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Woody Ornamentals for a Fast Growing Market Juanita Popenoe Lake County Extension
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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
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Steps to Starting Wholesale or retail? What kind of plants to grow? – Market Analysis! Where/how to grow? Business plan and analysis
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Wholesale or Retail?
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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
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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
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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?
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Land Preparation
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Irrigation System
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Pots?
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Supports?
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Potting Mix Mix your own or buy pre-mixed?
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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
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Business Plan Certified Nursery Registration – DPI/ FL DOACS Occupational licenses and bonding Starting A Wholesale Nursery Business at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP05600.pdf Using Business Analysis http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FE/FE27400.pdf Constantly develop markets – get to know builders, landscapers, retail outlets How to market yourself – plant locators
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Other Resources Extension Office UF Crop Time-line for nursery production: http://cfextension.ifas.ufl.edu Click on nursery production and then woody Virginia Tech’s getting started in the nursery business: http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/nursery/430- 050/430-050.html
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Jon’s Nursery Started in 1972 in backyard, Jon was a greengrocer Now one of largest wholesale nurseries in the Southeast
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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).
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Stanley Pond Nursery Part-time, open weekends Started when he bought old ligustrum field nursery next to house Found display makes big difference
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Good Luck!
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Thank You For more information visit the Small Farms web at http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.eduhttp://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu Take a virtual field day tour by visiting the Virtual Field Day web at http://vfd.ifas.ufl.edu http://vfd.ifas.ufl.edu This presentation brought to you by the Small Farms/Alternative Enterprises Focus Team.
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