As boxwood blight was spreading in the U.S. in the 2010s, executives at Plant Development Services in Loxley, Alabama, and Saunders Brothers Nursery in Piney River, Virginia, were looking for solutions. Plant Development Services looked to Europe, where blight had been a major issue since 1998, while Saunders Brothers looked to germplasm it had on […]
Plant Features
Nurseries follow demand in developing evergreen alternatives to boxwoods
While there’s still demand for the rounded, hardy boxwood (Buxus), growers and retailers are responding to a shifting trend toward evergreen alternatives that don’t face the same pest and disease issues as boxwood.
Nurseries making it easier for homeowners to create urban habitats for critters
While pollinators are getting a lot of attention the green industry is increasingly looking for ways to support wildlife to shore up our ecosystem.
Nursery Operations
Sound planning and strong communication helps complex loading processes run more smoothly
With the variety of sizes, shapes and load configurations involved in nursery shipping, and with the fact that shippers are moving living plants across great distances, coordinating shipping in nursery is fraught with logistical challenges. Careful planning, good communication and loading efficiency are critical steps to getting a truck in and out of a nursery […]
It’s prudent to stay wise to double brokering, ID theft and other freight-related scams
The freight industry is an ocean filled with many fish. Operators of all sizes stand ready to move products to market — including trees and plants. Just one problem. The ocean also has sharks. These unethical predators work a variety of angles, threatening to victimize the shipper who sends product, the buyer who receives it, the […]
Will nurseries continue to enjoy favorable freight rates and availability?
There’s a simple truth about nursery products — they don’t make money until they leave the nursery. That’s why growers pay close attention to the cost and availability of trucks to take plants to market. “My livelihood and that of others around me revolves around these trucks,” said Todd Nelson, an owner of wholesaler Bountiful Farms […]
Oregon Is Nursery Country
Welcome to Nursery Country 2023
With a record $1.37 billion worth of sales in 2022, Oregon’s nursery industry continues to grow. And if you want to know why, you can ask the families that are driving the growth.
John Holmlund Nursery
Nathan and Angie Holmlund continue their dad’s recipe for success: focus on people and plants.
Drakes Crossing Nursery
Jan Hupp and his wife Cindy use a team approach to nourishing his mother’s thriving dream.
Bentwood Tree Farm
Laura and Tom Dufala have taken their passion for cloud-pruned trees and turned it into a thriving business
