Are you sure you grow quality? I've visited hundreds of nurseries across the land. I've walked and driven nursery rows in most states of this great country. I've seen some strange things and ridden in some pretty scary-looking pickups. U.S. nurseries are as diverse as inkblots, but one thing is consistent. They all grow quality. At least that's what they tell me. I've never heard a grower say, "I grow junk. But I grow it fast and sell it cheap to customers who don't really care as long as they're saving a buck." But I've had my suspicions. Last month I wrote about how our industry is becoming polarized regarding marketing. Well it's also becoming polarized regarding quality. Good, bad, ugly We're developing two distinct divisions in our industry -- those who grow superior plants and those who don't. Take a hard look at what you're delivering this month and make an honest conclusion on which side of the fence you sit. A strange thing happened in the past five years. The nursery boom of the 1990s ended and a great plant shortage came to an end. Buyers have the luxury of being more selective and nurseries can't count on automatically selling everything they grow. And a lot of nurseries are discovering their quality isn't as good as they once thought. A few years ago several outspoken arborists brought the planting depth issue to the forefront. Now the market is aware of the situation and leery of balled-and-burlapped trees with surface roots too deep in the root ball. For container-grown plants, the market is becoming much more aware of root quality. Not only does the top of the plant have to look good, but circling roots and inadequately rooted plants are unacceptable. Demand for container crops grown in root-pruning pots (both liners and finished material) continues to grow. Yes, superior Notice that I said the division in the industry is between those who grow superior crops and those who don't. If you grow average to good crops, guess what, you're in the lower classification. Therefore, you'll have to compete on price with people who cut a lot more corners than you. Good luck. Despite the market situation, there are growers out there selling everything they grow. These are the growers producing true quality, and they're making money doing it. Yes, buyers are more selective, but they're willing to pay premiums for superior plants. With the housing boom and a robust economy predicted for the foreseeable future, who knows? Another plant shortage might be on its way. However, I don't see the industry going back to an anything-sells mentality. Those darned buyers have gotten picky. I'm not saying you'll go out of business if your quality is somewhat less than exceptional. But you do need to know what you'll be up against in the coming years. Send this article to a friend Enter your e-mail address: Enter your friend's e-mail address: Click the image below to send: © 2004 Branch-Smith Publishing