Spring 2024 Growing Recap: Lessons Learned
August 12, 2024 
Photo: Julie Hullett
The spring growing season can be chaotic, but with proper planning it can also be a successful one. Fortunately, that seemed to be the case in 2024.
Greenhouse Grower’s 2024 Spring Recap Survey was conducted between June 1 and June 21. More than 56% of survey respondents were grower-retailers, nearly 30% were wholesale growers, and 14% produce young plants. The top regions represented in the survey were the Midwest (33%), Northeast (25%), and Southeast (14%).
When asked if spring 2024 was a success or failure for their business, more than 92% considered it a success. Even with this optimism, however, there are still lessons to be learned. Here’s a closer look at how some of this survey respondents reflected on opportunities gained, opportunities missed, and how they’re planning for 2025. For more insights from Spring 2924, click here.
What was the biggest opportunity you capitalized on this spring?
- “Marketing support from vendors”
- “Added a new parking lot for our retail operation, which allowed us to increase sales by 10% in an otherwise down year for the industry in our region by most accounts.”
- “Increase in pricing”
- “Moving more to the high-end succulents and cacti markets.”
- “Native/pollinator plants”
- “Increased marketing to landscapers”
- “Allowing customers to pre-order perennials via our website.”
- “Having our top ten plants available.”
- “Increased production of hanging baskets.”
- “Having an early crop ready for mid-April when the weather was unusually very good.”
What was the biggest opportunity you missed?
- “Didn’t source enough from wholesalers once our own producers sold out.”
- “Having crops timed up well for the big initial spring push and then once things ramped up mid-May on, after the weather got its act together.”
- “Mixed patio pots”
- “We should have kept more inventory during the month of June.”
- “Increased culinary herb sales”
- “Unusual edibles” (note: a number of respondents mentioned edibles and vegetable transplants)
- “Better marketing”
What was the biggest lesson you learned this spring that you plan to apply to spring 2025?
- “Don’t shy away from raising prices on quality products.”
- “We will be pushing some of our early spring crops back a growing week or two. Largely because of the weather, but also dealing with the growing weeks changing due to a leap year, some of our first rounds of crops were ready too soon and had to be cutback.”
- “More training”
- “Automate, automate”
- “Stay on top of preventative sprays for powdery mildew and downy mildew.”
- “Be ready for spring 2-3 weeks earlier than normal.”
- “Expect the unexpected.”
- “The biggest lesson is to adjust from the COVID-19 bubble to a customer base that will still purchase products, but customer interests are shifting.”
- “Changing colors of geranium crop to produce less red and more pink/ purples.”
- “Do not over grow, and you do not have to have every last thing a customer asks for.”
- “Space planning is crucial to getting plants ready on time.”
- “Start employment ads earlier.”
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