Wholesale tree nurseries are where retail nurseries source their crops. The wholesales grow the flowers, trees and the other plants. This saves plant retailers a lot of time and resources because they may not have the experienced personnel to plant and care for plants until maturity. Wholesale nurseries also simplify the process because they can distribute limited numbers of a particular species to various retailers, after growing them in bulk.

A wholesale nursery can move hundreds of plants at a favourable cost, which increases their profit margins. However, the business setup comes with its challenges. Here are the three most common challenges of wholesale nurseries and their potential solutions.

1. Slow Plant Growth

Everyone in the tree growing business wishes that their plants would grow at the fastest possible speed so that they can give them to retailers. While it is true, plants need time to mature, sometimes retarded growth can lead to loss of money. Slowed plant growth can be a result of overwatering the seedlings, poor nutrient supply, poor quality seedlings and poor quality lighting. Excessive soil acidity or alkalinity and wrong temperatures can also lead to slow plant growth. All these problems can be avoided when you have plant growth experts to manage the conditions of the nursery at all times.

2. Poor Quality Plants

Customers inspect the physical attributes of a plant carefully before buying it for their garden. They check the colour of the leaves, the stem, and the roots. They also look at the turgor pressure of the leaves and the stems. If they are supple and succulent, it means the plant is healthy.

Most also check the quality of the roots to ensure that once transferred, they won't rot, leading to the tree drying up. For example, if the leaves are wilted, it means the plant may not survive the transplanting process. Therefore, you have to ensure that all the plants in your nursery are appealing and genuinely healthy to avoid them being returned for being substandard.

3. Transplant Shock

Most wholesalers pot their plants because they want them sold in that condition. However, if the plant is not given the right nutrients and pesticides, and it is transplanted into unfavourable conditions, it might end up with transplant shock, which slows down its growth. To avoid poor reviews from the retailer and consumer, make sure you also educate them on the right transplantation techniques.

These are three common challenges that wholesale nurseries face. Engage landscape plant suppliers when selecting seeds to make sure you have excellent plants at all times. 

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