Sam Rambo has grown his love and knowledge of poinsettias organically. A self-taught horticulturist, Sam started Rambo Nursery in 1983 with 2,800 square feet of greenhouse space, primarily growing hanging baskets.
“I still have my grower notes from December 1983. I can remember getting magazines and learning,” says Sam.
After 35 years, the nursery has more than 1.2 million square feet of greenhouse space and grows a variety of plants including annuals, perennials, succulents, ground cover and a holiday favorite, poinsettias. “Poinsettias are a very nervous crop,” says Sam. “There is a lot of waiting for the poinsettias to change colors because they start out green and eventually become red.” With constant monitoring and the careful use of water, fertilizer and growth regulator, the tropical plant takes about six months to grow.
Rambo Nursery started supplying for The Home Depot in 1994 and later became an exclusive Home Depot vendor in 1998. “Being an exclusive Home Depot vendor, we owe them a lot of our success because they’ve been able to grow with us and for us to grow with them,” Sam explains. The nursery serves 67 stores and will extend its reach to another 10 stores in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee in 2019.
“I love to grow and build. I like to create,” Sam explains. “It’s rewarding. It’s all I’ve ever done, and it keeps me interested each and every day.”
Learn more about Rambo Nursery and three tips on how to keep your poinsettias thriving throughout the holiday season in this video.
Note: This was originally published on Dec. 12, 2018
