Takao Nursery is a third - coevals crime syndicate - owned and operate business enterprise that initially get as a small-scale landscape painting company in Torrance , CA in 1960 when Founders Howard and Fumiko Takao turn the company into a sweeping groundcover nursery after purchase land in Fresno , CA 19 years afterward .
by Ed Attanasaio
In the nineties under the 2d coevals direction of Danny Takao , Takao Nursery transitioned into perennial propagation full - time . Currently , Takao Nursery grows all of its plants in a aggregation of commercial-grade nursery manufactured by Agra Tech ( ATI ) in Pittsburg , CA , a 47 - twelvemonth - onetime company .
In the early days , Takao Nursery focused primarily on farm new patented varieties from stock breeder around the planet . In 2000 , they began develop drought - tolerant plant after anticipating a succeeding demand based on California ’s reoccurring drouth , according to the company ’s web site .
Inside the greenhouses at sundown
Danny Takao now has his girl Lisa Takao - McCall running the show as she takes it further into an diligence that has changed dramatically in so many elbow room . “ I ’ve always been entrance with this industry even as a small youngster , ” he say . “ So when I part managing our family nursery , I wanted to learn how others mesh and that lead to meeting a mickle of good people . ”
Danny Takao
Danny has never been afraid to play pivotal leaders roles in all of the deal constitution he has been involved in . He served on the Ohio Florist Association ( OFA ) Growers Committee which contribute to a plank seat and then after became the brass ’s President through the 2008 niche and the going of its Executive Director John Holmes . Since then , Takao has seat on boards for Florastar , UC Davis Advisory Board and HRI Board and is also currently the Western Region President for The International Plant Propagators ’ Society ( IPPS ) .
IPPS is an international tie-up of plant production professional with 1,600 phallus . It provides a assembly for share plant production knowledge with the design to better the professionalism , noesis and skills of its members . They converge regularly on a regional and international level by attending educational conferences , tours , field days and workshops . The Society offers various scholarships , research Cary Grant and rally programs .
By changing with the times , the glasshouse has been able flourish and continue the Takao family bequest . “ presently our focus is on drought - tolerant varieties and California natives , ” Lisa Takao - McCall said . “ We have expand in that direction because we see a need in the food market with California ’s drouth office . And there is limited availability on these varieties because they are so hard to grow . ”
Danny Takao saw that adapting and change was the right way to go , so he pursued it . “ The one affair I have watch over my life history is alteration , ” he enjoin . “ Those who were n’t able to adapt and change to the times were not able to continue on with their business . It was a lot to learn in understanding how to propagate those plant and grow them under greenhouse conditions to keep on docket . But it ’s worked out dandy as sustainability and using less water have become major drivers of the new landscape . ”
Part of their success has been a fruitful relationship with ATI . “ Our kinship with ATI goes back a ways , ” Danny said . “ We commence with John Pound back in the former 1980s and it was the first greenhouse we purchased . We have approximately 170,000 sq . ft . at both sites from Coldframes to toilet - connected houses . Our original site is now used to house our stock plant life and our Polk Site is where the liner trays are produced . We begin running out of space during our peak winter months at our Polk Site so we decided to put up some ATI Coldframes we had taken down from our original land site . After 25 old age they ’re still in sound flesh . We have another 3 Akka that have been graded but that will be Lisa ’s decision on build more house . The Coldframes and the original house we built with our gang . The newer house had the roll ceiling and were work up by Ag - Con which is possess by Ray Pound , John ’s brother . We usually do n’t take to conduct with ATI much , except for some component part that wear out over time . But the family relationship has always been sound . Jim Bergantz is their sales rep for us and always helping with any entropy we might need . ”
glasshouse in full product
Lisa key out the growing process from start to polish . “ I reckon our strength is in propagating frail varieties and being self - sufficient . We grow all our own mother stock , which we keep at our original website a few Admiralty mile away . Each day we are harvesting our own cuttings , sticking , and shipping . Our focus is on customs parliamentary procedure – customers tell us what varieties they require and when they desire it and we grow it just for them ! We are very client concentrate in that mode . Our master facility is made up of Agra Tech greenhouses . We started with bare land in 1999 and they helped to make our vision a realness !
“ We defend our own mother stock and chiefly stick to grade . We know how long each variety should take to etymon , and to finish , ” Lisa said . “ We pinch all our liners multiple times to try out and deliver a final product that is quick to grow and will require less workplace for the grower down the road ! We are mystify and shipping every week of the class ! lavender are very popular for us , we carry over 40 salmagundi . We have become well known for our lavender liners . ”
Another winning formula for Takao Nursery is the use of Ellepots , Lisa explained . “ Ellepots are a biodegradable paper that holds a growing medium ( you may put your own recipe inside ) used in multiplication . We did not fabricate them , the concept is from Ellegaard , a Danish company . It was fetch to the US by Blackmore Co , who is also our Ellepot tray and Ellepot paper supplier . We have found them to have far superior consequence in propagation – from scale down extension time , to better handling and less accent to the plants . They ’re also fast to transpose for our agriculturist customer . ”
For more information : Agra Tech2131 Piedmont WayPittsburg , CA 94565 T : ( 925 ) 432 - 3399F : ( 925 ) 432 - 3521[email protected]agratech.com
