C3216 - Garden centres and cannabis growing operations

Operational Details
Garden centre operators sell plants to the general public. While similar to a home improvement centre, these stores specialize in items associated with the growing of plants and gardening.

Retail garden centres may also operate associated greenhouses, which are used to start their own plants. This is very similar to operating a tree nursery or tree farm. The primary difference is that employers in this subcode are much more involved in selling products in association with the sale of plants.

Potted soil is also sold and it involves a loader moving dirt loam to the bagging areas and screening the loam, adding perlite as a filler and peat moss. The bags are filled sealed, weighed and moved by pallets back to the retail store front area.

A forklift or bobcat may be used to unload pallets of fertilizer, peat moss, bags of shale, and coloured rocks. Products may also include: landscape timbers, sidewalk blocks, gardening tools and general hand tools, ornamental trees and fruit trees, shrubs, grass sod and loam for gardens etc.

Incidental items such as clay pots, pottery, cat litter and potting soil are also marketed by garden centres. Delivery of the product is not part of the sale.

Plant maintenance involves maintaining and watering plants indoors. A contract is usually awarded to look after the care of plants inside public buildings. The only function of the business is their upkeep.

Cannabis is grown in soil, just like any other plant, either indoors or outdoors using the correct soil temperature, water and light. The plants need to be in warm but in moist soil and must get at least 18 hours of sun light. As plants will only grow in temperatures of 20-30 degrees, it is assumed that most operations will be indoor only facilities in Saskatchewan. Health Canada will license commercial cannabis growers and provide for import, export and sale of cannabis at the point of source. Licensed producers can grow and sell products for both the medicinal and non-medicinal markets. Cannabis is also referred to as marijuana

SIC Codes
000000204 - Garden center
000000998 - Plant Maintenance
000001052 - Cannabis growing