plants will stand in growing area
Prepare growing area Sweep leaves, rake gravel in the growing area
Block plants Make room to place down newly potted plants
by moving pots already standing in the
growing area closer together

3. Potting production methods and systems

The number of different potting production methods and systems in use in the
nursery industry is a reflection of the differences in the size of nurseries, differences
in the types of plants produced, differences in the amount of capital available and
other nursery influenced factors.

Potting production based on degree of mechanisation:

• Hand potting (all tasks performed without any mechanised equipment)

• Machine aided potting (eg. use of conveyor for loading pots & media, Comet for
filling pots with media)
• Partially automated system (eg. automated loading of media to pot, fertiliser to
pot, drilling in media filled pot)
• Fully automated system (all major tasks are mechanised)
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Potting production based on production flow at the potting station:

• Batch potting (eg. potting is carried out by repeating the same task to a number of
pots until all steps in the potting event are completed and the batch of pots is
finished)
• Continuous potting (pots are produced singly from start to finish)

Potting production based on continuity of work at the potting station:

• Interrupted potting (each potting stage is carried out by the same workers and
therefore work at the potting station stops, for example when workers take plants
to the growing area)
• Non-interrupted potting (all potting stages are carried out at the same time by
different workers)

Potting production based on potting system used:

• standard potting bench - A standard potting bench is any work station in an area
specifically designated for potting at which potters can pot plants. A table with a
quantity of media on it is a standard potting bench.
• modified potting bench - A modified potting bench is a standard potting bench,
which has been modified by the addition of a hopper which feeds media to the
bench, conveyors to bring stock to the bench and plants away from the bench, etc.
• mobile potting bench - A mobile bench is a standard or a modified potting bench
on wheels. Potting commences when the mobile bench has been driven or towed
to that part of the nursery where plants are to be put down. A mobile bench might
be a trailer towed behind a tractor, the rear tray of a ute or truck, or a truck
mounted hopper.
• Javo potting machine - The Javo potting machine is a Dutch product. Moving pots
in one direction the machine fills empty pots with media and drills a hole in the
media for the insertion of plant stock. There is the option for adding automatic pot
dispensers, fertiliser dispensers, and conveyors for the unloading of pots from the
machine.
• Comet potting machine - The Comet potting machine is produced by Andersen’s
Engineering in Maryborough QLD. It delivers a continuous flow of media from
two chutes. Potters stand in front of these chutes and fill empty pots with media.
• Mayer potting machine - The Mayer potting machine is a German product. It
works on the same principle as the Javo with similar available options for
automating tasks.
• ‘Other’ potting systems investigated - Other potting systems include 2 rotary
potting tables no longer being manufactured, the prototype of a new Australian
designed potting machine from Williams Hi-Tech International and a bagging
machine by C-Mac Industries.
• Other potting systems in use in Australian nurseries that were not made available
to the project and for which no data is available.

In total, 40 potting set ups are being investigated in 35 nurseries (see Table 4).
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Table 4. The break up of nurseries on the basis of state & potting system used

Potting method
Standard Modified Mobile Javo Comet Mayer Other Total
bench bench bench
QLD 3 4 2 3 3 0 0 15
NSW 2 1 2 2 3 1 4 15
VIC 3 1 1 3 0 1 1 10
Total 8 6 5 8 6 2 5 40

4. Factors affecting potting production efficiency

The following section contains observations on potting production efficiency in the

areas of:

• Work organisation

• Potting work environment

• Worker related issues

• Potted plant related factors

4.1 Work organisation

The manner in which nursery work is organised and managed has a profound affect
on the efficiency of all areas of nursery production (Radajewski et al 1997).

Work organisation in potting production refers to:

• management of the potting system

• management of labour

• selection of equipment and methods of material handling

• communication
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4.1.1 Management of the potting system

Managing the potting systems includes such things as the initial selection of the
potting system used by the nursery, organising the layout of the potting area, deciding
where watering in plants will take place, how plants are to be spaced in the growing
area, how fertiliser is applied to plants, whether potting production will be carried out
using non-interrupted potting (potting production continues while plants are being put
down in the field), interrupted potting (potting production stops while plants are put
down in the field) or a combination of both, etc.

The management of the potting system may not always be a carefully considered
response to production factors. The type of potting system used by a nursery could be
the result of chance events such as picking up a particular potting machine at a
bargain price, or inheriting a potting system from a previous owner or era. Like the
potting system used, the layout of the potting area can also be determined by random
circumstances or habit. Potters may be walking relatively long distances to pick up
small quantities of potting materials (such as empty pots, plant stock or fertiliser), and
equally long walks to remove potting outputs (such as empty tubes and trays and
potted plants) just because the location of inputs and destination of outputs has never
been evaluated from the point of view of production efficiency.

Potting data processed to date shows that the figures for minimum potting labour
costs in cents per pot are very similar across all potting systems. This indicates that all
potting systems can be equally efficient if they are properly managed, ie. suitable for
the type of plant production at the nursery and with the potting area laid out to allow
for the efficient delivery of inputs and outputs. High maximum figures on the other
hand represent inefficient potting production and show us that many nurseries are
using potting systems which are unsuitable for their type of production and/or that
they have poorly designed potting areas.

4.1.2 Management of labour

Management of labour includes the allocation of tasks to potting staff, preparing task
rotation schedules, establishing production quotas, training staff, etc. The most
profitable situation for a nursery is to use the minimum number of staff to reach
production targets. However, it was observed during the project that medium and
large-sized nurseries generally tend to over-staff their potting operations. It was also
observed in many nurseries that certain potting staff are not consistently and
productively employed. For example, if a person’s task is to drive plants to the field,
put them down and return to the potting area for the next load, that person will not
carry out any productive work (they may carry out some cosmetic duties) if the next
trailer has not been completed by the potters.

The problem of staff waiting around to begin their primary tasks stems from a lack of
synchronisation between the completion of one task (eg. the potters’ task to pot up a
trailer load of plants) and the beginning of another (eg. the driver’s task to take the
trailer load to the field, put plants down and return to the potting area). The reluctance
of the waiting staff to help out with tasks which they consider to be outside their job
 19

description contributes to the problem. The solution to the problem is to review the
overall potting system and locate where synchronisation of tasks can be improved by
either allocating real and productive tasks to waiting staff and/or by improving the
production efficiency within the various stages of the potting process to decrease the
waiting time gap between dependent tasks.

On the other hand, if, in the example given above, the driver’s time for putting down
plants in the growing area was longer than the time it took potters to pot up a trailer
load then even more non-productive time would result through an increased number
of people (ie. all the potters) waiting on the empty trailer to return.

Obviously it is difficult to get the synchronisation of dependent tasks just right as

timing can be thrown out as potting or putting down time increases or decreases due
to potting different species of plants, using different pot sizes, putting plants down in
different areas of the nursery, etc. To avoid the situation where lack of
synchronisation creates non-productive time production buffers should be used.

Production buffers could take the form of extra trailers for potters to continue potting
(instead of waiting for an empty trailer to return from the growing area), sending one
of the potters into the growing area to help with plant unloading or changing from
non-interrupted potting production to interrupted potting production - eg. 2 people pot
a trailer load of plants and then both go to unload the plants before returning to the
potting area and potting another trailer load of plants.

Some nurseries in the project used ‘potting supervisors’ to manage potting production.
In some of these nurseries this person was a full-time hands on working member of
the potting crew while at other nurseries the potting supervisor only visited the potting
area periodically to check on production progress and deliver instructions to potting
staff. The project did not study the input of supervisors who were not working full
time in potting, however, there seems good potential in those nurseries where the
supervisor’s input was limited to have one or several of the full time potters assume
the role of potting supervisor. For this to occur, all necessary information required for
potting would need to be available for the potter/supervisor. If the information
currently being communicated from potting management to potting supervisor to
potting staff could be directly communicated from potting management to potting
staff then the position of non-potting potting supervisor could be made redundant.

4.1.3 Material handling and equipment

Material handling and equipment refers to the method and the equipment used for
moving the materials (inputs and outputs) used in potting. A great variety of methods
for material handling were observed at the nurseries investigated. Empty pots were
delivered to the potting bench by hand, trolley or trailer, media was brought to the
bench by the shovel load or using a front end loader, potted plants were carried to the
trailer by hand or placed in trays and loaded by conveyor, plant stock was brought
considerable distances by hand one tray at a time or delivered in large quantities by
automatic conveyor to the potting bench.

Many nurseries could instantly reduce their potting labour costs by reviewing
handling methods used for potting inputs and outputs and taking steps to ensure that
 20

whenever material was delivered to the potting area or removed from the potting area,
it was done quickly and in quantities that represent a significant period of potting
production. For this to occur the location of inputs and outputs would need to be
reviewed, the quantities in which inputs and outputs were delivered would need to be
reviewed and thorough production information would need to be available to potters
to enable them to bring materials in significant quantities.

4.1.4 Communication of information

A lot of information needs to be processed before potting can begin:

• What stock is to be potted?

• How much of the stock is to be potted?
• Where is the stock located?
• What size, type and colour pots are to be used?
• How many people will be potting?
• Who will be doing which tasks?
• If equipment is necessary, is it available and serviceable.
• Availability of suitable growing medium.
• Which fertiliser will be used, is there sufficient, how will it be applied?
• Which planting stock should be rejected?
• Where are the potted plants going?
• Do they receive a herbicide application?
• Does the growing area need to be prepared?
• How much water should they get prior to being put down?

When any information is unavailable to potting staff, production time can be wasted
while they seek instruction from potting supervisors or nursery management. When
potting staff have all the information necessary for potting then work can begin
promptly and continue without interruption. In smaller nurseries where managers
often participate in the potting process decisions on potting production can be
communicated instantly to potting staff. In medium and large nurseries, however,
information needs to travel from nursery production manager to potting supervisor,
from potting supervisor to potting staff and from potting staff to potting staff.

To reduce the potential for communication failure disrupting potting production

nursery management should set up a reporting system to monitor available quantities
of potting materials (media, pots, stock, etc.), ensure potting materials are ordered
ahead of time and available in the potting area and ensure that necessary information
has been communicated to all relevant potting staff before potting production starts.
When this is done potters can become largely self managing and production stops due
to lack of information will be eliminated.
 21

4.2 Potting work environment

The potting work environment refers to

• Organisation of the work station

• Potting techniques
• Operating knowledge
• Break downs and malfunctions
• Automation of tasks
• Speed of operation

Organisation of work station

The work station includes the actual potting work bench and the surrounding area. As
the work station is the focus for the movement of inputs and outputs it is essential that
room for the storage of these materials during potting exists and that access to them
during potting is not impeded. A poorly organised work station will have a distinct
affect on the production efficiency of machine potting systems. As potters are
working to the speed of the machine they have a very small window of opportunity to
select inputs and remove outputs without falling behind the machine’s production
speed. A nursery will not compensate for a poorly organised work station by reducing
the operating speed of the machine or lowering the expectation of production rates for
hand potting staff. The only solution is to improve the organisation of the work station
to enable more efficient potting production.

An unavoidable fact of working on a standard, modified, or mobile potting bench is

that the presence of potting media makes it hard to find flat space to stand pots, place
plant stock, fertiliser etc. Operating a potting machine also involves using a work
bench area for the storage of plant stock etc. and, as with hand potting, the manner in
which the potting machine work bench is organised can affect potting production
efficiency.

If a potting work bench is poorly organised potters can spend considerable time
carrying out many small actions moving potting materials (stock, pots, fertiliser,
empty tubes, trays, etc.) about on the bench as they seek access to potting media or
operate the potting machine. Work space can be optimised by keeping materials for
potting off the potting bench but close to potters (eg. stands or conveyors in for plant
stock, bins for disposal of tubes, utilising unused space under potting bench to store
other potting inputs and outputs).

4.2.2 Potting techniques

Potting can be undertaken in a variety of ways. For example, in hand potting:

‰ a large quantity of pots can be filled with media, loaded to a trailer or bench and
then have plant stock inserted to each pot (batch production)
 22

‰ a small quantity of pots can be filled with media at the work bench and stock
inserted to each pot (batch production)
‰ or an individual pot can be filled with media at the bench and stock inserted into
the pot (continuous production).

Significant differences were detected between the productivity of potters (hand potters
and those operating potting machines) working in the same nursery. This variation
can be put down to the better work station organisation, motivation and potting
technique of the more productive potters. Over time potters often develop their own
particular potting technique and method of organising the work station. However,
these techniques and methods might not always be the most efficient options
available. Nurseries should review the productivity of individual potters and where
possible use more productive potters to train others in technique and work station
organisation.

4.2.3 Worker skill

Worker skill in operating potting machines was generally observed to be good in the
straight forward operation of the machines. A lack of skill was observed, however,
when accurate adjustments needed to be made to the machines (eg. conveyors, pot
dispensers) to cater for changes in operating circumstances such as occur when
changing pot sizes or moving the machine to another location in the nursery.

The importance of staff skill levels is not limited to the operation of potting machines.
Staff need high skill levels in all areas they are likely to encounter in their work.
When potting staff do not know how to carry out a certain task then production is
halted while they seek out assistance or even worse, plant quality is affected if they
should attempt the task without advice. Potting staff should all know the potting
requirements of different species (eg. water, herbicide, fertiliser, pruning, media, pot
size, pot colour), how to identify suitable and different plant stock, how to grade plant
stock, where potted plants are to be placed in the growing area, etc.

4.2.4 Break downs and malfunctions

Despite the age of many potting machines observed no potting machines broke down
while researchers were recording potting data. This is probably more of a testimony
to the solid construction of the machines rather than the result of regular maintenance.
Machine malfunctions, on the other hand, were quite frequently observed. Common
potting machine malfunctions included:

• empty pots jamming in the pot dispenser

• Empty pots jamming in potting machine
• Empty pots jamming in the media outlet
• Potted plants falling over as they are swept onto the conveyor
• Media filled pots jamming in the machine
• Potting media bridging in the external hopper
• Potting media sticking to the sides of the machine’s internal hopper
 23

Pot dispenser malfunctions were a common source of production stops for Mayer
machines and those Javo machines with automatic pot dispensers. The causes of pot
jamming included:
• using second hand pots or pots with non-standard profiles (these tend to jam
together),
• staff difficulty in determining exactly why pots were jamming,
• difficulty knowing precisely how far to adjust elements of the dispenser to
eliminate pot jamming.

In hand potting, equipment break down and malfunction was mainly limited to the
very common problem of potting media bridging (ceasing to flow) in hoppers. In fact,
this malfunction was a common occurrence in most potting systems using hoppers (ie.
all except standard potting bench). When a hopper bridges, production time is affected
as someone works to remove the bridging with a shovel, length of wood, rubber
mallet, etc. The reasons for hopper bridging include, poorly designed hoppers,
hoppers made of materials which restrict media flow, hoppers with pitted, rusted or
painted interiors, and using media with a high moisture content.

The frequency with which malfunctions occur highlights how a lack of thorough
operating knowledge (knowing how to both operate and adjust the machine, regulate
the moisture content of media, etc.) can affect production efficiency.

4.2.5 Mechanisation and automation of tasks

Full automation in potting would involve pots being filled with media automatically,
plant stock ejected and inserted to the pot automatically and potted plants taken from
the machine and loaded to the trailer, conveyor, etc. automatically. Though such
systems are common overseas, no such fully automated systems in Australian pot
production nurseries have yet been encountered during the potting project.

In machine potting the tasks of inserting pots to the machine and inserting fertiliser to
pots generally involve one person full time and the constant nature of these tasks
makes it difficult for the pot inserter or fertiliser inserter to contribute to any other
tasks. The initial cost of buying or building a pot dispenser or fertiliser dispenser
would quickly be amortised by reducing the number of staff needed to operate the
potting machine.

When hand potting, adding fertiliser to each pot adds several seconds per pot to the
potting process. Nurseries that choose pre-mix or to buy potting media with fertiliser
already mixed have an immediate advantage over nurseries that add during the potting
process. Some nurseries expressed prior problems in using pre-mixed potting media
and fertiliser while other nurseries were satisfied with the results obtained. Reluctant
nurseries mentioned concerns such as premature fertiliser release in the media if
potting was delayed and fertiliser not being in the optimum position in the pot to serve
plant growth. Nurseries that added fertiliser by hand also differed in their opinion on
the best place to insert fertiliser in the pot (ie. under the plant root ball in the pot, in
the sub-surface of the soil, or on the surface of the growing medium).
Automatic fertiliser dispensers exist and these need investigation in improving
accuracy and labour use in potting.
 24

4.2.6 Optimum speed of operation

In some cases, when the potting staff is not being fully utilised, the efficiency of
potting (ie. the labour cost per pot) can be greatly improved by reducing the speed at
which the potting machine works. When machine speed is reduced the number of
people required to operate the machine can also be reduced as staff can now manage
extra tasks and the potting tasks can be spread over fewer people. The daily
production of pots will obviously be slightly decreased but this will be offset by a
reduction in labour costs.

In hand potting, the optimum operating (potting) speed is one that can be sustained for
lengthy periods of production. Potting at a very fast rate only to fall away during the
day due to tiredness will be less productive than maintaining a steady potting speed
throughout the day. When establishing production quotas for hand potters and
machine potters, nursery management should base its targets on sustainable operating
speeds.

4.3 Worker related issues

Worker related issues refers to worker safety, worker comfort and worker motivation
and worker skill levels. Poor safety standards can lower staff motivation, make tasks
difficult to perform and increase the incidence of work place injury. Low worker
comfort levels can hamper workers’ ability to carry out tasks, contribute to injuries,
and have a negative impact on worker motivation. Well motivated workers who
understood how to carry out their tasks were a feature at all nurseries with low potting
labour costs.

4.3.1 Worker safety

• Safe handling of potting media

Reports commissioned by the Nursery industry have concluded that the unprotected
handling of potting media carries the potential for the transmission of infectious
disease (Steele 1996). The advice from the Nursery Industry Association of Australia,
however, is that all people working with or in the vicinity of potting media should
wear gloves and specified face masks. Nurseries that do not ensure staff follow safety
guidelines for handling potting media risk being judged negligent in fulfilling their
duty of care to staff.

• Safe herbicide application

Many potters place granular pre-emergence herbicides onto plants after potting.
Researchers noted that workers did not always wear the full complement of
recommended safety protection. The application should ideally take place out of the
immediate potting area where herbicide residue can come in contact with other
workers. Instructions for the safe handling of products such as Rout and Ronstar are
clearly displayed on product packaging, and in their Material Safety Data Sheets.
 25

• Safe operation of machinery

The operation of potting machines involves staff coming into close, and sometimes
direct, contact with moving machinery parts. Apart from normal operation of the
machine, interaction between person and machine also occurs when adjustments are
carried out on the machine, when maintenance is carried out, as machines are moved
from one potting location to another and when staff attempt to fix malfunctions and
breakdowns during potting. As many of the potting machines used in nurseries are
quite old, commonly lack warning labels and operating instructions and can be prone
to malfunctions, nursery management and staff need to be especially vigilant when
using these machines.

From a safety point of view it is essential that any person using the potting machine
(or any piece of mechanised equipment in the potting operation) be fully familiar with
the operation of the machinery and also know the safety procedures to follow when
attempting to fix malfunctions and make operating adjustments. Conspicuous warning
signs should be placed on danger spots on machinery. Clearly written operating
instructions displayed on potting machines can help keep staff conscious of safe
operating procedures. Older potting machines may not carry any operating
instructions or warnings. The nursery should clearly write the operating instructions
and mark the danger areas on such machines to reduce the potential for injury.

• Hearing protection

Loss of hearing is one of the most common reasons for worker compensation claims
in Australia and New Zealand with around 14,000 claims for noise induced hearing
loss lodged each year. Loss of hearing is not only caused by sudden exposure to
explosive levels of sound or by prolonged exposure to very high levels of sound.
Hearing loss can be caused by prolonged exposure to sound levels of around 85
decibels. Working at a potting machine eight hours a day for a number of years could
well have a detrimental affect on the hearing of potting staff if they do not wear ear
protection. Very few potting staff wear ear protection despite working with or in
close proximity to potting machines, tractors, front-end loaders, etc. Nursery
management should be aware that prolonged exposure to relatively low level noise
can result in hearing loss and investigate the noise levels produced in the potting area,
seek feedback from potters on levels of discomfort and provide hearing protection
where required.

• Maintaining potting equipment in a safe state for use

Equipment used in potting is subject to a lot of wear and tear and as the condition of
things such as wire trays, potting machines, trailers, tractors, hoppers, etc., deteriorate
they not only reduce the efficiency of production they also begin to pose a safety risk
to potting staff. For example, when handling broken wire trays the sharp wire ends
can catch at hands and clothing. If old vehicles used for internal transport have jagged
body panels these can pose a risk to workers. Trailers with broken metal rails or
broken wire mesh bases can cut staff loading and unloading pots.

Although the potential for injury exists in all workplaces, the likelihood of an injury
occurring will increase significantly if equipment is allowed to fall into disrepair.
Nurseries can limit the potential for such injuries occurring by staying alert to
 26

possible sources of injury, regularly maintaining potting equipment and replacing any
equipment that has become dangerous to use.

4.3.2 Worker comfort

Worker comfort is one of the most important, yet one of the most consistently
neglected factors determining production efficiency (Corlett 1995). All work requires
effort but there is nothing indulgent in creating an environment that allows the work
to be carried out with a minimum of effort.

An uncomfortable work environment places unnecessary physical demands on potting

staff that will limit their productivity. For example, a worker using inappropriate tools
in a cramped work station with poor lighting, exposed to wind or rain will tire more
rapidly, be more susceptible to work related injuries, be less motivated to perform and
ultimately be less productive than a worker performing the same task in less stressful
surroundings. Any improvements that a nursery makes to levels of worker comfort
can be expected to have a positive influence on overall productivity.

A list of injuries indicative of low worker comfort levels is shown in Table 5.

• Protecting staff from the elements

There was a very high awareness among nurseries of the need to protect workers from
the sun and most nurseries provided sunscreen and required workers to wear a hat
when in the field. However, opportunities for increasing worker comfort through the
provision of mobile shade/rain/wind structures were frequently available, especially in
situations where potting took place in the open air or in open sided structures.

• Moving media on benches

Moving media on potting benches (standard, modified and mobile benches) was often
carried out by workers using shovels while standing at ground level. Shovels are not
designed for moving soil forward along a horizontal plane. Hoes or rakes are far more
suitable tools for moving media in this situation.

• Prolonged standing on hard surfaces

Leg fatigue will be experienced after only one to two hours standing on a hard
surface. Standing for long periods on hard surfaces places stress on the plantar muscle
(sole), increases venous pressure in the legs, can lead to spurs growing on the heels
and places stress on the lower back. All potting staff who are standing for significant
periods of time should be provided with proper ergonomic matting to cushion their
feet and legs (rubber door mats can be uneven and therefore unsuitable) and should be
encouraged to wear cushioned sole inserts in their shoes (especially when work boots
are worn). Many nurseries investigated provided rubber matting for potters standing
for long periods on hard surfaces. However, a significant number were without such
matting and the area of matting at other nurseries was too small, limiting the potters
ability to move their position during potting.
 27

Nurseries could also benefit by trialing the use of stools (special ergonomic ‘sit
stands’ are available which take most of the weight of a stationary worker without
them actually sitting down at the job) for workers who are engaged in prolonged
standing tasks. Foot stands, which are placed in front of the worker and can be used to
take the weight off one leg would be the next option if it was decided that ergonomic
chairs were not suitable.

Table 5. Injuries and symptoms indicative of low worker comfort levels

Symptom Potential solution

Leg and foot fatigue • Improve work station design
• Provide rubber matting over concrete
floors
• Ensure floors in work area are firm,
level and dry
• Provide ergonomic chairs for standing
staff
• Provide foot rests for standing staff
• Use cushioned inserts in work boots

Hand strain/injuries • Wear gloves when potting

• Use rubber mallet, not the hand, to
dislodge media from hopper sides
• Use pot lifters to load and unload
loose pots

Back fatigue • Use adjustable benches

• Use ramps to raise the working height
at low trailers
• Provide training in proper lifting
techniques
• Improve work station design
• Use hand trolley to transport heavy
inputs/outputs (eg. fertiliser bags)

Hearing loss • Reduce machine noise

• Provide ear plugs

Sunburn, heat stress • Provide sun screen, hats, sunglasses,

water
• Provide sun shade for outside work
stations

Repetitive stress injuries • Increase task rotation

• Review work procedures, work
station design & the suitability of
tools used
 28

Symptom Potential solution

Eye strain • Increase natural light or install
electrical lighting

Exposure to wind, rain, sun • Provide cover from elements

Amounts of potting media dust detectable • Educate workers to the risk of

in the nose after potting inhaling and ingesting potting media
• Supply masks & gloves to potters

Noticeable drop in worker productivity as • Create a more stimulating and

day progresses due to tiredness comfortable work environment Eg.
feedback on progress meeting
production targets, rewards for
meeting or exceeding production
quotas, increasing worker comfort
through any of the methods given
above

4.3.3 Worker motivation

When designing a potting production system, worker motivation is just as important a

consideration as materials handling or organisation of the potting area. Motivated
workers will help an efficient potting system perform to its potential and make a less
than efficient system perform much better than it has a right to. On the other hand,
unmotivated workers can counteract the benefits of an efficient system and make an
inefficient system look very bad indeed. One motivated and skilled worker is a much
more valuable asset than two average workers. The minimum award wage for nursery
staff is one of the lowest for all industries. In terms of increased productivity it might
pay to increase wages slightly as the first step in creating a better motivated
workforce.

Money is the primary impulse for most of us to get up and go to work each day, but
there are many other aspects that give workers the desire to work productively for an
employer. A sense of belonging, achievement, importance and self respect are
examples. The work place can be the source of practically any positive emotion
which helps keep the worker interested and committed to performing their
responsibilities in a diligent manner day in and day out.

Fully understanding a worker’s motivation requires personal communication between

the manager and the staff member. Not all nursery managers may have the time or
inclination to discover the needs and wants of each staff member. Some nurseries
have a high employee turn over which can make management wary of investing too
much time to individual staff members. High employee turn over could also make
management react against the concept of understanding and building the motivation
of workers. Yet, high employee turn over can often be attributed to low levels of
worker motivation. The motivation of workers is clearly an extremely important
consideration for managers intent on developing an efficient production system. For
managers interested in researching and improving worker motivation at their nurseries
 29

various models for raising worker motivation can be found in the many management
skills books now available.

Aspects of potting production that can affect worker motivation include levels of
health and safety and worker comfort. Attending to these issues will enable workers
to more easily carry out their tasks and will show workers that management is
professional about its role and concerned for the well being of workers.

4.4 Potted plant related factors

There are a number of factors directly associated with potted plants that affect the
performance of potting. These factors include:
• Plant type and state of root development
• Container used (propagation container and potting on container)
• Daily quantity of plants to be potted
• Placement of fertiliser
• Watering-in procedures
• Placing plants in the growing area (ie. spaced or unspaced)

In a well organised potting system such factors may have only a small affect on
overall potting performance. However, in a poorly organised system these factors can
compound other inefficiencies to create significant production problems.

4.4.1 Plant type

During the potting project it was observed that certain types of plants are more
difficult to plant than others. Plant types were divided into those propagated in cell
trays and those propagated in tubes. Potted colour varieties typify the types of plants
propagated in cell trays while shrubs and trees typify the types of plants propagated in
tubes. Very few nurseries bare-root plants into pots.

Generally plants propagated in tubes (50 - 100mm) took longer to pot than plants
grown in cell trays (42-288 cells per tray). Cell trays hold large numbers of plants and
plant stock is easily ejected from the tray and easily inserted to the media filled pot.
Cell trays take little time to discard from the potting bench. Tubes, on the other hand,
take longer to bring to the potting area, take longer to eject from the tube, take longer
to insert to the media filled pot and take longer to discard.

The maturity of the plant stock was also a factor in potting labour costs. Over-mature
stock slowed down the potting process by making it difficult to dislodge from the tube
and cell tray and requiring the potter to sometimes trim roots or stems. Better
coordination between propagation and potting would eliminate problems caused by
over-mature stock, both in terms of potting times and in pre-potting preparation.

4.4.2 Containers used

The size and type of the propagation container, the size and type of the of the pot
being used for potting-on and the ratio of the size of the propagation container to the
 30

potting-on container can all influence the speed with which potting can be carried out.
As discussed in the section on plant type, it was generally found that plant stock
grown in cell trays is easier to pot than plant stock grown in tubes, and this can be
used to opportunity in some situations where the same plants can be produced in
either. The fact needs to be recognised always in planning the resources needed in
individual potting operations however.

Filling large pots (eg. 175mm, 200mm, 250mm) with potting media takes longer than
filling small pots (eg. 100mm, 140mm 150mm) with media. The pot filling process in
potting machines with variable media flow will not be affected by the size of the pot
as the media filling is automatic, however, the number of pots able to be produced in a
given time will decrease as larger pots take up more room in the machine, and potting
inputs (empty pots, fertiliser, media, etc.) will need to be replenished more frequently.

The ratio of the size of the propagation container to the potting-on container affects
potting time in the following way. When potting from a 50mm or 70mm tube to pots
of size 140mm and up the tube stock fits into the pot while still allowing plenty of
space around the plant for potting media to be easily inserted. However, when
inserting 70mm plant stock into a 100mm pot it becomes more difficult to insert and
compress potting media into the pot to fill the narrow gap between plant stock and pot
side. This problem will also occur when potting-on plants from say a 140mm pot into
a 175 mm pot. The space between plant stock and pot wall becomes narrow and
difficult to fill with potting media.

4.4.3 Quantities of plants potted

When the variables in potting remain constant during a potting event (ie. pot size, type
of pot, colour of pot, propagation container size, plant stock type, treatments carried
out on potted plant, etc.) production can proceed in an efficient manner. However,
when potting variables change frequently during the potting event production
efficiency falls as staff need to meet the new set of potting requirements for each new
type of plant.

Frequently changing potting requirements means increased time spent seeking

production information, more time spent bringing in new potting inputs, time spent
rearranging the work bench, etc. Breaks in production continuity also affect the
potting rhythm of potters resulting in lower production rates. Nursery operators
interested in achieving greater production efficiency should attempt to pot in large
batches of plants with similar potting requirements.

4.4.4 Fertiliser placement

Of all the processes carried out in potting the placement of fertiliser (granular types)
has proven to be the most variable. Where is the best place to put fertiliser in the
potted plant? On the surface of the potted plant, under the surface of the potted plant,
under the root ball of the plant, distributed through the potting media ? From an
efficiency perspective the quickest option is to either mix it into the potting media
before potting begins (assuming that the mixing process is done by the media supplier
or in an efficient manner by the nursery) or place it onto the surface of the potted
 31

plant after potting (preferably using a fertiliser dispenser). The most time consuming
method is to insert fertiliser into each pot during the actual potting process.

Nurseries have no doubt settled on a particular method of fertiliser placement after

analysing production related to nutrition.

4.4.5 Watering

Watering-in the potted plant was another procedure that was observed to be carried
out using a wide variety of methods. Methods included, automatic watering tunnels,
hand watering in the potting area, hand watering in a designated watering station
some distance from potting, hand watering in the growing area after plants had been
put down, and watering by using the overhead irrigation system. Given the fact that
plant types produced and quality obtained did not differ greatly between nurseries it
seems that although the efficiency of watering methods differed, the same end result
(healthy plants) was achieved by all methods.

4.4.6 Spacing plants in the growing area

Spacing out plants in the growing area followed either of two patterns; potted plants
were unloaded pot to pot in the growing area leaving no space between them or pots
were unloaded and spaced out in the growing area to allow for optimum growing
space. Certain plant species placed pot to pot did not require to be moved in the time
between potting and their collection for dispatch, however some plants spaced pot to
pot needed to be subsequently moved apart during their growing cycle at the nursery.
Subsequent spacing out of pots placed pot to pot is an extra step that could have been
accomplished in the task of putting down potted plants in the growing area – not
space economical. Sometimes it is much cheaper to originally place pot to pot and
leave until ready for wider spacing than to do so immediately.

4.4.7 Pruning plant stock

Pruning plant stock was observed to be carried out before potting took place, during
the potting process (ie, individual potted plants were pruned after being inserted to the
pot), after potting in the potting area (ie. once loaded to a trailer, etc.) and after potting
when placed down in the growing area. Pruning plants after they had been placed in
the growing area is probably the least efficient of all methods as it involves the
worker crouching uncomfortably and it is difficult to access plants in close proximity
to each other. It is also less suitable in terms of plant growth.

5. Results of investigation

In this report, and in future general reports to the nursery industry, potting labour cost
comparisons may be made between all or a number of nurseries involved in the
project. Each nursery has therefore been allocated a confidential number so that it
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may know where its labour cost figures lie in relation to other participating nurseries.
The number was only provided to management at the relevant nursery.

In some cases the description of tasks on graphs may not seem to match the tasks as
you know them at your nursery. Faced with a great variety of potting tasks (often
referred to differently by different nurseries) and limited by the space available under
graphs to describe these tasks researchers decided to use the most common task
names and trust in the ability of nurseries to relate tasks to their own operations. For
example if a task is shown as ‘loading potted plant to trailer’ and your nursery loads
potted plants to conveyors and not trailers then in your nursery’s case the time shown
will refer to loading potted plants to conveyor. A description of potting tasks is
provided in Tables 2 and 3.

5.1 Overall potting performance

The following sets of graphs (figures 1a-f & figures 2a-f) show the average duration
of potting tasks (seconds per pot) and the break up of total potting time (% of total
potting time) for the potting systems standard bench, modified bench, mobile bench,
Comet, Javo and Meyer.

Figures 1a to 1f show average potting task times (in seconds per pot) for each potting
system (all pot sizes used in the systems during the period of data collection were
used in the calculation).

Figures 2a to 2f show the break down of the average total potting time for the various
potting systems into the potting processes of plant stock handling, pot handling,
fertiliser handling, media handling, handling the pot with media, handling the potted
plant, handling other materials, maintaining the potting area and preparing the
growing area.

It can be seen that plant stock handling and handling the potted plant take up the
majority of total potting time for all systems but in mobile potting systems handling
the potted plant does not take up as large a % of total potting time because of the
elimination of the task of transporting potted plants to the growing area.
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5.2 Average Potting cost

Figures 3a to 3e show the average potting labour cost in the areas of preparation for
potting, potting, after potting and total potting, for most of the potting systems
investigated during the project. Each graph shows the average potting labour costs for
nurseries using a particular potting system for the production of a various pot sizes.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show the minimum, average and maximum potting costs required
to produce various pot sizes using average values from all potting systems
investigated during the project.

Figure 7 compares the average potting cost in cents per pot for all pot sizes and all
potting systems investigated during the project. Note that no adjustment has been
made to account for different levels of potting difficulty for different species of plants
potted. Under each bar of the graph is a description of the potting system in 2 letters:

St = standard bench
Mo = modified bench
Mb = mobile bench
Co = Comet
jv = Javo
my = Mayer
bg = C-Mac bag filler
ro = rotary table
ht = Williams Hi Tec Engineering

Next is written the size in millimetres of the pot used (eg. 100 = 100mm), finally the
code used to represent the nursery where the data was collected (the identity of each
nursery is confidential). Information at co-140-n6 therefore relates to a Comet
machine potting system producing 140mm pots at nursery site n6.

Figure 8 shows the average labour costs of potting for all potting systems investigated
during the project. Note that the costs are for 140mm pots except for the Mayer
system which did not produce any 140mm pots during the period of data collection.
Also note that costs have not been adjusted to take into consideration the potting
difficulty of different types of plants produced.

Potting costs adjusted to take potting difficulty into consideration will be reported in a
later stage of the project.
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5.3 Potting systems

The following section contains general information on the potting systems

investigated in the project. Nursery industry representatives chose the potting systems
to be investigated. The fact that certain potting systems were not included because
they were not available for study in the project is no reflection on the efficiency of
those systems. The potting systems are divided into hand potting and machine potting.

The information provided is intended as a very general guide to help nurseries

determine which potting system is best suited for them. More definitive advice on
which potting systems are suitable for which types of potting production will be
available at a later stage of the project. Nurseries contemplating changing their
production systems now should do so only after a thorough analysis of their potting
production needs and discussion with the manufacturers of any potting equipment and
not solely on the basis of information provided here.

Hand potting

Hand potting (ie. standard bench, modified bench, mobile bench systems) can place
more physical demands on potters than potting at a machine so the production rate of
hand potters tends to fall away during the day due to fatigue. The production of hand
potters is also influenced by the efficiency of their potting techniques and their work
ethic (motivation) unlike machine potters whose production rates are largely dictated
by the speed setting on the machine.

To counter falling production during hand potting it becomes even more important to
ensure worker comfort levels are high and that materials handling is as efficient as
possible. Hand potting systems are often faced with problems due to potting media
encroaching on workbench space. Media makes it difficult to store and stand empty
pots, store trays of plant stock, store tubes, trays, etc. Potting production rates will be
improved by ensuring adequate work space is available to potters. Many nurseries
using hand potting methods could also improve their production rates by reviewing
the potting production rates of individual potters and helping them to improve their
potting techniques where necessary.

Adding fertiliser by hand during the potting process (more commonly observed in
QLD nurseries) is a time consuming element of hand potting as it involves extra
actions in getting the fertiliser, dibbling a hole for the fertiliser, inserting the fertiliser
and covering the fertiliser with media. NSW and VIC nurseries seemed more prepared
to streamline their potting process by buying in potting media which had been already
mixed with fertiliser. However, it may be that dibbling etc is your best option based
on plant nutritional needs and should therefore be adopted.

5.3.1 Standard Bench

Potting using a standard bench involves placing potting media onto a fixed flat
surface such as a table, filling empty pots with media by hand, inserting plant stock to
the pots by hand and loading the potted plants to a trailer, etc., by hand.
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Production notes

The work surfaces of standard benches were observed to be constructed from of a

variety of materials ranging plywood to stainless steel. Stainless steel, though more
expensive than wood, has the advantage of being easy to sterilise. Galvanised steel is
not a suitable material for a standard bench as it reacts to fertiliser in the potting
media.

5.3.2 Modified bench

Potting on a modified bench involves potting by hand on a flat raised surface to which
potting media is fed by a hopper (flow from the hopper being gravity or mechanically
assisted). Some modified benches also have conveyors (gravity or electric) to bring
plant stock into the potting bench and/or to take the potted plants to a trailer, etc.

Production notes

As soon as you incorporate a hopper into a potting system moisture control of the
potting media becomes very important. The design of many potting media hoppers
makes them prone to bridging. This bridging becomes more frequent when the potting
media is too moist. Hoppers with motorised conveyor system under the hopper to
deliver media to the potter are not generally troubled by hopper bridging. Such
arrangements will also leave more room on the potting bench as the hopper can be
situated some distance away from the bench. Nurseries with gravity flow hoppers can
counter bridging by installing vibrating mechanisms to the hopper. The simplest and
cheapest solution to hopper bridging is a well designed hopper and adequate control
of potting media moisture content.

Many modified benches with gravity flow hoppers (ie. the hopper is situated above
the potting bench) were observed to suffer from a serious lack of adequate work space
at the bench. This results in cramped conditions for the potter and time lost arranging
inputs and outputs in the limited work space available.

When designing or buying a modified bench make sure that:

‰ bench height is suitable for all staff (adjustable bench height or adjustable standing
platform will improve worker comfort)
‰ the front panel of the hopper does not come too close to the potters head (potters
will be cramped for work space)
‰ there is sufficient flat bench space at the front of the modified bench for actual
potting to comfortably take place and still allow for the storage of empty pots,
plant stock, etc.
‰ hopper design does not cause constant bridging of potting media.

5.3.3 Mobile Bench

Potting using a mobile bench involves placing media onto a mobile flat surface or into
a hopper and transporting the mobile bench to the growing area where potted plants
are to be put down. Once in the growing area potting takes place at the mobile bench
and the potted plants are directly unloaded into the growing area. A mobile bench
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could be a trailer towed by tractor, the rear tray of a truck or ute, a hopper mounted
onto a trailer or truck, etc.

Production notes

Mobile benches are used to reduce potting labour costs by cutting down the time
taken to transport potted plants to the field. Project research has confirmed that
handling the potted plant does make up a considerable part of total potting costs. As
mobile potting takes place in the field, away from main stores of potting materials
(potting media, empty pots, herbicides, fertiliser, potting tools, plant stock, water,
etc.) there is an increased likelihood that the inefficient handling of other materials
will occur. To eliminate this risk mobile benches should be able to store all potting
materials required for a significant period of potting.

Mobile bench potting requires less potting staff to carry out total potting as travel to
the growing area is reduced to a minimum. Mobile bench potting, when combined
with a conveyor to take plants from the potting bench into the growing area, can be a
highly efficient means of getting the potted plant into the growing area. This
efficiency will be lost however if the conveyor is not situated to allow potters at the
mobile potting bench to easily load potted plants to the conveyor.

As mobile bench potting takes place in the field, it can place the potting production
schedule at the mercy of the weather. Some form of easily moveable shelter from the
sun, rain and wind will raise worker comfort levels and help maintain production rates
in all conditions.

Machine potting

Various models of the Comet, Javo and Mayer potting machines were investigated
during the project. Information provided here refers to the general features of these
potting machines. If you need details about the production performance of specific
models you should contact the manufacturers.

For machine potting to be an efficient option for potting production, staff need a
thorough knowledge of all aspects of using the machine (including fixing
malfunctions) and the machine has to be operated according to manufacturer’s
guidelines. For example, malfunctions such as pot jamming in machines can be
virtually eliminated if nurseries follow the manufacturer’s advice to use new, standard
shaped pots rather than second hand or non-standard pots.

5.3.4 Comet potting machine

The Comet potting machine is an Australian product. It provides a continuos flow of

media to empty pots held under the soil flow. Potters stand facing either of 2 media
flow outlets and insert plant stock to the media filled pots. Some nurseries have fitted
their Comet potting systems with gravity conveyors to bring plant stock in to the
potters and take potted plants out to the waiting trailer.
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Production notes

Comets have a limited internal hopper capacity which nurseries can increase by
adding an external hopper. Comets can be fitted with wheels to allow mobile potting
to take place. Comets were observed in small, medium and large nurseries. The
absence of a pot dispenser (potters hold pots under the media outlet) means that a
great range of different sized pots can be filled with media at the potter with only
minimal adjustment (ie. the rate of soil flow) required.

5.3.5 Javo potting machine

The Javo potting machine is produced in the Netherlands. The Javo machine fills
empty pots with media, drills a hole for insertion of plant stock and moves the media
filled pots to a point where plant stock can be manually inserted. There are options for
attaching an automatic fertiliser dispenser, an automatic pot dispenser and a conveyor
to deliver potted plants to trailer.

Production notes

The Javo potting machine allows the option of automatic fertiliser dispensing and
automatic pot dispensing. Nurseries using a Javo machine and carrying out these tasks
by hand should investigate the possibility of mechanising to reduce the total number
of staff required. The automatic pot dispenser on Javos was periodically observed to
malfunction when required to dispense second hand or non-standard pots. This
problem was resolved by using new, standard pots.

The number of people required to operate a Javo (including putting down potted
plants) varied greatly from one nursery to another. Of the 8 Javo systems studied the
fewest number of people observed successfully operating a Javo was 3 (1 inserting
plant stock to pots, 1 unloading potted plants to trailer and inserting empty pots to the
Javo, 1 driving potted plants to the growing area and putting down). The greatest
`number of people operating a Javo system was 8 (3 ejecting plant stock from tubes, 1
inserting empty pots to the Javo, 1 inserting plant stock to pots, 1 unloading potted
plants to trailer, 2 driving trailers to the growing area and putting down plants).

If ejecting stock was performed at the Javo by the potter the overall number of people
involved could be reduced. A nursery’s decision to eject plant stock before potting is
usually based on the impression that the potter does not have sufficient time to eject
each plant from its propagation container and pot it. However, by slowing down the
machine, and streamlining the stock ejecting technique many nurseries could
successfully incorporate stock ejection and potting in one operation at the Javo.

The internal hopper of the Javo is quite small and most nurseries add an external
hopper to feed the Javo. If the external hopper used is prone to bridging it will reduce
the potting production rate as someone will be required to manually free the
obstruction. As discussed in the section on modified benches, the design of the hopper
and control of the moisture content of potting media become important when using
hoppers in a potting system.
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5.3.6 Mayer potting machine

The Mayer potting machine is a German product. There are various models available
with differing pot holder ranges, production capabilities, hopper capacities, etc.
Empty pots are released from an automatic pot dispenser into a carousel which carries
pots under a continuous soil flow. Holes for insertion of plant stock are drilled into the
media filled pots which then continue on to where the potter manually inserts plant
stock. Potted plants are then automatically transferred onto a mechanical conveyor
and delivered to the trailer or directly into the growing area. Insertion of plant stock
can take place after media filled pots have been automatically transferred onto the
mechanical conveyor.

Production notes

The models of Mayer potting machines investigated during the project had relatively
small capacity internal hoppers (1 cubic metre) and consequently had to be re-filled
regularly during the course of the day. The media loading process meant stopping
potting production and the frequency with which media needed to be loaded increased
with an increase in pot size. The narrow width and height of the internal hopper made
using a wide bucket to load the media impractical. Mayer’s were filled using cubic
metre bags or boxes of media which were lifted above the hopper using a fork lift and
then released or up ended.

Problems with pot jamming in the automatic pot dispenser were observed in Mayer
potting machines. Mayer operators were observed to have difficulty adjusting the
dispenser to eliminate the problem. It was not clear whether inability to solve the pot
jamming problem was a reflection on operator knowledge or a lack of refinement in
the dispenser adjustment mechanism.

5.3.7 Williams Hi Tec International potting machine

This potting machine is an Australian product. The machine observed during the
potting project was the first commercial prototype. The machine is an automatic
potting machine with speed control, automatic pot dispenser, automatic drilling and
mechanical conveyor out. Customers will have the option of buying the complete
machine or separate working elements of the machine (starting with hopper and
automatic soil flow) according to their current budget and production needs. As a
nursery grows or more capital becomes available to it, other elements can be
purchased until the complete fully automatic machine is assembled.

Empty pots are released from an automatic pot dispenser in a series of 1,2 or 3 pots
onto a carousel which carries pots under a continuous soil flow. Holes for insertion of
plant stock are drilled into the media filled pots which then continue on to where the
potter manually inserts plant stock. Potted plants are then automatically transferred
onto a mechanical conveyor and delivered to the trailer or directly into the growing
area. Insertion of plant stock can take place after media filled pots have been
automatically transferred onto the mechanical conveyor.
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Production notes

The WHTI potting machine can handle virtually any pot size the nursery wishes, by
buying the appropriate pot dispenser template. The machine can be operated with 1
potter and 1 plant loader (putting down plants in the field may take extra staff
depending on the nursery’s organisation of potting tasks). The machine’s unique pot
dispensing system is able to cope with new pots, reused pots and pots with non
standard shapes. No pot jams were observed while the WHTI was in operation.
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6. Problems and solutions

The following tables show the problems and potential solutions recorded for nurseries
participating in the project. Tables are arranged on the following basis:

• Plant stock
• Pots
• Media
• Fertiliser
• Potted plants
• Equipment
• Workers
• General issues

Note that the effectiveness of potential solutions for reducing potting labour costs
will not be known until the project completes the implementation and evaluation
of improvements stage.

Plant stock

Problems Potential solutions

Inefficient materials handling – • Before potting begins split stock in trays
into equal amounts for each potter
3 – 4 potters working with one tray of stock on • Each potter works from own full stock
the bench results in constant walking to and fro tray
for small quantities of stock
Inefficient materials handling – • Load stock to truck using industry
standard trolleys (half pallet sized trolleys
Plant stock delivery into truck and out of truck to with adjustable shelves)
potting bench involves a lot of double handling, • Unload stock from truck in trolleys which
walking and low capacity carrying. (stock carried can be pushed directly to the potting
by hand into truck & from truck to general bench
potting area, from general area to table in potting
area and from there to pots on bench)
Potters repeatedly take from to 1-6 tubes of stock • Take whole tray of stock to bench
by hand from the stock on the trailer to the bench • increase bench size or provide table to
when potting hold stock in trays between potters
Species difficult to remove from tray • Assess quality of stock before potting
begins and water if this will assist
popping
• Better coordination between propagation
and potting (to ensure stock is not root
bound)
Palms in 140mm pots were root bound and • Review potting production schedule (pot
needed to be bashed on ground, against hard palms earlier)
edge or stamped on to break and remove pot • have special tool for cracking off pot
Rubbish from palms (broken pots, pruned plant • Put rubbish straight to bin at potting
material) are thrown to ground for later picking station
up
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Problems Potential solutions

Time consuming manner of removing weeds • Remove weeds in one action - wearing
from surface of plant stock gloves would facilitate this technique
Quality of stock (too old ) meant time spent • Better synchronisation of potting with
trimming and pulling from tubes propagation to avoid over mature stock
Plant stock brought on hand barrow (10 x 42 • Bring tube stock on ute to increase
tubes/tray) carrying capacity (convert roof & front
hood into stock carrying area for example)
• Provide potters with daily production
information so they may select and bring
stock in larger quantities
Cell trays brought from shade house by hand in • Bring tube stock in larger quantities from
very small quantities shade house (use multi-shelved trolley
etc.)
Location of stock holding/growing area is some • Relocate position of stock growing area to
distance from Javo and involves walking through one nearer and more easily accessible to
dispatch work area to access and return potting area
Plant stock delivered over a considerable • Locate stock growing area closer to
distance in small quantities potting area
• Use large capacity equipment to deliver
stock directly to Javo (eg. Multi shelved
trolley)
• Ensure person whose task it is to deliver
stock has information on daily potting
production to enable them to bring stock
in large quantities
Tube stock is held on central bench which only • Increase capacity of stock holding bench
holds 2 trays (20 x 75mm tubes per tray – trailer (trial multi-shelved trolley for stock
holds 55 x 200mm plants ). Low capacity of delivery and holding).
stock bench means excessive walking for stock
during potting.
Javo only holds 200 tubes in central bench (Javo • Use trolley to hold stock next to Javo
stops when potter goes for more stock) • Increase capacity of Javo central bench
• Use gravity conveyor to bring stock to
Javo bench
• Allocate task of delivering stock to Javo
to trailer driver
Popping out stock needs to take place before • Pop all stock at Javo. Existing person at
production can begin and involves most of crew Javo pops as well as inserting. One of
with 2 people continuing to be engaged full time existing people popping out moves to
once Javo starts. Javo and inserts as well. Saving of 1
person.
Method of getting stock off trailer, popped and • Streamline stock from trailer to Javo
to Javo central bench very inefficient (gravity conveyor and work stations
leading to Javo)
Plant stock moved from truck to potting area by • Use high capacity trolley (multi- shelved)
hand to carry stock in bulk when unloading
truck delivering stock and when
delivering stock to potting area
Popping stock before potting begins is time • Trial popping stock at Javo (ie. stock is
consuming and involves all potters ejected and inserted to pots as they travel
on Javo)
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Problems Potential solutions

Plant stock was pruned before potting and then • Prune stock on one occasion either before
again after potting had finished or after potting has taken place
Plant stock delivered to potting area is placed on • Load all plant stock to racks behind the
racks behind the potter and also onto the floor potter. If capacity of these racks is
behind these racks. Stock placed on the floor inadequate use multi shelved trolleys
takes up a large surface area in the potting shed which can be wheeled to the trailer for
and requires the potter to walk further to access stock loading and then returned to a
it. position directly behind the potter.
Bench for holding stock is stationary and • Put wheels on bench so stock can be
requires potter to walk distance for stock positioned closer to Javo
• Use gravity conveyor to feed stock into
Javo

Pots

Problems Potential solutions

Failure to mechanise potting task – • Make one person responsible for inserting
pots and loading pots to trailer
Task of pot insertion to machine requires one full • Buy or make a pot dispenser
time person (with some extra help when second
hand pots used)
Stacking tubes on Comet made difficult due to • Dispose of tubes to bins at potters side
lack of space (keep falling over) without stacking
Inserting empty plant stock tubes to horizontal • Review need to stack tubes
plastic bag difficult. Stacking tubes on bench • Provide each potter with tube bin/bag
before inserting to bag also time consuming. which could be filled with discarded loose
tubes and emptied to main storage when
full
Pots left in stacks approx 2 metres from hand • Get pots in immediate potting area closer
potters and returned to in cycles of 5 pots (each to potting bench using dispenser or under
tray of plants potted involved relatively long trip bench storage space
for new pots and stacking of old pots)
Very little room for pots (empty or full) on • Redesign modified bench to increase
modified bench work area width of bench available to work on
Frequent change of pot colours & sizes • Pot in large batches of required pot size
or colour
• Know before pots are brought to potting
bench/machine how many pots of each
colour/size are needed
Old pots jammed and were difficult to prise apart • Make pot stackers aware of difficulty,
design tool for separating pots
Tube bulk bin full and potters needed to store • Review delivery of tube & pots to storage
empty tubes in other place and the emptying schedule of storage bins
(provide equipment for storing and
moving larger numbers of these materials)
Potters constantly taking pots from the point • Place pot holders along sides of trailer to
where they are stored on tractor reduce walking distance for empty pots
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Problems Potential solutions

Person loading pot dispenser unaware of how • provide information to potters on how
many pots of certain colour to stack up (on many many pots of certain type are to be potted
occasions pots of certain colour were taken down
from conveyor and returned to box because they
were no longer needed)
Double handling in delivering empty pots to • Deliver box directly from storage to
potting bench. Pots go from general storage area potting bench dispense to table directly
to immediate potting area to holding carousel to from box. A frame could be designed to
rotary table. hold flaps of cardboard box open during
dispensing or contents could be tipped out
into holder.
Reused pots in stacks are brought from storage • Locate pots closer to Comet and with
some distance away access unhindered by dispatch production
Reused pots are jammed together and very • Review current pot handling during
difficult to separate because pot cleaners bang cleaning and identify any practices that
pots together compress stacked pots (eg. storing stacks
of pots vertically)
• Train pot cleaners to handle stacks
carefully to avoid jamming pots

Media

Problems Potential solutions

Wet potting media clogs Javo and slows potting • Improve control of moisture content of
potting media
• Build roof over media pile
Mixing own media may not be as economical as • Time the media mixing process and non
appears (increased down time in potting, mixing productive time during the process (time
time, lack of concentration during media mixing wasted by staff as they wait for potting to
affects resulting media mix) recommence) to calculate overall cost in
wages of media mixing and compare this
against the additional cost of buying
media with fertiliser pre-mixed
Media full of large solid lumps of soil • Review mixing procedure or buy pre-
mixed potting media
Media mixing is time consuming as it involves • Buy pre-mixed media with fertiliser
dropping bucket of media into mini hopper • Trial use of fertiliser tablets inserted to
mounted on conveyor feeding concrete mixer pot during potting or when plants in field
truck, person required to push media through • Apply fertiliser to (surface of) potted
hopper and up conveyor by hand. plants in growing area using fertiliser
dispenser
• Design mixing station with hopper above
truck height that can still be accessed by
tractor
• use larger ground hopper with conveyor
into mixer to deliver media and fertiliser
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Problems Potential solutions

Present method of mixing fertiliser and media • When potting to larger pot sizes apply
may be adequate for small pot sizes (eg. 140mm) fertiliser to pots by hand at the potting
where the large number of pots produced from a bench rather than mixing media and
mixing batch of media is high, but when potting fertiliser using the tractor and concrete
to larger pots (eg. 200mm) the same mixing mixer
process produces many fewer pots (up to one
third the amount of 140mm pots).
Media sticks in hopper slowing soil flow • Reduce moisture content of potting
media (protect media from rain)
• Improve hopper design
• Have suitable tools on hand to free
obstructed flow
Loading media to potting bench involved 2 • Use one person to load media (allocate
people (1 drove & 1 guided driver and used productive task to second person)
hands to pat down media in bucket), a time • Train staff to competently & individually
consuming and potentially dangerous practice load media to bench
Shovel used to move media forward on bench. • Provide short-handled large-headed hoe
Preferred tool (rake) was sometimes used but the for this task
head was too small for the media quantities
involved and length of the rake handle caused
difficulties
Potting media is open to the weather and media • Control moisture content of potting media
with high moisture content could clog the hopper • Build roof for outside media storage area
and machine reducing potting productivity • Build (retractable) roof for hopper which
is partially exposed to the sky
Media pile considerable distance from potting • Locate media closer to potting bench
bench. Media loading to bench is made difficult • Locate potting bench closer to outside
by the confines of the potting area. Fumes from wall of potting shed (will involve
the bob cat loader hang in the confines of the structural modifications) where loading
potting area after media loading can take place without need for machinery
to enter potters work area
Media pile dumped in doorway of potting shed • Always dump media in such a way to
means potting has to occur in the sun (need to allow potting to take place out of the
clear media for doors to shut) weather
When potting 140mm pots, media shovelled • Design hopper which can be loaded
from pile dropped by media producers to potting straight from media truck
bench (this was beyond the strength capability of • Get ergonomic shovels
female potter) • Get bucket on tractor for media loading

Media on floor spreads over potting shed during • Confine media to hopper, box frame etc.
potting requiring periodic cleaning and making • Provide raised platform with rubber
standing at potting bench uncomfortable matting for potters to stand on while
working at potting bench
Loading of media to mobile bench made difficult • Fit (hinged) side to trailer to speed media
by absence of side walls on trailer. Media loading
continually spills off during loading.
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Fertiliser

Problems Potential solutions

Hand placing of fertiliser to pot surface (not • Buy pre-mixed media or dibble on
often done in potting – usually top-dress is fertiliser if this is a viable option to save
partway through growing cycle) appears wasteful labour time dispensing and save money on
with considerable fertiliser spilling out of pot spillage of fertiliser. Can avoid using
onto ground fertiliser in some instances (fertigation).
Potter left side of Comet has to reach across his • Move left side person’s fertiliser and pots
body for fertiliser and pots while potter on right to centre of comet grate
side of Comet can get fertiliser and pots with • Ensure left handed potters go to left side
right hand of Comet
• Attach shelf on Comet face to hold
fertiliser and pots for right handed potter
standing on left hand side of Comet

Potted plants

Problems Potential solutions

Unloading pots to field takes 2 people. Travel • Provide enough stock, trailers, etc. to
time to and from growing area is non productive enable 1 person to keep potting when
for second person putting down occurs
Potter pays excessive attention to arranging pots • Reduce time loading trailer by instructing
on the trailer potters to be less concerned with
maximising pot capacity of trailer by
fiddling with pots
Writing on each pot by hand to define species is • Use indelible coloured marker etc. to
time consuming quickly mark pot for differentiating
between plant types
Writing species name (type) on pots when they • Write names when potted plants on bench
are already loaded on the trailer is time • Write on empty pots before media filling
consuming • Use indelible coloured marker to speed
process of plant marking
After potting, 1 potter waters in plants and other • Allocate productive task to person not
potter is largely unoccupied watering (eg. filling pots, preparing
growing area)
• Trial system where one person keeps
potting while other puts down plants in
growing area
When loading potted plants, potters each walk • Position ute and bench closer together to
some distance from potting bench ute to load reduce walking distance during loading
several plants
When conveyors out are full (ie. trailer not back • Improve coordination between tasks
from putting down plants), potters have nowhere • Provide an extra trailer in the potting area
to put full trays of potted plants so that potted plants can be loaded when
other trailer(s) still in the field
Potted plants in trays on out conveyor are loaded • This is a design oversight caused by too
length ways but this is space consuming and narrow width between hoppers. Make an
trays need to be turned side on by potters to extra trailer available in the potting area to
increase available space when waiting for the allow loading of plants when other
trailer to arrive and take plants trailer(s) still in the field
 67

Problems Potential solutions

Potters wait several seconds to load to conveyor • Use pot lifter to put down pots (this will
to ensure person unloading has an interval to put speed process of putting down and make
down pots before next 4 pots arrive the job less tiring)
• Adopt new processing system from truck
to conveyor that allows a continuous
output of pots to the conveyor (not the
current batches of 4 pots)
Unloading pots from conveyor requires low • Use pot lifters (designed for spaced or pot
bending to pot) to remove pots from conveyor and
place on ground
The current method of processing pots means • Streamline current potting process to
that the person putting down pots in the growing increase output and thereby keep person
area is not fully occupied putting down fully occupied
Loading growing bay from front to back makes • Put potted plants to growing bay from
walking into bay more and more difficult as pots back of bay to the front of the bay
are put down in bay
Carrying pots into growing area was observed to • Load potted plants at ute to plastic tray,
take place in quantities of 4,7 & 8 x 140mm pots carry plastic tray into field, unload pots,
by 3 different potters return to ute with empty tray
• Attach gravity conveyor to ute which can
be swung into growing area, pot to tray on
ute, place full tray onto gravity conveyor,
when conveyor full walk into growing
area and unload pots from trays to the
ground, collect trays and return to ute
• use pot lifter to carry pots into growing
area
Small capacity of carts to used to take plants to • Increase capacity of carts (detachable
field. This increases travelling time required to extra tiers, trailers, etc.)
and from field
When unloading pots in field, the length of the • Increase bay width (possibly road width)
growing bay (21m) and not driving trailer into to allow trailer to be driven into bay
growing bay means unloading very time • increase capacity of hand barrow
consuming. Hand barrow used to transport trays • use conveyor to carry pots in trays from
from trailer into bay has low capacity. trailer into field (would require person in
field at all times unloading trays from
conveyor, spacing pots from trays,
collecting trays)
Internal road badly rutted in places slowing • Improve irrigation pattern to reduce run
tractor delivering plants to field off
• Increase capacity of drains
Person putting plants down often unoccupied • Allocate productive tasks to waiting staff
while waiting for trailer to be filled • Improve the coordination of tasks to
reduce non-productive time
Loading pots to trailer during potting (potter • Move tube stock to side of each potter and
executes 180 degree turn x 2 every 4 pots use centre conveyor to load trailer
140mm)
 68

Equipment

Problems Potential solutions

Continual problem of pots jamming in pot • Analyse cause of pot jamming problems
dispenser and sweep arm crunching or toppling with Mayer and ensure all potting staff
pots when pushing them onto conveyor know how to identify and fix machine
malfunctions
Crushed pots fell into hopper and jammed in • Remove pots from mouth of hopper
media outflow resulting in uneven pot filling periodically
• Fix dispenser problems
Too much potting media in pots contributes to • Modify auger to also displace some soil
dirty pots and excess soil build up around from the pot
carousel of Mayer • Reduce the flow of media from hopper to
pots
• Improve self cleaning equipment on
Mayer (mounted brushes, rubber soil
levellers etc.)
Undoing the knot under the full media bag to • Supply long nose pliers etc. to help with
release media is difficult as the weight of the undoing knot
media presses against the knot • Adopt different fastening system (eg. side
flap released by removing 2 lengths of
pvc)
• Have supplier deliver media in open
wooden boxes
Conveyor on stands and made of 5 sections • Investigate using collapsible wheel
which are heavy to lift and require several people mounted conveyor for delivery of plants
to move to growing area
Continual problem: arm designed to sweep pots • Analyse problems with Mayer and ensure
from Mayer onto conveyor crunching or toppling all potting staff know how to diagnose
pots. Machine operator unable to satisfactorily and fix machine malfunctions
fix problem
Low capacity of carts 11 x 18 (100mm) means • Increase cart capacity (attachable extra
travelling time from potting area to growing area tiers etc.)
is considerable
No tool handy to free potting media in hopper • Get rubber mallet, short handled hoe for
media release
Machine down time due to lack of materials • Better synchronisation of inputs necessary
(media, pots, trailers, etc) to maintain potting production
Failure to mechanise certain tasks in machine • Utilise mechanical solutions to carry out
potting (eg. Fertiliser dispensing, pot dispensing, machine potting tasks where possible
unloading pots to trailer)
Potting machine malfunction due to poor • Carry out periodic machine maintenance
maintenance
 69

Problems Potential solutions

Workers unsure how to accurately adjust • Obtain instructions on adjusting machine
machine to cope with malfunctions arising from (from manufacturer or through in house
different pot sizes, media consistencies, etc. experimentation) and ensure all workers
receive training in all facets of machine
operation
• Isolate the cause of the malfunction
occurring (is it the type or condition of
the pots or media used, a damaged
element on the machine, etc.) and attempt
to fix the root problem.
Lack of trailers for potting when dispatch • Obtain more trailers to allow both
production in operation production processes to operate at the
same time
• Do not use trailers to hold plant stock
Opening plastic pot bag with secateurs proved • Have Stanley knife etc. permanently on
difficult. Secateurs were unable to be located on the empty pot bench for this task
one occasion
Potting bench is sagging badly and appears as if • Replace or repair potting bench
it could collapse
Chairs used to pot at lower tier of trailer broken • Fix, replace, modify chairs to allow easier
and difficult to move along length of trailer use (attach bigger wheels to travel over
(wheels catch on media & gravel on ground) media on ground)
Full trailer pushed to tractor after loading rather • Bring tractor to trailer not vice versa
than bringing tractor to trailer (difficulty
stopping trailer’s momentum when arriving at
coupling point)
Some conveyor rollers stick and hold up delivery • Fix or replace sticking rollers
of full trays to trailer
Available work space at rear of mobile hopper • Redesign (enlarge) and reorientate work
and on potting table is inadequate and results in stations to provide more room for
slowed production as pot fillers stop when no placement of pots
more space available to stand media filled pots
Conveyor is heavy and difficult to move and set • Redesign bench layout in igloos to
up in igloos facilitate easy delivery and assembly of
conveyor in igloos
• Add wheels (& adjustable legs) to
conveyor
Conveyor requires someone at potting end to • Have conveyor controls accessible to
control on/off for person putting down (this person putting down and person potting at
involves potter stopping production walking up trailer (foot operated on/off switch)
to several metres to conveyor and switching it on • Have conveyor situated as close as
or off) possible to potter working at trailer
Conveyor set up at rear of trailer and as potters • Drive trailer so that conveyor ends in the
use up media on the trailer, the distance potters middle of the long side of trailer. Each
walk to load pots to conveyor increases potter stands on either side of conveyor
and loads pots directly to conveyor.
When media is finished on one side, drive
trailer out, turn it around and bring other
side of trailer next to conveyor
 70

Problems Potential solutions

Wire trays catch on each other and edges of • Use plastic trays capable of holding 12 x
trailer adding time to trailer loading and 150mm pots
unloading
Empty trays are returned haphazardly to trailer in • Instruct staff putting down plants to
growing area by people putting down plants arrange empty trays on trailer ready to
necessitating rearrangement of trays before accept potted plants
plants can be loaded from Javo
Current set up of machine and hopper in the shed • Model or trial different placement of Javo,
leads to problems when delivering pots, media, hopper, trailer loading area, stock
stock, etc. handling area, etc. to reduce material
handling time
Trailer mesh base lifting in places and catching • Repair unsafe aspects of trailers
pots, rail of trailer broken and poses risk to plant
loaders & unloaders
Shovel for hopper clearing placed against hopper • Make holder for shovel at hopper
after use where it fell onto potter
During media loading tractor bucket comes close • Move potters back when media loaded,
to head of potters, dust generated by hopper build solid board between potters and
loading blows across Javo hopper to reduce dust and danger of being
struck by bucket

Workers

Problems Potential solutions

Potters do not wear gloves and face masks while • Educate potters to dangers of unprotected
potting or when in the immediate vicinity of handling of potting media
potting media • Provide potters with gloves and face
masks
Pre-emergent herbicide shaken onto ground • Apply herbicide some time after potting
immediately prior to potting means potter inhales has finished or well before potting is
herbicide each time he bends to place pots on scheduled to take place (ie days before)
ground (eg. Potter put down 507 pots which is 63 • Wear masks when potting
low bending and breathing-in actions over
herbicide in 100 minutes )
Potter has no matting to reduce leg fatigue • Provide ergonomic matting for potter
Potter stands on slight incline (for drainage) on • Provide adjustable platform for standing
path potter
Potter stands in water from irrigation • Design platform so water can flow under
it
Person putting down plants is quite tall and has • Design pot lifter for putting down plant
to bend very low to place pots on ground from conveyor to ground
Potter unsure of procedures (which stock to pot, • Give potter more responsibility / training /
where to put down potted plants, etc.) and spent information necessary to make decisions
time seeking information from supervisor without seeking assistance
 71

Problems Potential solutions

Barely enough room for 3 people to operate (2 • Relocate bench so that trailer is not
potting 1 loading pots to trailer) in space behind but to the side of the bench giving
between bench and trailer potters more room to operate
• Move trailer slightly further from bench
(or hopper further from trailer)
• Pot to trays and use gravity conveyor to
take trays to trailer
Potters heads are close up against the side of • Redesign modified bench to give potters
hopper making it difficult to work more work space away from front of
hopper
Failure to wear gloves & masks when applying • Educate workers to the risk of unprotected
pre-emergence herbicides handling of herbicides
• Follow handling guidelines on product
packaging
• Provide gloves & masks
• Apply herbicides well away from
unprotected workers
Failure to wear ear protection when working at • Make ear plugs available for staff
noisy machines
Stringline pegs protrude from ground and are • Use pipe set into ground at ground level
potentially hazardous to workers in growing area (attach spike to string line for insertion to
ground level pipe) rather than protruding
pipes to anchor string lines (pipes were
not observed being used to guide hose)
Working in the wind, rain or sun without • Provide (mobile) structures to protect
adequate protection workers from the weather
• Encourage workers to take precautions
against the sun (provide sun screen, hats,
water)
Potters stand for long periods on hard, uneven or • Supply rubber matting for stationary
wet surfaces workers
• Trial ergonomic furniture for certain
potting tasks (eg. chairs, sit stands, foot
rests)
• Ensure ground in the work area is dry &
level
Potting speed varies greatly between potters • Review work methods of slower potter
(faster potter can produce nearly twice the • Use faster potter to train slower potter
amount of the slower potter in same time) • Discuss and introduce daily productivity
targets and provide training to ensure all
potters can meet targets
Trailer driver bare headed for lengthy period on • Instruct all staff to use sun protection
an extremely hot, sunny day
Ground at bench uneven, one potter stands on • Level out ground and provide rubber
ground, other on platform made of wooden pallet matting for potters
Shovel used for moving media on bench (shovel • Use rake or large headed hoe for soil
not intended to be used in horizontal plane) moving
Media dust blows into face of potters when • Media loader should instruct potters to
tractor loads media to bench. Tractor bucket stand aside when media loading under
comes close to potters way
 72

Problems Potential solutions

Filling 200mm pots by person on knees • Pot on a raised surface with cushioned
(kneepads worn) carries potential for back injury matting to reduce leg fatigue
• Fill pots on ground with shovel (some
brace to hold them in place on the ground
may be required) then load them to trailer
for inserting plant stock
Potter has to walk in mud when pushing rolling • Seal ground around rolling benches to
bench to potting area and into growing area provide better working conditions for
potter
The female staff member did the majority of • Rotate tasks between staff members on a
heavy work when potting into 250mm (lifting more frequent basis when dealing with
200mm from trailer to bench, popping 200mm, larger pot sizes
lifting 200mm plug to 250mm pot, filling • Investigate reducing potting mix weight
250mm pot with media, lifting 250mm pot and eg. Sandless mixes (where applicable)
dropping to compress media, pushing 250mm
pot across bench to 2nd potter (who trims and
stakes and loads to trailer)

General issues

Problems Potential solutions

Assumption by management that slow potting is • Observe potting in progress and notice
the price for producing high quality plants how the problems listed by researchers are
being caused by production inefficiency
and not through extra attention to plant
quality. If quality is affected at all in
potting it would be in the relatively brief
task of placing the plant in the pot
whereas the handling of inputs and
outputs is either efficient or inefficient
and has no impact on plant quality
Watering takes place some distance from potting • Water plants in the plant loading area
area. This adds to the time it takes to put plants using a watering tunnel etc. so that when
down in the growing area and increases the trailers were fully loaded they could be
likelihood of problems coordinating potting taken immediately to the growing area
production with the arrival of an empty trailer (drainage would have to be installed in the
trailer loading area)
Potting stops when watering and putting down • Trial productivity gain of using 1 person
plants is carried out. During watering- in plants to put down while second continues to pot
and travelling to growing area and from growing (this task could easily be carried out by
area, second person’s time is completely non one person)
productive
The metal post in the area where trailers are • Remove, relocate post to enable better
parked for plant loading is an obstacle to the access for plant loading
person loading plants and means trailers can not
be parked as close as possible to machine
Procedure for setting up stringline over-elaborate • Permanently mark matting in growing
and time consuming areas to enable person putting down plants
to place plants in straight rows by sight
 73

Problems Potential solutions

Work space on bench is severely restricted by • Place pots on ground near media, shovel
potting media, difficult to position tray of stock media into pots, load pots to ute, insert
on media pile, potted plants are placed on floor stock to media filled pots on ute
during potting and then picked up and loaded to • Park ute directly behind bench so that
ute which increases walking distance for pot potted plants can be loaded as they are
loading potted
Pruning takes place after potting despite • Prune lanky stock before potting
difficulty holding long stems during potting
Large difference in the productivity of • Review batch versus continuous potting at
individual potters - your nursery (see 4.2.2 Potting
techniques)
Potters develop and use different potting • Use faster potters to train others in
methods. The nursery preferred batch production technique and work station organisation
method was not the quickest method observed. • Establish reasonable production targets
Most productive potter believes continuous for potters
production method provides a better working
rhythm
Inefficient materials handling – • Better utilise storage space available on
tractor and on underside of trailer to store
Potting materials run out during potting session potting materials required for a significant
(stock, fertiliser, pots, etc.) period of potting
• Provide information to potters on
quantities to be potted so they can load
sufficient quantity of inputs required for
potting before travelling to potting area.
Trailers in loading aisle need to be manhandled • Move central pole protecting conveying
to move around post (conveyor support post juts edge out of trailer path
too far into trailer’s path )
Pots knocked over pulling heavy hose through • review hose dragging method
bays • increase number of taps in growing area
• insert pulleys at ends of paths to guide
hose
Frequent down time due to change of trailer & • Reduce crew changes. Change crew on
rotation of potting crew daily or after lunch basis
• Change layout to allow 2 trailers to dock
at once
Access to materials in potting area hindered by • Reposition posts, increase height of roof
posts, height of ceiling (in case of media loading at hopper, etc., to allow better access to
to hopper), etc. potting materials
Nursery has 5 people to operate Javo which • Seek to reduce staff numbers by
seems excessive. Other nurseries with similar reallocating tasks (Eg. allocate position of
production styles use only 2, 3 or 4 to operate compressing media in pot to plant stock
Javo. inserters)
• Slow operating speed of Javo to enable
reduced number of staff to cope with tasks
(small decrease in overall productivity
will be made up for in reduced overall
labour cost)
Matting in growing area was flapping in wind • Ensure growing area prepared for pots
requiring plant unloader to spend time securing before potting production begins
before plants could be put down
 74

Problems Potential solutions

Lack of space and staff for potting production • Reorganise staffing levels (review task
when dispatch is operating allocation in dispatch to ascertain if
current staff numbers are justified) and
reorganise the location of potting
materials to allow dispatch and potting
production to run at the same time
Lack of production coordination between • Review and improve coordination
propagation, potting, dispatch negatively affects between potting production and plant
potting productivity (old stock from propagation stock growing. Arrange staff and
difficult to remove from tubes, potting equipment to enable some potting
production secondary to dispatch work) production to continue even when urgent
dispatch work is being carried out
Access to potting media is via dispatch area • Review and reorganise layout in shed to
which can cause delays in bringing media to allow better access to potting materials
Comet and dispatch materials when both
production processes are running
 75

7. Creating the optimum potting system for your nursery

It is impossible to design one optimum potting system which would be suitable for
every nursery. Each nursery needs to define their best operating conditions on the
basis of circumstances at their nursery.

7.1 Potting Optimisation Factors

Research has found that optimisation factors exist in potting which should be taken
into consideration when a potting system is created. The optimum system will be
created when -

The worker has

• a safe and comfortable working environment

• sound work motivation
• good work skills

Plant stock is used so that

• the development of roots and foliage is in the prime potting stage

• the quantity to be potted per event is maximised
• the number of species to be potted per event is minimised

Containers are used so that

• the number of types of propagation container used is minimised

• the number of sizes, types and colours of potting containers used is minimised
• the ratio of propagation container size to potting container size is approximately
greater than 0.5 (eg. 50mm tube to 100mm pot)

Potting procedures and treatments occur so that

• manual placement of fertiliser into pot is minimised

• quantities of plants watered in one event is maximised
• quantities of plants pruned in one event is maximised
• quantities of plants receiving application of herbicide is maximised

Potting system operates so that

• work station design reflects nursery’s average potting production requirements

• potting area location is central to growing area
• distances between potting area and input storage are minimised
• coordination of potting tasks within potting system is self governing
• quantities of potting inputs and outputs handled at one time (eg. empty pots,
potted plants) are maximised
 76

Machine operating speed is adjusted so that

• the ratio of operating speed to the number of staff involved minimises non-
productive time

Communication follows a

• clear and rapid system providing all production information to potters

Potting technique

• based on the techniques of workers with best production rates is applied in

production

Most of the above optimisation factors are known and can be applied immediately to
potting systems, however some factors, eg. ratio of potting machine operating speed
to number of staff, coordination of potting tasks, etc., can only be defined through
experimentation in individual potting systems.

7.2 Potting Systems

At this stage the project is able to give advice on which type of potting (hand potting
method or machine potting method) best suits certain production parameters.
In general terms hand potting is more suitable for nurseries when:

• average daily quantities of potted plants during the potting season is approx. 1000
or less, and/or
• average batch sizes of plants requiring different treatments, procedures, pot sizes,
pot colours, or of plant types that are in clearly different categories of potting
difficulty, is below approx. 300

If the average batch size of plants requiring different treatments is below approx. 300
but the daily quantity potted is much greater than 1000, then generally it will still be
more efficient to increase potting staff rather than use machine potting. This is
assuming that the potting machine has not been specifically designed to cope with
variable potting requirements.

Assuming that the optimisation factors listed above have been taken into account, in
all other cases machine potting systems should be more suitable and more efficient
than hand potting.

The following descriptions of the potting systems investigated in the project included
brief description of the set up at nurseries in each of the systems that returned the
lowest potting labour cost per pot. By reading these descriptions and matching which
nurseries are closest to your own production profile you will gain some insight into
which potting systems are being used to advantage.
 77

7.2.1 Standard bench

Standard bench potting is most commonly carried out in small nurseries. Larger
nurseries generally use potting machines for the bulk of their production but also
usually have an area set aside for hand potting plants into large sized pots or for
potting plants that are difficult to remove from the propagation container and/or take a
significant time to insert into the pot.

Standard bench potting appears to be a suitable option for small nurseries with
comparatively low annual production, with limited equipment budgets and where the
majority of production involves difficult to pot plants or where production is
characterised by large pot sizes (175mm and up), small quantities of pots
(approximately 1000 pots per day during potting season) in small pot sizes (100mm to
140mm) or small batches of plants to be potted in differing pot sizes.

Success story

The lowest average total potting cost of all nurseries investigated was for a medium
sized nursery using 2 potters to produce 100mm pots in a standard bench system. The
average total potting labour cost at this nursery was 3.1 cents per 100mm pot (see
figure 7). The factors which helped this nursery achieve such low labour costs using a
standard bench potting system were:

‰ Very good materials handling (high capacity trailer for delivering plants to the
growing area, ample work space on bench, large media holding capacity of bench,
fertiliser pre-mixed into media, anti-fatigue matting on floor at bench, close
proximity of empty pots, plant stock and water)

‰ Potters possessed efficient potting techniques and were well motivated

7.2.2 Modified bench

Most of the production guidelines for using the standard bench apply also to the
modified bench system. If the design of the modified bench is otherwise suitable
(hopper flows well, adequate work space is available), the materials handling
improvements such as mechanical media flow and the use of roller conveyors, should
assist in improving the efficiency of materials handling over that of a standard bench
system.

Success story

The lowest average total potting cost among nurseries using a modified bench was at a
nursery using 3 potters to produce 100mm pots. The average total potting cost was
5.53 cents per pot (see figure 7).

The factors which helped this nursery achieve such low labour costs using a modified
bench potting system were:
 78

‰ thorough potting production information was available to potters at the beginning

of the day allowing delivery of necessary inputs in large volumes (plant stock,
media, empty pots, etc.)

‰ very good materials handling (large capacity hopper, large capacity plant stock
racks in close proximity to potting bench, bulk bags for old tubes, bulk bags for
empty pots, adequate room on potting bench for potting to take place, anti-fatigue
matting, potted plants loaded to trays at bench, conveyors taking potted plants to
trailer, potted plants put down in trays in growing area, plants watered-in after
placed down in growing area (reduces carrying weight), use of a media hopper
with foot controlled mechanical flow to counter bridging).

‰ Potters possessed efficient potting techniques and were well motivated

7.2.3 Mobile bench

Mobile bench systems are still based on hand potting so the production profile
suggested for standard bench and modified bench potting systems applies here also.
Nurseries with large travelling distances from a fixed potting area to the growing area,
or nurseries which for some reason find it difficult to continually travel from a fixed
potting area to the growing area (eg. lack of staff, lack of equipment, poor condition of
internal roads, etc) may find a mobile bench system a good option for streamlining
their potting process.

Success story

The lowest average total potting cost among nurseries using a mobile bench was at a
nursery using from 1 to 3 potters to produce 140mm pots. The average total potting
cost was 6.35 cents per pot (see figure 7). This nursery used an open trailer towed
behind a tractor and a portable electrical conveyor to deliver potted plants from the
trailer/potting bench directly into the growing area.

The factors which helped this nursery achieve such low labour costs using a mobile
bench potting system were:

‰ Good materials handling (mobile bench could hold all potting materials required,
conveyor into field reduced potted plant handling time)

‰ Potters possessed efficient potting techniques and were well motivated

7.2.4 Comet

As the Comet requires only minimal adjustment to cope with different pot sizes it is
well suited for nurseries with a large range of pot sizes. It is doubtful whether a Comet
is any quicker than the hand potting systems (ie. standard bench, modified bench,
mobile bench) when it comes to filling small pots (eg. 100mm – 140mm). In real
terms the Comet potting machine’s contained continuous flow of media helps keeps
the potting area clean and reduces potter fatigue.
 79

Success story

The lowest average total potting cost for Comet systems was a nursery using 3 people
(2 potting, 1 selecting plant stock) to produce 125mm pots. The total potting labour
cost at this nursery was 6.56 cents per pot (see figure 7).

The factor which helped this nursery achieve such low labour costs using a Comet
potting system was:

‰ Good materials handling

‰ Potters possessed efficient potting techniques and were well motivated

7.2.5 Javo

Most nurseries using Javos were large nurseries (ie. over 15 staff) and/or had
comparatively large annual production to justify the expenditure required for a new
machine. As there are numbers of older Javos available second hand, smaller nurseries
(ie. without large equipment budgets) could still benefit from Javo machines. Most
nurseries using Javos also tended to pot large quantities of plants into a limited range
of pot sizes.

There is no reason why small nurseries cannot benefit from using Javo potting
machines. One of the lowest average total potting labour costs (6 cents per 150mm
pot) was found at a small nursery using 3 people (1 inserting plant stock, 1 loading
potted plants to trailer, 1 transporting potted plants to growing area) to operate a Javo
potting machine to produce all of their 150mm and 200mm potted plants.

Success story

The lowest average total potting cost among nurseries using a Javo was at a nursery
using 6 people to produce 150mm pots. The average total potting cost was 4.3 cents
per pot (see figure 7). The nursery used a super Javo machine with automatic pot
dispenser and conveyor delivering potted plants to the trailer. (1person inserted stock
to media filled pots at the Javo, 1 person loaded potted plants to the trailer, 1 person
kept up quantities of pots and media, 1 person drove the trailer to the growing area, 2
people put down plants in the growing area). The factors which helped this nursery
achieve such low labour costs using a Javo potting machine system were:

‰ Good materials handling (conveyor delivering potted plants to the trailer, potted
plants loaded to the trailer in trays, potted plants carried into growing area in trays,
large capacity pot dispenser, large capacity racks for plant stock, close proximity
of most potting materials to Javo)

‰ Plant stock potted was easy to eject and insert to pot

‰ Potters possessed efficient potting techniques and were well motivated
 80

7.2.6 Mayer

The 2 nurseries investigated which used Mayer potting machines were both large scale
nurseries. The Mayers were relatively small machines (hopper capacity) and easy to
move and position. This allowed for mobile potting in the growing area and reduced
the time needed for potted plant handling. The limited internal hopper capacity of the
Mayer would seem to make it more suitable for small sized pots unless hopper
capacity was increased with an external hopper or larger machine model.

Success story

The lowest average total potting cost among nurseries using a Mayer was at a nursery
using 3 people to produce 100mm pots. The average total potting cost was 3.99 cents
per pot (see figure 7). The nursery used a Mayer with automatic pot dispenser and
conveyor delivering potted plants into the growing area. (1person inserted stock to
media filled pots at the Mayer, 1 person unloaded potted plants into the growing area,
1 person kept up quantities of pots and media). The factors which helped this nursery
achieve such low labour costs using a Mayer potting machine system were:

‰ Potting in the growing area and using a conveyor to deliver potted plants directly
to the growing area kept potted plant handling to a minimum

‰ Plant stock was easy to eject and insert to media filled pots
‰ Good materials handling (close proximity of large quantities of empty pots, plant
stock, potting media)

‰ Potters possessed efficient potting techniques and were well motivated

7.2.7 Williams Hi Tec International potting machine

As the WHTI machine is a new potting machine there is no opportunity to purchase

cheaper second hand machines as is often the case with Comets and Javos. Therefore
the WHTI machine would be suitable for any nursery with comparatively high annual
production and/or the necessary budget to buy new equipment. The unique modular
assembly of the machine does however also make it an attractive option for nurseries
interested in buying the machine in stages as their production figures and equipment
budgets increase.
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Success story

Only one nursery currently uses the WHTI machine. The machine was trialed using
various combinations of workers. The minimum combination being 3 people (1 person
inserting stock, 1 person loading potted plants to the trailer and 1 person taking potted
plants to the field). The average total cost of potting was 5.13 cents per 140mm pot
(see figure 7). The factors which helped this nursery achieve such low labour costs
using a WHTI potting machine system were:

‰ Good materials handling (large capacity hopper with mechanical feed to potting
machine, close proximity of potting materials to potting machine, large capacity
trailers for delivering potted plants to growing area)

‰ Potters possessed efficient potting techniques and were well motivated

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8. Changing a system to reduce labour costs

It is quite certain that any nursery, irrespective of how low its current potting labour
costs are, could reduce its costs further by improving some element of production.
However, whenever a change in production methods is considered a decision must be
made as to whether the expected benefit from the improvement in productivity will be
greater than the cost of implementation. The way a nursery operates is shaped by
many factors such as market demand for product, budget limits, geographical factors,
staff numbers, staff training, the experience and beliefs of nursery management, etc.
Whenever a change in production methods is proposed it is important that all these
factors are taken into consideration.

At present many procedures carried out during potting are based on ‘commonly held
beliefs’ or experience and have not been scientifically tested. Examples of procedures
which vary from nursery to nursery and have not been tested are selecting potting
media, pot size used, placement of fertiliser in the potted plant, method of watering-in
the potted plant and spacing the plant in the growing area.

In order to achieve minimum potting labour costs, nurseries need to research scientific
literature on potting procedures (eg. fertiliser placement, watering-in requirements,
etc.) or carry out their own experiments to find out whether the potting procedures
they follow are relevant and whether different procedures can be used to reduce labour
costs while still achieving plant quality levels.

Nursery management will benefit by seeking input from potting staff when
considering introducing changes to production. Staff have a working knowledge of
current procedures and are the ones who will be working in the modified production
system. When a significant change to production is introduced it is important to give
staff adequate training in the new system and time to get used to new arrangements
before carrying out any new evaluation of the labour costs.

Appendixes A, B, C and D provide information on methods of evaluating potting

systems which can help nurseries:

• identify problems and potential areas for improvement in their systems

• calculate their potting costs on a cents per pot basis
• calculate the cost benefit of introducing improvements to their potting systems
• re-evaluate the effectiveness and benefit of any improvements made

The Centre for Amenity and Environmental Horticulture in Cleveland, Brisbane

provides a consultancy service for nurseries interested in improving their production
efficiency in the areas of plant dispatch and/or plant potting systems. For a free quote
on the evaluation of an existing production system or the design of a new production
system contact Dr. S. Underhill on (07) 3286 1488.
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9. General project conclusions

From the investigation and analysis of potting data results from the 35 participating
nurseries, the following general conclusions regarding labour costs in potting can
made:

• A great difference exists in potting efficiency between nurseries which is mostly

caused by the use of an inappropriate potting method and/or the inefficient
organisation of potting procedures

• All potting systems can be similarly efficient assuming that they are appropriate
for the nursery concerned and are well organised

• Nurseries tend to over staff their potting production crews rather than attempt to
streamline potting procedures to eliminate non-productive time through such
strategies as the better distribution of tasks between potting staff and better
organisation of potting inputs and outputs

• Potted plant handling is commonly the most costly element in the potting
operation

• Potting large batches of the same plant are more efficient than potting the same
quantity of plants made up of a number of plants with different potting
requirements

• The cost of potting increases with an increase in pot size but the relative cost
(labour cost related to the plant sales price) is lower for larger pots (based on one
potting event ie. potted directly from propagation container to pot plant is sold in)

• Altering standard pot designs for marketing purposes (using various pot colours,
pot shapes, etc.) can increase the cost of potting

• Worker comfort is often overlooked as a contributing factor to low production

efficiency

• High worker motivation is a recurring feature at all nurseries with low total potting
labour costs

• Failure to address worker safety issues in potting can lead to a reduction in long-
term production efficiency

• Inadequate research into the affect of potting procedures on plant growth has lead
to a variety of methods being used to pot the same types of plants

The general conclusion is that potting costs could be reduced immediately in most
nurseries when basic production problems are addressed.
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10. General project recommendations

From the investigation and analysis of potting data results from the 35 participating
nurseries, the following general recommendations for improving potting production
efficiency can be made:

Worker issues

• Maintain high levels of worker health and safety, worker comfort, worker
motivation and worker skill

• Ensure all staff are competent to (a) operate the potting machine and (b) make any
adjustments to the machine necessary to cope with situations that may arise during
production

• Follow safety guidelines when potting - always wear gloves and face masks when
handling or working around potting media (Steele 1996) and always follow safe
handling guidelines for herbicides used during the potting process

• Allocate tasks to staff taking into consideration their ability in performing

different potting tasks

Organisation and potting procedures

• Hand potting should be used when the average daily quantities of plants to be
potted (during the potting season) is approximately 1000 plants or less and/or
when the nursery is potting a larger number of different species requiring
different treatments in various pot sizes, pot colours, and the average batch size of
these plants requiring different treatments is approx. 300 or below

• Improvements to the handling of potted plants should be investigated as a first

priority as this offers the greatest potential savings

• Ensure workers have all the information necessary to carry out potting production
before production commences

• Analyse the allocation of tasks within the potting process to improve the
distribution of productive tasks between workers and thereby reduce non-
productive time

• Analyse the sequence and coordination of the delivery of inputs and the removal
of outputs to reduce non-productive time

Improvements to the potting system

• Establish the existing amount of total potting labour costs in cents per pot

• Identify problems related to potting systems, procedures and worker issues

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• Establish cost/benefits of potential improvements

• Introduce most beneficial changes

• Re-evaluate potting system.

General recommendation is to increase the average daily number of plants to be

potted that have similar requirements with regard to treatments, potting procedures,
pot sizes, pot colours. This strategy will immediately lower potting labour costs
without any expenditure.
 86

11. Appendixes

The appendixes contain forms which can be used to evaluate potting production
efficiency and potting labour costs per pot at your nursery.

It is suggested that the following sequence be used when evaluating production

efficiency at a nursery:

1. Carry out a rapid diagnosis of potting production efficiency using the form in
appendix A

2. Calculate your total cost of potting in cents per pot using the potting cost form in
appendix B

3. Use the evaluation form in appendix C to identify and score the efficiency of
various aspects of potting production at your nursery.

4. Calculate the cost benefit of improving elements of your potting system (QDPI
will calculate this for your free of charge).

5. Use the results from A,B, C and D to develop a written plan for reducing potting
labour costs at the nursery.
 87

A. Rapid diagnosis of potting production efficiency

The following checklist can be used to carry out a rapid diagnosis of any potting
production system. Observe potting production in progress and place a tick in either
the YES or NO box for each question.

An answer of YES indicates that:

• potting labour costs are higher than necessary

• potential exists for reducing labour costs
• the nursery should investigate the problem in more detail.

GENERAL ORGANISATION OF POTTING

Layout of the potting area

1. Is the potting area too cramped for production to be easily YES NO

carried out?

2. Do other production areas encroach on potting production

YES NO
space?

3. Could the potting area be better located in another part of YES NO

the nursery?

4. Could the arrangement of elements within the potting area YES NO

(potting bench, media hopper, trailers for loading potted
plants, stores of materials, etc) be changed to improve
potting production?

5. Could the distance potting materials are delivered be YES NO

reduced by relocating the source of inputs and/or the
destination of outputs?

6. Are staff constantly observed walking to and fro for

limited quantities of potting materials? YES NO

Suitability of equipment used

7. Do production figures make other potting systems more

suitable options than the one now used (ie. could hand YES NO
potting be replaced by machine potting or vice versa?)

8. Could the frequency of trips for potting inputs and outputs

be reduced if the capacity of trailers, trolleys, etc., was YES NO
larger?
 88

9. Is the design of trailers, trolleys, etc., unsuitable for the

nursery terrain and the manner in which they are used by YES NO
staff in potting production?

10. Does the media hopper frequently bridge (require constant

YES NO
attention to dislodge obstructed flow)?

Allocation of tasks

11. Do some staff appear to be more productively employed YES NO

than others?

12. Could tasks be distributed between fewer staff? (this may

involve a reduction in the speed of production. eg. slowing YES NO
down a potting machine to allow less staff to operate)

13. Do some staff carry out the same tasks all the time (eg. YES NO
certain staff always pot and certain staff always load pots)

14. Are tasks carried out in an illogical order? (eg. watering

occurs before lifting plants therefore they become much YES NO
heavier to lift, surface application of fertiliser occurs
before watering flushing out large quantities of fertiliser)

15. Could tasks be carried out at a different stage of potting

production to involve less people or reduce some staff YES NO
waiting to begin their primary task?

16. Could some tasks be mechanised? YES NO

17. Could some tasks be removed altogether by using new

technology or changing the way the nursery has YES NO
traditionally carried out tasks (eg. consider buying
fertiliser and media ready mixed instead of adding
fertiliser during potting, watering plants in the field instead
of at the potting area)?

Coordination of tasks

18. Are workers non-productive while waiting for someone

YES NO
else to finish a task?

Potting technique used

19. Are some potters conspicuously slower than other potters? YES NO

20. Could specific training in potting technique and

organisation of work station speed up the production of YES NO
some potters?
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HEALTH AND SAFETY

Risks posed by equipment

21. Do workers operate noisy machinery without hearing YES NO

protection?
YES NO
22. Do workers come into close contact with machinery?

23. Are some potting staff untrained/inexperienced in the YES NO

operation of machinery?

24. Does potting equipment have high injury risk areas which YES NO
area unlabelled?

Risks posed from materials in the potting environment

YES NO
25. Are herbicides & potting media handled without gloves
and mask?

26. Do things such as trays, pots, casual water etc. make

YES NO
movement through the potting area difficult?

Risks posed from work practices

27. Does the way in which tasks are carried out seem likely to YES NO
pose a risk of injury to workers? (constant lifting, turning,
awkward posture at the work station etc.)

WORKER COMFORT
28. Do staff complain of sore feet, backs, etc. from prolonged YES NO
standing?

29. Could anti-fatigue matting be used to reduce fatigue in YES NO

standing potters?

30. Could ergonomic tools be used to make potting tasks

YES NO
easier? (eg. pot lifters for loading and unloading pots,
ergonomic stools for working at the potting bench)

31. Do tools used make the task difficult to carry out?

YES NO
32. Are workers exposed to the elements? YES NO

33. Does work station design make it difficult for workers to

easily carry out their tasks? YES NO
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34. Is lighting in the potting area inadequate? YES NO

WORKER SKILL
35. Do staff constantly seek instruction on how to carry out
tasks? YES NO

36. Is time lost due to problems experienced by staff adjusting YES NO

the potting machine?

37. Does potting production fall when certain key staff are
absent? YES NO

WORKER MOTIVATION
38. Would workers react favourably to an incentive scheme YES NO
for meeting daily production quotas?

39. Are workers easily distracted from their tasks? YES NO

40. Do some workers appear less interested than others in

working productively? YES NO

41. Do some workers complain about conditions, management YES NO

decisions, work load, etc?

MATERIALS HANDLING

42. Can some steps involved in getting materials into or out of YES NO
the potting process be eliminated?

43. Can the quantities in which materials are handled be

increased? YES NO

44. Could production information given to potting staff be

made more thorough to allow more efficient delivery of YES NO
potting inputs?
 91

The quantities in which potting materials are delivered

45. Can the quantity of materials delivered be increased to

YES NO
reduce the number of trips required to bring them into or
out of the potting area?

The capacity of equipment used to deliver materials

46. Can the equipment used to deliver materials be changed or YES NO

modified to increase carrying capacity

The distance materials are delivered

47. Can the distance materials are delivered be reduced? YES NO

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B. Evaluating potting cost at your nursery

The following form can be used to carry out a simple evaluation of the cost of potting
in cents per pot at your nursery. It is best to use the form when variables such as pot
size, number of staff potting and the plant type being potted do not change. Results
will be more accurate if potting staff record the details (start time, end time, number
of staff, quantity produced) as they work.

Potting labour cost in cents per pot is calculated by multiplying the total time worked
by the hourly wage rate in cents and dividing the result by the number of pots
produced. For example if a nursery pays an hourly rate of $14 and 5 staff take 1 hour
to produce 1000 x 140mm pots then a total of 5 man hours has been worked at a cost
of $14/ hr which equals $70 or 7000 cents. 7000 cents divided by 1000 x 140mm pots
equals 7 cents per 140mm pot.

Nurseries can use their own hourly wage rates when calculating the labour cost of
potting. Note that project graphs included in this booklet are based on an hourly
labour rate of $15 per hour. This amount was intended to reflect an average hourly
wage plus leave loading, superannuation contributions, etc.

The project divided potting into 3 stages:

1. Preparation for potting (includes all work involved in getting ready for potting up
until the time the first pot is ready to be produced)
2. Potting (from the time the first pot is produced to the time the potted plant is
placed onto trailer, conveyor, etc.)
3. After potting (the time from when the potted plant is placed onto transport up till
the time it is placed down into the growing area)

These 3 stages taken together represent total potting. If the total number of people
involved in potting is constant the nursery can use the form to calculate its total
potting costs by:

‰ recording start time and staff numbers from the beginning of preparation for
potting
‰ recording end time and quantity of pots produced when the potted plants have
been placed down in the growing area at the end of potting.

A nursery can also record time and staff numbers and quantity produced separately
for each of the 3 stages and add results together to give total potting labour costs:

‰ record start time, end time, number of staff and quantity potted (this figure will
only be known after potting has finished) for preparation for potting costs
‰ record start time, end time, staff numbers and quantity potted for potting costs
‰ record start time, end time, number of staff, quantity potted for after potting costs
‰ add the costs in of the 3 stages to find total potting labour costs.
 93

This method will give a more accurate result when the number of staff involved in the
3 stages differs or when the 3 stages are not carried out consecutively. Eg. when
preparation for potting involves 2 people, potting involves 4 people and after potting
involves 2 people or when preparation is carried out the day prior to potting.
 Potting form

Circle stage being recorded:

PREPARATION for POTTING; / POTTING / TOTAL POTTING

Date Start time End time Number of staff Total time Pot size Quantity potted

Potting labour cost in cents per pot = (total time worked) x (hourly rate in cents)
Number of pots produced
 95

C. Overall evaluation of potting system

In any production system time is money and producing potted plants is no exception.
The longer it takes to produce a potted plant the higher the labour cost becomes and
high labour costs mean less profits when plants come to be sold. It follows then that all
nurseries should place a high priority on achieving plant quality goals with minimum
possible potting labour costs.

The potting process consists of:

‰ preparation for potting (eg. bringing plant stock to the potting area)
‰ actual potting (eg. transferring plant stock into pots with potting media and
loading to internal transport)
‰ after potting (eg. transporting the potted plants to the growing area and putting
down)

Project research has revealed that potting labour costs vary greatly from one nursery
to another. For the 35 nurseries investigated during the project, the labour cost of total
potting for 140mm pots (that is preparation for potting, actual potting and after
potting) varied from a minimum of 3.15 cents to a maximum of 37.17 cents per
140mm pot! It is interesting to note that the sales price of plants produced at the
higher labour cost was not necessarily proportionally higher than plants produced at
the lower labour cost. Labour costs in the potting stage of total potting also varied
from one nursery to another. Potting costs recorded for 140mm pots varied from a
minimum of 1.02 cents per 140mm pot to 28.13cents per 140mm pot! The great
difference in total potting costs existing in such a small sample of nurseries (35)
indicates that in the wider nursery industry a very large number of nurseries must be
paying far more than they need to for potting production.

How can one nursery pot plants for 3 cents a pot while it costs
another 37 cents?
Some of the difference in total potting costs can be explained by the type of plant
being potted. Some plant stock require extra care while being taken from the
propagation container and placed into the growing-on pot. Plant stock grown in tubes
generally takes longer to remove from the tube and insert to the pot than plant stock
grown in cell trays. When potting from tubes there is the additional task of disposing
of each tube. Yet, even allowing for the fact that plant types and propagation
containers do affect potting time, it does not adequately explain why potting labour
costs vary so greatly.

Clearly, there are other factors operating which serve to increase a

nursery’s potting labour costs.
 96

Identifying the factors that increase potting labour costs.

Through the investigation of potting labour costs in over 40 potting systems at 35
nurseries project researchers have been able to pin point a number of general factors
in potting production which can make production less efficient and increase potting
labour costs. The good news for nursery operators is that, once you know what to look
for, problems affecting potting efficiency can be quite easy to identify and solve.

The factors which can affect potting labour costs are:

‰ General organisation of potting

‰ Potting production
‰ Worker related issues
‰ Methods of materials handling

An evaluation of potting production efficiency using the evaluation form in appendix

C involves assessing the degree to which these factors are influencing labour costs at
a nursery. The steps in carrying out an evaluation of potting efficiency are:

‰ observe potting production

‰ isolate aspects in potting production which are related to each of the 4 factors
affecting labour costs
‰ score the affect each of these aspects has on total potting labour costs
‰ list the reason for your score along with any potential improvements that could
help lower potting labour costs
‰ calculate the average score for each of the 4 factors affecting potting labour costs

GENERAL ORGANISATION OF POTTING

The general organisation of potting refers to the way in which the nursery has
designed and set out its potting system. It is the visible evidence of nursery
management decisions on issues such as:

‰ where potting should take place

‰ how equipment used in production should be arranged in the potting area
‰ the type of equipment used to carry out potting tasks
‰ the type of potting system that is used by the nursery (eg. hand potting or machine
potting)
 97

What to look for when scoring the general organisation of potting.

• Systems design

‰ could the potting area be better located in another part of the nursery?
‰ is sufficient space available in the potting area for production to be easily carried
out?

‰ do other production areas encroach on potting production space?

‰ could the arrangement of elements within the potting area (potting bench, media
hopper, trailers for loading potted plants, stores of materials, etc) be changed to
improve potting production?

‰ is the growing area set out to allow easy manoeuvring of trailers, etc.
‰ do production figures or other circumstances at the nursery make other potting
systems a more suitable option than the one currently used (ie. could hand potting
be replaced by machine potting or vice versa?)

• Suitability of equipment used

‰ do trailers, trolleys, etc., have sufficient capacity for carrying adequate quantities
of potting inputs and outputs?

‰ is the design of trailers, trolleys, etc. suitable for nursery terrain and the manner in
which they are used by staff in potting production?

‰ does the media hopper allow the free flow of potting media or does it require
constant attention to dislodge blockages?

POTTING PRODUCTION

Potting production refers to the way in which potting staff go about performing tasks
in potting production.

What to look for when scoring potting production.

• Information communication

‰ are staff aware of what potting production is to be carried out on the day? Do
staff know how much is to be potted, where potted plants are to be put down and
what treatments (pruning, herbicide application, etc.) are to be carried out on
potted plants or do they need to seek this information out?
 98

• Allocation of tasks to staff

‰ has non productive time been eliminated from the production cycle or are workers
observed to be sometimes non productive?

‰ are workloads more or less equal among staff or could one or more positions be
removed by reallocating tasks to less staff? (this may involve a reduction in the
speed of production. eg. slowing down a potting machine to allow less staff to
operate)

‰ is the synchronisation of tasks good or does non productive time exist because
certain staff need to wait on others to finish a task before they can begin their
primary task?

• Potting technique

‰ could all potters benefit from some assistance organising their work stations?
‰ is the output of potted plants in a given time roughly the same for all potters or are
certain potters conspicuously slower than other potters?

‰ could specific training in potting technique (ejecting stock, handling media,

inserting fertiliser, handling potted plant) speed up the production of some
potters?

WORKER RELATED ISSUES

• Health and safety

Health and safety refers to any issues that might constitute a risk to the health or
safety of potting staff. Poor health and safety levels can affect staff motivation, result
in down time due to injury or sickness, and potentially cost the nursery money in
compensation payments.

What to look for when scoring health and safety.

‰ do workers operate noisy machinery with adequate hearing protection?
‰ do workers come into close contact with machinery?
‰ do people seem competent in the operation of machinery?
‰ are injury risk areas on the machine clearly labelled?
‰ are safety guidelines being followed when herbicide, potting media, etc., is
handled (ie. do potters wear masks and gloves)?

‰ do things such as trays, pots, water etc. lying in the potting area, pose a risk to
workers?
 99

‰ does the way in which tasks are carried out seem likely to pose a risk of injury to
workers (constant lifting, turning, awkward posture at the work station etc.)?

• Worker comfort

Worker comfort refers to any issues that make it difficult for staff to carry out their
duties with minimum effort. Potting production rates naturally tend to drop
throughout the day as staff become tired and this trend is accelerated in systems with
poor worker comfort levels. There is a growing international trend for worker comfort
levels to be regulated and enforced in the same manner as health and safety issues.

What to look for when scoring worker comfort.

‰ do staff who are required to stand for prolonged periods on hard surfaces have
cushioned matting for their feet?

‰ could staff use ergonomic tools to take make tasks easier (eg. pot lifters for
loading and unloading pots, ergonomic stools for working at the potting bench)

‰ are the tools used the most appropriate for the task?
‰ are workers adequately protected from the elements?
‰ are work stations designed so that staff can carry out their tasks with minimum
effort?

‰ is adequate lighting available in the potting area?

• Worker skills

Worker skills refers to the ability and knowledge workers have to carry out their
allotted tasks.

What to look for when scoring worker skills.

‰ are potting staff able to competently operate equipment used in potting?
‰ do potting staff know how to carry out task in potting without constant referral to
the potting supervisor?

‰ do staff appear in need of training in related potting tasks?

• Worker motivation

Worker motivation refers to a worker’s level of enthusiasm / willingness / dedication /

work ethic, call it what you will. Well motivated workers were a feature in nurseries
with lowest potting labour costs. Motivated workers out produce under motivated
workers and are more likely contribute to the improvement of potting production.
 100

Levels of worker health and safety and worker comfort can have an impact on worker
motivation.

What to look for when scoring worker motivation.

‰ do workers appear interested in working in a productive manner?
‰ are workers easily distracted from their tasks?
METHODS OF MATERIALS HANDLING

Methods of materials handling refers to the way in which potting inputs and outputs
are transported about the nursery. Potting inputs and outputs include empty pots, plant
stock, potting media, potted plants, fertiliser, trays, discarded plant material, old pots,
etc.

Efficient materials handling is influenced by such things as:

‰ the frequency with which potting materials are handled

‰ the quantities in which potting materials are handled
‰ the capacity and condition of equipment used to deliver materials
‰ the distance materials are delivered.

What to look for when scoring materials handling.

• Handling of pots, stock, media, fertiliser & potted plants

‰ can some steps involved in getting materials into or out of the potting process be
eliminated?

‰ can the quantities in which materials are handled be increased?

‰ can the quantity of materials delivered be increased to reduce the number of trips
required to bring them into or out of the potting area?

‰ can the equipment used to deliver materials be changed or modified to increase

carrying capacity?

‰ can the distance materials are delivered be reduced by relocating storage areas?
‰ could some handling tasks be removed altogether by using new technology or
changing the way the nursery has traditionally carried out tasks (eg. consider
buying fertiliser and media ready mixed instead of adding fertiliser during potting,
watering plants in the field instead of at the potting area)?

‰ are materials located so that they do not interfere with potting production (eg.
boxes of pots in the road of staff operating potting machine, trays on the ground
making walking difficult etc.)?
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How to use the evaluation form.

The initial evaluation of a production system is quite a subjective process so try and
have a number of people from within the nursery and, if possible, some who are not at
all familiar with the operation of the nursery complete separate evaluation forms.
Often potential problems are more apparent to people who do not habitually work in
the production system under evaluation.

It may occur that not all aspects of production are able to be observed on the one
occasion. For example, some aspects can only be scored in the growing area when
potted plants are being put down. The form can be completed over a period of time
until all of potting production has been covered. If a nursery uses more than one
potting system each system should be separately evaluated.

The 4 factors affecting potting labour costs are listed in bold print across the form.

GENERAL ORGANISATION OF POTTING

POTTING PRODUCTION

WORKER RELATED ISSUES

METHODS OF MATERIALS HANDLING

Issues relating to each of these factors are listed down on the left hand side of the
form. Not all issues listed will necessarily be relevant to the potting production system
you are evaluating. If your production system includes other issues not listed simply
add them to the form and score them accordingly.
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There are 3 columns to be filled out on the form:

SCORE 1-9 REASONS FOR YOUR SCORE POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS

Evaluation scores are entered in the column SCORE 1-9. The score you give to a
particular production issue will relate to how effectively that issue contributes to
minimising potting labour costs at the nursery. Scores can range from 1 through to 9.
1 is very poor, 5 is average and 9 is excellent.

For example, the first issue on the form under the heading of the GENERAL
ORGANISATION OF POTTING is ‘location of the potting area’. If you believe that
the ‘location of the potting area’ is very good ie. that the potting area is located in the
best spot in the nursery to minimise potting labour costs you might score it 7, 8 or
even 9. If you believe that the position of the potting area is responsible for increasing
potting labour costs (eg. it is not centrally located in the nursery, is a long way from
potting materials, etc.) you might score it as a 4, 3, 2 or even 1, depending on the
extent to which you believe the location of the potting area is contributing to
increasing total potting labour costs.

The second and third columns are for writing down the reasons for your score and
potential solutions for solving any problems you have identified. Ensure every person
completing an evaluation form does write down the reasons for their score and
wherever possible provides potential solutions to the problem. This will be of great
help when nursery management and staff meet after the evaluation to discuss the
results of the evaluation, problems identified and potential improvements aimed at
reducing potting labour costs.
 Name: SCORE 1-9
Nursery: 1 = very poor REASON FOR YOUR SCORE SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS
5 = average
9 = excellent
System design GENERAL ORGANISATION OF POTTING
1 Location of the potting area ( )
2 Layout in the potting area ( )
3 Potting work station design ( )
4 Layout of the growing area ( )
5 Suitability of potting method ( )
Suitability of equipment used
6 For planting stock handling ( )
7 For media handling ( )
8 For potted plant handling ( )
Information communication POTTING PRODUCTION
9 Staff knowledge of requirements ( )
Allocation of tasks to staff
10 Elimination of non productive time ( )
11 Coordination of tasks ( )
Effectiveness of Potting technique
12 Organisation of work bench ( )
13 Ejecting plant stock ( )
14 Handling media on the bench ( )
15 Inserting fertiliser to pot ( )
16 Handling the potted plant ( )
 SCORE 1-9 REASON FOR YOUR SCORE SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS

Health & safety WORKER RELATED ISSUES

17 Safety levels in equipment use ( )
18 Safety levels in material handling ( )
19 Safety levels in work practices ( )
Worker comfort
20 Comfort levels in the potting area ( )
21 … in transport to growing area ( )
22 … in the growing area ( )
Worker skills
23 Level of workers’ skill ( )
Worker motivation
24 Level of workers’ motivation ( )
Empty pot handling METHODS OF MATERIALS HANDLING
25 Pot to potting station ( )
Plant stock handling
26 Stock to potting station ( )
Media handling
27 Delivering to potting station ( )
Fertiliser handling
28 Delivering to potting station ( )
Potted plant handling
29 In the potting area ( )
30 Watering/transport to growing area ( )
31 In the growing area ( )
 105

D. Calculating the cost/benefit of improving your potting system

Once a nursery has found its total potting costs in cents per pot (appendix B) and
carried out an evaluation of its production efficiency (appendix C) these results can be
used to find out the approximate cost/benefit of introducing improvements to the
potting system.

The software used to calculate the cost/benefit has been developed by the Queensland
Horticulture Institute and at a later stage of the project it will be made available to
nurseries interested in evaluating their potting production efficiency. For the time
being however, QHI will run a cost/benefit analysis free of charge for any nursery that
sends in its total potting cost in cents per pot (appendix B) and completed evaluation
forms(s) (appendix C). Results of analysis will be strictly confidential.

Send your information to the: Engineering Section, QHI, PO Box 327, Cleveland Q
4163.
 106

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Corlett, E.N., Clark, T.S. (1995). The Ergonomics of Workspaces and Machines.
London: Taylor and Francis.

Millner, P.D., Olenchock, S.A., Epstein, R., Rylander, M.D.J., Haines, J., Walker,
B.L., Horne, E., and Maritato, M. (1994). Bioaerosols associated with
composting facilities. Compost Science & Utilisation 2 (4) pp 6-57.

Radajewski, W., Brown, D., Bodman, K., and Hoeks, P. (1997) Nursery Dispatch
Systems. Queensland Department of Primary Industries Manual.

Steele, T. (1996). Control of legionella spp. particularly legionella longbeachae in

potting mixes. HRDC Final Report NY234.

Steele, T. (1994). Legionella longbeachae and infections from environmental sources.

National Nursery News July p 8.