Interest in planting field-grown nursery stock has increased in recent years as producers have considered new ways of diversifying. Although many growers are familiar with field production of certain other agricultural crops, they may have less experience with nursery stock. Some aspects of growing shade trees in the field are similar to producing row crops, but many characteristics—such as procuring line-out stock, spacing, weed management, and managing a crop for more than one year—are quite different. New growers must also initially plan a marketing strategy, which includes identifying clientele, thereby making it possible to determine what plant species or cultivars to grow, the size to grow, field layout and spacing, and equipment required. Generally, if nursery stock is to be sold within a local area, marketing may be limited to retail garden centers, which prefer small and very well-formed trees and shrubs, or to landscapers, who usually need larger plant material and in some cases may prefer specific leader, canopy height, and branch structures when they select shade trees at the nursery. Shipping nursery stock to other geographic locations requires special handling during harvest and transportation. The more specific the marketing strategy, the easier it will be to determine which plants to grow and how to design the planting plan.