Production Systems and Costs for Producing Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) Cultivars from Budded Seedlings and from Rooted Cuttings in Tennessee, 1984

The objective of this study was to develop cost models for the production of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) cultivars from budded seedlings and from rooted cuttings in Tennessee. Production data was gathered from Middle Tennessee nurserymen. Model production systems were synthesized, capital requirements identified and cost of production estimated.

Total cost of a four to six-foot flowering dogwood cultivar produced from a budded seedling was $5.47. Total cost of a four to six-foot flowering dogwood cultivar produced from a rooted cutting was $7.35. Major factors contributing to the higher cost of dogwoods grown from rooted cuttings were the costs of overwintering and propagation materials and the lower survival rate of the rooted cuttings in the field. Fixed and variable costs were considered in the computation of total cost. Labor, a variable cost, was the largest cost item for both production systems followed by general overhead, a fixed cost.