Advice on selling trees

[otillard]

I set up an estate tree nursery a couple of years ago and now have around 550 trees, 18 species, ranging from 2m London Plane trees, Wild/ Bird Cherry, Wild Pear, Sweet/ Horse Chestnut, to smaller Silver Birch, English/Pin/Holm Oak, Walnut and Copper Beech. These are all pot grown and easy to transport. 

My goal was to sell these to local garden centres and nurseries but there doesn't seem to be much interest. Any advice on where I could sell these, ideally in bulk at wholesale prices, would be really appreciated. Based in Sussex and wondering if I should be considering landscape gardening firms or housing developers?

[NJA]

Where abouts in sussex?

[otillard]

Hi - the nursery is based in mid-Sussex (Newick)

[devon TWiG]

7 hours ago, otillard said:

I set up an estate tree nursery a couple of years ago and now have around 550 trees, 18 species, ranging from 2m London Plane trees, Wild/ Bird Cherry, Wild Pear, Sweet/ Horse Chestnut, to smaller Silver Birch, English/Pin/Holm Oak, Walnut and Copper Beech. These are all pot grown and easy to transport. 

My goal was to sell these to local garden centres and nurseries but there doesn't seem to be much interest. Any advice on where I could sell these, ideally in bulk at wholesale prices, would be really appreciated. Based in Sussex and wondering if I should be considering landscape gardening firms or housing developers?

Good question ....it is like a lot of things , manufacturing or providing a service etc ....being able to actually sell goods or services is the toughest part !!!    Perhaps let local tree work companies know as they often replace felled trees , I see quite a few on  facebook marketplace , landscapers / gardeners ....garden centres may well want certificates for plant health / provenance etc and a continuous   supply  guarantee as well as not paying up front .....thought of doing this myself !!

[Stere]

I had a small tree nusery yrs ago similar amount of trees approx 1000 at most mostly oaks grown as a "hobby".

 

In the end just gave them away hardly managed to sell many... Time taken to profit there was was no money in it. Was more of a good deed thing thinking some of thoose tree got planted and will be prospering etc.

 

I think you have to be industrial sized to make any money as most tree nusery  grow on a industrial scale  with 100,000 of trees  etc?

 

How about carboots sales?

 

 

[Stere]

Also black polypots are cheap

Polythene plant pots by Hadopots

WWW.HADOPOTSONLINE.CO.UK

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Polythene plant pots for growing vegetables, fruit and shrubs, made from recycled polythene. New oxo-biodegradable...

 

 

[otillard]

Very wise words - there seemed to be a fair bit of interest when i established a couple of years ago but certainly proving harder that expected. Then again if it was easy everyone would do it. Also thinking of looking for local planting schemes, charities and highways. Although those are likely to be want a lower price but getting to the point where i need to start shifting stock to make way for new stock.

[otillard]

1 hour ago, Stere said:

I had a small tree nusery yrs ago similar amount of trees approx 1000 at most mostly oaks grown as a "hobby".

 

In the end just gave them away hardly managed to sell many... Time taken to profit there was was no money in it. Was more of a good deed thing thinking some of thoose tree got planted and will be prospering etc.

 

I think you have to be industrial sized to make any money as most tree nusery  grow on a industrial scale  with 100,000 of trees  etc?

 

How about carboots sales?

 

 

Hi Stere - interesting to hear your similar experience. Looks like i may have to get a little inventive short of trying to sell individual trees online  - but that would certainly be time consuming. 

[petercb]

You may be interested in this, has closed currently but seed production is open, link for that is on right hand side of the blog. Might be worth talking to your local forestry officer as well. As others have said provenance will be important. Good luck

Introducing the new Tree Production Capital Grant

FORESTRYCOMMISSION.BLOG.GOV.UK

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News and updates from the Forestry Commission

 

[otillard]

Hi Peter and thank you. I have been speaking with forestry officers who have been remarkably helpful. Provenance has been on my radar since the beginning and i was working off the assumption that if i deliver myself (locally within 10 miles) then i am exempt, as long as the end user was able to produce their own passports which most places can. Starting to think the planting scheme, either charity or council, might be the best bet, particularly as i would be able to provide trees at such a low cost.