Starting a plant nursery might be your ticket to turning your green thumb into some green cash. With nearly 400,000 types of plants out there, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from. The best part? You can set your own hours and enjoy the peace and quiet of working with plants.
So, what’s a plant nursery? It’s a place where plants are bred, grown, and sold. You could be selling to home gardeners or businesses like landscaping companies or grocery stores. Whether you’re growing big plants, small plants, or specializing in trees, the goal is to grow them until they’re ready for the customer to buy.
How much can you make? Well, it depends on the size and location of your nursery. Small backyard nurseries can pull in between $7,000 to $40,000 a year. A small potted plant might sell for a buck, while a unique orchid could fetch hundreds. Large-scale nurseries can make anywhere from $40,000 to $625,000 a year, selling large quantities of plants like ground cover or trees. Recently, Japanese maples have been a hot item. On average, you could make about $20 per square foot of growing space.
But it’s not as simple as just planting a seed and selling the plant. You need to plan carefully and know your stuff. Here are some tips:
- Education: Read a lot, work in a greenhouse, or get professional training. You need to know how to identify plants and deal with problems like fungus, disease, and insects.
- Sound Techniques: Successful nurseries follow careful steps from the start to the "sell ready" stage of a plant or tree.
- Mix It Up: Start with a standard, easy-to-grow plant product, but also consider adding a specialty, higher dollar plant or tree.
- Planning and Timing: If you live in an area with a short growing season, you’ll need to start plants indoors with artificial lighting and heat. This costs more, but it’s the only way to have plants ready when customers want them.
- Organized Set-Up: Make it easy to water and tend plants, and easy to move them. Whether you’re selling to walk-in customers or delivering to buyers, you need to be organized.
- Start Small: You can start a plant nursery in your spare time, even as a family venture. As you grow, you can add employees as needed.
There are different types of plant nurseries, each catering to different customer needs and market demands. These include nurseries for flowers and flower seedlings, vegetable seedlings, woody ornamentals, trees, outdoor perennials, and indoor houseplants. Understanding these differences is crucial for a successful nursery business.
Starting a plant nursery can be a fulfilling and potentially profitable venture, but it requires a combination of gardening skills, business savvy, and careful planning. With determination, a green thumb, and the right approach, your plant nursery can blossom into a thriving and rewarding venture.
