May 19, 2003
858•535•8101
Growing by Leaves and Boughs
San Diego, California. - Limited production and sales areas can translate into product shortages, and untimely crop cycles, resulting in products being unavailable at job time. By increasing the acreage of their San Diego facility Miramar Wholesale Nurseries hopes to remedy that issue, as well as to keep production in pace with an ever-increasing demand. This spring MWN has begun an expansion to ensure landscapers get the plant varieties they want in the quantities they need, and at the time they need it.
"Right now we have about 200 acres in production," said Alan Stockton, MWN's director of production and product development. "With the expansion we'll have an additional 30 acres of growing fields. We want to be able to grow more varieties so we don't run out."
Daylilies, Kangaroo Paws and Agapanthus are the three varieties that will see the greatest increase - not only in quantities, but in depth of varieties. "One of our goals is to no longer run out of our most popular varieties of Daylily," Alan said. Look for the expansion on the south side of the San Diego facility.
Additionally, the nursery will add to its one gallon production in an effort to produce a more dependable supply of shifting stock for larger size products.
The project began last fall and is scheduled to be completed by August. The ground has been cleared, but a road and gravel staging area for container plants must be installed. Customers can see container plants as soon as the project is complete, but it will be another 6 to 12 months for the field-grown plants to mature.
MWN has room to increase by another 90 acres at the San Diego site. While there are no plans to fill it at this point, the nursery is looking for more ways to improve service to customers. Right now the nursery is scouting several locations around the county to establish more landscape centers that will be stocked with plants and supplies from the main facility. Look for another three to five will-call centers sometime in the next year.
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