Woody Ornamentals for a Fast Growing Market Juanita Popenoe Lake County Extension

Statistics  Nursery and Greenhouse industry is the fastest growing segment of US agriculture  Driven by expansion in housing  Estimated total sales by Florida horticulture firms in 2000 were  $191 M for deciduous shade, flowering, and fruit trees  $176 M for evergreen trees  About 31% of all firms sold trees in 2000

Steps to Starting  Wholesale or retail?  What kind of plants to grow? – Market Analysis!  Where/how to grow?  Business plan and analysis

Wholesale or Retail?

What Kind of Plants?  Trees – 3-5+ year turnover  Oak, Magnolia, Fruit or Flowering Trees  Shrubs – 6 months – 1 year turnover  Bedding Plants – 12 week turnover  Species? Find out what is hot  Many retail growers fill out range of plants with plants from wholesalers

Propagate or Buy Liners?  Buy Liners from others?  Costs, sources, reliability  Do you plan to propagate your own?  Cost of mist bed – covering, irrigation system  Source of cutting, seed materials  Techniques for cuttings and seeds – plant hormones, seed treatments

Nursery Design Layout  Land Preparation  Clearing, covering with landscape cloth  Irrigation system  Overhead sprinklers or micro-irrigation?  Pot system  Tree supports needed?  Supports to keep from blowing over?  Potting Mix  What type? Source?  Fertilizers and Chemicals  Herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers – When, Where, How?

Land Preparation

Irrigation System

Pots?

Supports?

Potting Mix  Mix your own or buy pre-mixed?

Fertilizers and Chemicals  When, Where, How?  Do I need a license?  Pesticides – when do you need them?  Herbicides – weeds compete  Pre-emergent  Post-emergent  Fertilizers  Incorporated slow release  Top dressed  To plant requirements

Business Plan  Certified Nursery Registration – DPI/ FL DOACS  Occupational licenses and bonding  Starting A Wholesale Nursery Business at  Using Business Analysis  Constantly develop markets – get to know builders, landscapers, retail outlets  How to market yourself – plant locators

Other Resources  Extension Office  UF Crop Time-line for nursery production:  Click on nursery production and then woody  Virginia Tech’s getting started in the nursery business: 050/ html

Jon’s Nursery  Started in 1972 in backyard, Jon was a greengrocer  Now one of largest wholesale nurseries in the Southeast

Ola Farms  Started in 5 acre yard 5 years ago  Now self-sufficient business  Supplier of Oaks and Magnolias contract and retail (with installation only).

Stanley Pond Nursery  Part-time, open weekends  Started when he bought old ligustrum field nursery next to house  Found display makes big difference

Good Luck!

Thank You  For more information visit the Small Farms web at  Take a virtual field day tour by visiting the Virtual Field Day web at This presentation brought to you by the Small Farms/Alternative Enterprises Focus Team.