Gardening has become much more than a hobby for many people, and savvy nursery managers need an added edge to compete. This guide discusses the beginning stages of opening a gardening business, from finding financing, choosing a location, and shaping a business plan to the advanced practicalities of promotion, display, and handling live goods. 80 photos. 40 drawings. 30 tables.

This study guide was written for those seeking to become California Certified Nursery Professionals (CCN Pros). Developed through a partnership between the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC), this practical, easy-to-use manual covers important topics on basic horticulture, soil, fertilizer, and water management, plant problem diagnosis, integrated pest management, landscape design, and nursery sales. It also contains an appendix summarizing nursery laws and regulations, a glossary and an index. From indoor plants to lawns – this is a valuable reference for any career professional in the garden retail trade. As the primary information source for home gardeners, well-trained staff knowledgeable in basic horticulture is important to retailers wanting to better meet their customer's needs.

Annotation. Nursery Management second edition is an introduction to setting up and running profitable and efficient nursery businesses covering production, wholesale and retail nurseries at various scales of operation. The book discusses all the practical aspects of nursery management from site selection, production systems, and plant propagation through to materials and equipment. Conventional as well as non-chemical biological control measures for pests, weeds and disease control are included. Management issues for production nurseries, wholesalers and retail nurseries are treated separately for each operation and cover products and services, budgeting, production management, work scheduling and staffing. The chapter on marketing looks at the major changes that have taken place in the nursery industry, particularly the roles that landscapers, garden centres and hardware stores now play in retailing. It covers market research, promotions, distribution and consumer laws and shows the operator how to define the scope of their operation to fit their resources and how to sell their product for maximum return. This accessible guide is essential reading for anyone considering entering the nursery industry, and for those already in the business. Covers production, wholesale and retail nurseries Discusses practical aspects of site selection, disease control, production systems and equipment Explores marketing issues including distribution and relevant consumer law.

When Avent announced that he was quitting his job to build a specialty nursery, his former horticulture professor begged his student to reconsider, telling him he couldn't possibly make a profit "without doing something illegal." More than ten years and 20 nursery catalogs later, Avent owns a thriving national business with nearly 30 employees. He wrote So You Want to Start a Nursery to debunk myths about the ornamental-plants nursery business and what it takes to succeed, whether you're a backyard hobbyist or a wholesale grower. (And he still has a clean arrest record.) Assuming that the reader has some basic knowledge about how plants are grown, Avent focuses on the business and planning concerns of the nursery owner. While recounting humorous stories of his baptism by fire as a beginning nurseryman, Avent also provides a primer on the nursery industry as a whole, with discussions of the merits and disadvantages of retail, wholesale, mail-order, and liner operations, to name just a few. Readers of this book will obtain the tools they need to make a business plan of their own. This book is a must-read for horticulture students, industry insiders, and advanced gardeners who dream of turning their passion for plants into a job they love.

This colorful manual includes research-based information on all aspects of production of landscape plants in commercial nurseries. Written primarily for wholesale nursery growers and propagators; a wide range of those involved in the nursery industry will find this a valuable reference. Twenty chapters in five broad sections cover topics from nursery site selection to crop production, water management to business and labor management, along with pest, weed, and disease management. This easy-to-use manual contains the photos, tables and clearly written text that make UC ANR's publications the go-to references industry professionals rely upon. Chapters include: Nursery Site Selection and Development Plant Growing Structures Mechanization and Automation Soils and Container Media Nutrition and Fertilization Irrigation Management Practices Controlling Runoff and Recycling Water, Nutrients, and Waste Plant Propagation Controlling Plant Growth Diagnosing Plant Problems Integrated Pest Management Plant Diseases Insects, Mites, and Other Invertebrate Pests Integrated Weed Management Vertebrate Pest Management Invasive Pests Business Management Marketing Considerations Increasing Labor Productivity

Based on the authors' extensive and varied experiences in the field, input from nursery manager's across the country, and cutting-edge information from regional and state professional associations, this book provides both general and specific information on the full range of topics related to nursery management. Contains extensive lists of references and resources and convenient tables and charts for calculating a variety of measures and values. Management Applied to Nurseries. Selection of a Nursery Site. Organization and Development of the Nursery. Laws, Regulations, and Codes. Financial Management. Wholesale Marketing of Nursery Crops. Nursery Inventory Control. Shipping of Nursery Stock. Nursery Crop Production. Soil and Nutrition Management for Field-Grown Plants. Media and Nutrition Management for Container-Grown Plants. Irrigation of Nursery Crops. Modifying Plant Growth and Development in the Nursery. Controlling Weeds, Insects, and Disease. Nursery Storage Facilities. The Production and Use of Compost. For anyone interested either in starting or managing a nursery.