Nursery Management
Features - market outlook
Liner growers shed light on how the events of 2020 will affect this year’s sales and beyond.
In December, the
Nursery Management staff asked liner growers to discuss market shortages, various trends and how the increased demand for plants in 2020 is likely to affect 2021 sales. Liner growers often have the pulse on the market before the rest of the industry since they’re the first stop in the supply chain.
The running themes from our conversations: order early, be flexible and expect plant demand to be high again in 2021.
The beginning of the 2020 quarantine created some anxiety among the green industry, but that was quickly swapped with action when most states deemed garden centers as essential, allowing them to stay open, and consumers clamored for plants. Being at home 24/7encouraged both experienced and new gardeners to buy plants for the inside of their homes, to beautify their outdoor spaces and to grow their own food. That resulted in double-digit sales increases among growers across the country.