Tim Clapp, Wyevale Garden Centres ex-head of horticulture and now lead buyer at B&Q, has advised growers to “be honest, innovate and share problems early” when negotiating with retailers.

“Never say ‘I’ll grow whatever you want’,” he told delegates at the HTA’s Contact 2015 conference at JCB’s headquarters in Uttoxeter. He said suppliers should be persistent, give good notice of critical decisions and to think of solutions. He also warned them to never call on a Monday, a buyer’s busiest day.

Before approaching a retailer, he said, growers should aim to know their market – its size, channels and competitors – and to learn about the customer’s demographics and segmentation, as well as understand the buyers’ key metrics.

A panel discussion involving Tim Clapp, Marcus Cousins (Aylett Nurseries), Charles Carr (Lowaters) and Adam Dunnett (Wyevale Nurseries) covered a range of topics across the supply chain. They included the importance of working together to come up with solutions, building relationships, being open and remaining flexible. They spoke about scope for more vertical communication in the production chain with young plant suppliers, as in the US and other parts of Europe.

The event finished with a compelling motivational talk by former Royal Marine, broadcaster and ocean adventurer Monty Halls on the extraordinary things people and teams will do when pressure is applied, highlighting the importance of a team ethic and the need to work together.

Closing the day, Wayne Eady, MD of Delamore Young Plants and conference steering group chair, spoke of the urgent need to do more to promote horticultural careers. Funding from the HTA and HDC (Horticultural Development Company) for the development of people was a possible way forward, he suggested.