Disclaimer: This is not an official Nuccio’s Nurseries web site. Their web site is www.nucciosnurseries.com We are friends of Nuccio’s Nursery but do not represent their business. If you have any questions to Nuccio’s Nurseries, please contact Tom, Jim or Julius at (626) 794-3383
Nuccio’s Nurseries, Inc.
3555 Chaney Trail
Altadena, California 91001
Tel: (626) 794-3383
Fax: (626) 794-3395
Overview
Nuccio’s Nurseries is a medium-size family-owned wholesale and retail nursery specializing in growing and hybridizing Camellias and Azaleas. Nuccio’s is well known as one of the richest Camellia nursery in the United States in terms of number of cultivars and species available for sale – more then 600. Nuccio’s family is one of the most recognized sources of Camellia and Azalea introductions worldwide.
History
Nuccio’s Nurseries started as a backyard operation in Alhambra, California by two brothers, Joseph and Julius Nuccio, who obtained a nursery license from the State of California back in 1935.
In 1946 the brother’s father, Giulio Nuccio, bought 40 acres of land in Altadena, north of Pasadena. This is the current location of 6 acres large Nuccio’s Nurseries that is now managed by Julius’ and Joseph’s children – cousin Julius and brothers Tom and Jim. Nuccio’s has total of 13 people – 3 owners and 10 workers.
Facilities
Nuccio’s has five greenhouses 11×57 feet, one greenhouse 12×60, one greenhouse 9×45 feet and one small glass greenhouse. Four of 11×57 greenhouses and one 9×45 greenhouse have misting systems and are used primarily for cuttings. During the winter they are used for grafting. One 11×57 greenhouse and 12×60 are used for grafting.
Most of plants are grown under large 50% shade cloth. An exception is Camellia sasanqua that can be grown in full sun. Nuccio’s uses manual irrigation for adult plants and misting system for cuttings.
Growing Camellias from cuttings
Cuttings are collected during the beginning of summer (end of June, beginning of July) and put into 50% peat moss 50% perlite in greenhouses under misting systems. Cuttings usually root in 3 months.
After 2-4 more months rooted cuttings are transplanted into 2-inch pots and stay there for 6-9 months. Plants in 2-inch pots should be watered every 3-4 days depending on weather. The potting mix used is 3/2/1 peat moss/topsoil/perlite.
Then young plants are transplanted into 4-inch pots and stay there for another 6 months to a year. Sometimes young plants are moved directly into #1 containers.
Then plants are transplanted into #1 containers and stay there for 2-3 years. At that moment they are available for sale.
Some of plants are transplanted into #5 containers and stay there for another 2-3 years. Tom Nuccio recommends for hobby growers to transplant from #1 to #2 containers before transplanting to #5. Some of the slow growing sasanquas, like Shishi-Gashira, are transplanted from #2 containers to #3 containers.
Plant fertilization schedule is every 6-8 weeks from April through September using Cottonseed Meal, chemical fertilizer Pete Light 20-10-20 or Fish Fertilizer. Convenient fertilization dates to remember are Easter, 4th of July and Labor Day.
Hybridizing and growing Camellia seedlings
Nuccio’s uses mostly open pollinations with some hand pollinations. Camellia fruits ripen in September-October. After fruit breaks, seeds are immediately collected and sown into large #3 containers filled with a soil mix that consists of 50/50 peat moss and sand. Seeds germinate after 6-8 weeks but they don’t come out of the soil until March. They develop very long taproots that must be cut during the first transplantation. Otherwise plants will not be able to grow normally in containers.
Seedlings are transplanted 1 year after sewing into 3 or 4-inch pots and treated just like young plants grown from cuttings.
During its history Nuccio’s introduced over 130 camellia cultivars and over 150 azalea cultivars.
Pest and disease management
Nuccio’s uses Integrated Pest Management. They spray only as needed and use a lot of beneficial insects to control pests. Nuccio’s uses Trichogramma Wasps against larva of moths and caterpillars, Ladybugs against Aphids and Lacewings against soft-bodied insects. Camellia spider mites are controlled using ultra fine oil spray; Hexagon is used to kill eggs of spider mites. Other insecticides and miticides used only on as-needed basis include Talstar, Floramite and Avid.
Sales
Nuccio’s has both wholesale and retail sales. The volume of wholesale is somewhat more than the volume of retail. Most of retail sales happen in the nursery rather then through mail order. Nuccio’s ship internationally. Nuccio’s has many cultivars not available in large-volume nurseries. Many Camellia societies order from Nuccio’s for their annual show sales events.
We maintain a list of sasanqua cultivars and Camellia species available from Nuccio’s.
Hello,
I would like to know if you sell camellia (japonica and sasanqua) cuttings out of your annual cutting inventory. If so, can you provide general details regarding price,
timing, and the like? Thank you.
Reply
Yuri Panchul reply on November 26th, 2010 9:33 pm:
This blog post is about Nuccio’s Nurseries. You can ask them directly by visiting http://www.nucciosnurseries.com or calling (626) 794-3383. I do not represent Nuccio’s in any way.
Reply
My wife and I visited your nursery today… spectacular! Tom waited us… honestly… it was about plant breeding as we walked around… came to buy 2 camellias but went home with 4. Met Julius toward the end… what nice people! We’ll definitely be back. Thanks to the two of you for the education and a great time!
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Hello. We have a property located on a Georgia barrier island. We seem to be a mix between Zone 8 & Zone 9. What are the best Camellias for this coastal zone? I guess you all might be too far away for shipment of larger trees which is what we are hoping to locate.
Thank you.
Mary
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avail?
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I’m looking for a specific species of Camellia. I was wondering if you could tell you if you carry the plant. I have a photo I can e-mail to you. I don’t know the name.
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Looking for some “dwarf” camelias preferably less than 3 ft (4 ft max) high. Can you offer suggestions? Would need dimensions at maturity or 4-8 yrs.
Many thanks.
Best regards,
Sam
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Please send me your latest (2012) catalog with camellia’s and pricing.
Thank You,
Pauline Orr
19January2012-Thursday
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The Nuccio’s now have a downloadable catalog on their website. However, it is 19mb. Just be aware it’s pretty big.
http://www.nucciosnurseries.com/index.php/catalogdnld
Also check out our Southern California Camellia Societies Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/camelliasofsocal
Lots of great pictures.
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Hello. I am looking for cold hardy camellias (the Ackerman series) in Europe. Could someone possibly tell me where can I find them? It seems pretty hard to find them in Europe.
Regards, Andrea
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Dear Sir:
I am from India. Gone through the web site of nuccios nersry. Interested in buying Camellia nitidissima plant. Want to known the total price including packing, transportation and senitary certificat etc.
With regards
Kumar, S.
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Kind Regards,
Mary
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I just bought 2 Nuccio’s Voodoo azaleas. Will these bloom at the same time as Formosa (Indica)?
Thanks
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