Cactus Shop

[edds]

https://www.devonlive.com/news/property ... 6sIKVRRyz0

[Stuart]

Current price of aluminium is 90p per kilo, there's a lot of aluminium there.

Stuart

[RayW]

First Southfields now Ralph at Cactus Shop

[Stuart]

Cactus nurseries rely on the knowledge and skills of the nursery owners making it difficult to sell as a business. We can't really afford to lose any more nurseries. Southfields is still up and running though visiting hours are reduced during the winter months. Bryan has his usual tables at Spalding Cactus Mart next April which is good news. I had a box of plants from him recently which were top quality and I'd miss going round the nursery but we can't all keep going forever. Luckily, cactus nurserymen are, like musicians, people for whom the retirement age doesn't seem to matter. Hopefully, Ralph will be at all the usual cactus events next year, he has a good range of plants at good prices.

Stuart

[Mike P]

Oh that’s very sad news.

[Ernie]

Very bad news, if it closes down completely its another significant seller gone. Heating costs are going to be high for years to come and even some collectors with modest sized collections may have to seriously think about the costs particularly after retirement with reduced incomes. The days of cheap energy have gone. Difficult for UK commercial growers to compete with such as the Dutch who get heating subsidies. CITES/Brexit/ heating costs have not helped the hobby. I think back to my previous collections that for the most part consisted of succulents requiring an absolute minimum winter temperature of 10 degrees (some even higher) and know that if I had them today its unlikely I would be able to afford the associated costs.

[ralphrmartin]

https://www.devonlive.com/news/property ... 6sIKVRRyz0

Shouldn't this belong in the for sale / wanted section?

[edds]

Shouldn't this belong in the for sale / wanted section?

I actually started typing my first post in that section but then thought some might think it was a little insensitive so put it here instead!

[ralphrmartin]

Heating costs are going to be high for years to come and even some collectors with modest sized collections may have to seriously think about the costs particularly after retirement with reduced incomes. The days of cheap energy have gone. Difficult for UK commercial growers to compete with such as the Dutch who get heating subsidies. CITES/Brexit/ heating costs have not helped the hobby.

While I agree with Ernie's comments about Brexit, it may also provide an opportunity for UK growers.

The costs to growers in the Netherlands may be low, but the costs of importing said plants in hobby quantities from the EU, given the need for phytosanitary certificates and other paperwork, means that there are opportunities there, either to import in bulk, and sell to hobby growers, or more likely to grow plants for sale in the UK (despite the need for inspections and plant passports). Even with increased costs, they could still be cheaper than imported plants. Maybe this sale is the opportunity someone needs to kickstart a business...

[Cidermanrolls]

I’m sad to see another specialist grower wanting to sell up, I hope someone can take it on, but the business case will surely be difficult without a major increase in takings. For that, I suspect the new owner will have to diversify. I fear the days of the specialist nursery are limited.