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NURTURE
NATIVE FOREST NURSERY IS FINDING NEW WAYS TO COPE WITH AN INCRE ASE IN DEMAND
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nvironmental restoration initiatives are spreading throughout the world, led by prominent influencers, non-profit groups, and big businesses launching plans to fight climate change. A popular answer on combating carbon dioxide emissions? Plant more trees. It is the cheapest way to cut down on CO2 in the atmosphere, and dozens of tree-planting initiatives are ongoing nationwide. The trend is forcing horticulturists to make big changes. Plants and trees are in drastically short supply, and growing materials are selling at roughly 20% higher prices (compared to 2020). The aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the winter freeze that hit the south at the beginning of 2021 have formed a recipe for trouble. But according to leaders of Native Forest Nursery in Chatsworth, Georgia, shortages have been a long time coming—especially for traditional bare root trees. Native Forest Nursery started producing trees in 2008. At the time, the plant material grown at the nursery was intended for clients within the industry. Products ranged from oak varieties, to pines, and even fruit trees, all native to the region. Today, Native Forest continues to provide more than 100 different native species in multiple forms but is shipping to clients across the country. “It’s been a drastic turn. We’re seeing demand and request for material that we had not seen these past 10 years and the annual sales continue to grow” says Native Forest Nursery’s business development manager Cole Williams.
Pro Landscaper USA South September/October 2021 33
