Hydrangeas: A fast mover

Photos courtesy of Centerton Nursery

Photos courtesy of Centerton Nursery

Photos courtesy of Centerton Nursery

As a busy production facility, Centerton Nursery in Bridgeton, New Jersey, aims for a short turn on any plants it puts into the marketplace. By producing Bailey Nurseries’ Endless Summer line of hydrangeas in only eight weeks, the grower has an eye-popping plant that essentially sells itself.

Centerton purchases three varieties of Endless Summer from Bailey Nurseries — Summer Crush, BloomStruck and top-selling Original. The collection of Hydrangea macrophylla perennial shrubs is known for its spring and summer re-blooms, giving gardens color and visual appeal for 10 to 12 weeks longer than the average Hydrangea macrophylla.

“The entire Endless Summer line is a really good plant and good grower,” says Centerton Production Manager Brad Moran. “As a class of plants, hydrangeas just have a lot of flower power. They’re very well known to the general public and our end consumer. It’s hard to beat a big flower on a hydrangea bush — they have good color and a lot of ‘wow’ factor.”

Moran points to Endless Summer’s durability as another plus for his bottom line. The assortment’s attractiveness and hearty nature are further bolstered by its ease of production. Using Bailey Nurseries’ JumpStarts liners results in fast finishing times, particular when compared to bare root planting.

“We’re turning around in eight weeks, which is really fast,” Moran says. “These are nice big liners that acclimate faster and settle into the pot they’re going into quicker than other input sizes. Being a production nursery, the more plants we can turn on our square footage affects our profitability. I use JumpStarts to fill holes in sales, and in some regular product turns as well because it gives me a better end product.”

Endless Summer’s compact size and majestic colors are well-known among consumers, resulting in consistent sales and a positive impact on Centerton’s business. Centerton has a long relationship with Bailey Nurseries, one Moran expects to continue thanks to the company’s reliability and quality plants.

“I’ve got some good friendships at Bailey’s going back years,” Moran says. “Their product is always good, and one I don’t have to worry about, which is a huge factor in who I do business with. At the end of the day it’s the quality. Knowing I’m getting the quality plant I ordered is the take-home.”