Inventory Control!

MINIMIZE YOUR LOSSES AND SURPLUS

Bareroot figs, persimmons, pomegranates, walnuts and pecans can be difficult to maintain.

Consider a “No Guarantee” policy

OR containerize these items as soon as you receive them and sell them when they are rooted in.

Post a No Returns Accepted until June 15th sign.

Sleeve all pecans and walnuts—plant trees in 15-gallon containers and cut the bottom out of a 5-gallon container to cover the remainder of the root.

The entire root should be covered to within 2 inches of the bud union.

* * Figs are notoriously difficult to start - buy them as container items only * *

A representative variety of your bareroot stock—30% to 50%—should go into containers as soon as it comes in. This will ensure that you have ready-to-sell container stock as early as possible and will reduce your springtime workload.

If weather threatens sales in the first half of bareroot season, don’t forget to can additional material. You don’t want to get caught with a bin full of leafed-out bareroot trees and a shortage of rooted in-container trees.

Look for opportunities to justify a higher price-point. Grow specialty varieties (all walnuts, persimmons, multi-budded trees, etc. - which you pay more for) in larger cans (7 or 15 gallon) to distinguish them from the regular inventory and to increase the value to the customer.

Put slow-moving varieties on sale during the bareroot season while the market is good.

Consider three for the price of two promotions, centered around a 3-in-1-hole planting.

If you simply encourage your customers to use new techniques, you’ll move more inventory without undercutting your base pricing.