However, items such as liners and whips, that are shipped as bareroot plant material, can be distributed on a national basis. This is possible because whips are a relatively small tree, generally unbranched or lightly branched, and shipped bareroot which allows a high density in the truck. Although national distribution potential is appealing from a sales perspective. It does require knowledge of the national market. Most growers in Georgia produce finished trees and sell to landscape contractors, landscape developers or municipalities.
Whips are a product with numerous avenues of distribution and one of increasing demand.
However, most of the whips consumed in Georgia are purchased from Tennessee or Oregon. There is an opportunity for local growers to improve upon the quality of whips supplied from the southeast and to sell on a local, regional or national basis. It is important to emphasize that the market opportunity is for top quality whips. The opportunity also exists within the state to produce high quality liners. The quality of a finished tree is significantly influenced by the quality of the liner.