Summary

Guidance for nursery growers on “capture factor,” a simple measure of how much overhead irrigation a plant’s canopy funnels into its container compared with an empty pot. It explains what raises or lowers capture factor (species, pruning, plant size, spacing, container size, sprinkler type), why it matters for grouping plants in irrigation zones, and provides step-by-step instructions and examples for measuring it to reduce runoff, leaching, and wasted water.