Wholesale nursery surveys reveal inventory, customers and business practices

Abstract

The California greenhouse and nursery industry is the second most important agricultural commodity in the state and the leading producer in the nation. Surveys in 1989 and 1994 collected information from wholesale nurseries regarding basic characteristics and the way they conduct business. Results show that more new nurseries were started between 1983 and 1988 than during the following 5 years. Over that same time period, nurseries employed fewer permanent and more temporary personnel. The surveys reflect the diversity of the California nursery industry, which produced a wide range of landscape plant categories, none of which accounted for more than 18% of overall sales. More than 80% of nursery products are grown in containers, and the majority of California nursery products are sold within the state.