What should I ask about a nursery’s winter storage and plant protection routine?

A nursery can lose a great deal of stock in one bad week, so the winter routine deserves close attention. Ask the seller to describe the steps from the first hard frost to the spring thaw: moving pots, covering rows, watering, mulching, rodent control and checks. Then see the spaces. Look at the structures, the covers, the heating or ventilation, if any, and how well the pots are packed and protected.

Ask for the record. Which plants were lost in past winters, how many and why? Were any losses insured? A seller who tracks the losses and what they learned is usually running a careful operation. If the answer is vague, ask the staff who do the work, as they often know more than the owner.

Think about who does what once you own the nursery. Winter work often falls on a small crew or a single trusted employee, so find out who that is and whether they are staying. Confirm that the insurance, equipment and any shared or leased storage space transfer with the business. Your lawyer can read the lease, and your insurance adviser can explain what coverage would apply to stored stock, and to ask what the seller would do differently next winter.

Key takeaways

• Ask for the full winter routine, and then inspect the spaces.
• Request the history of winter losses and their causes.
• Identify who carries out winter work and whether they stay.