How to Start a Home-Based Plant Nursery

Earn a living gardening full time.

Your green thumb can prove that money does grow on trees. The market for plants is far-reaching. Your customers could be landscapers, mass market merchants or individual consumers. Turn your love for gardening into a profitable, home-based plant nursery business.

Things You'll Need

• Agricultural License
• Business License
• Reseller's Permit

Instructions

Planting the Seeds

1. Create a business plan. Plan your business based on your target customers, which could be landscapers, corporate merchants or individuals. A Penn State College of Agricultural Science report titled "Agribusiness Planning; Providing Direction for Agricultural Firms" advises that you first analyze the opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of the market and internally. Then describe the steps you will use to overcome obstacles and capitalize on opportunities.

2. Register the business with the local and state municipalities. Apply for a business license. Most states require an agricultural license. These are issued by the state department of agriculture. An inspection of your nursery may be required to get license approval. Fees for licenses range from $25 to $500.

3. Create a production plan. Choose the method of production, such as greenhouse-only plants, container plants, field grown or a combination of all. Plan your irrigation systems, such as an overhead system to cover an expansive nursery--or a trickle system. Determine the amount of water you will use daily. This may be regulated by your state.

4. Find the money. Depending on the size of your nursery, you may or may not need financing. If you start small with a couple of plants and build gradually, you can draw on your own savings account. If you plan a large backyard nursery, you may need financing for equipment, supplies and additional labor.

5. Plan for pests. In "So You Want to Start a Nursery" Tony Avent writes "Weed control can be as simple as manual removal, which works well if it is attended to on a regular basis, or as complex as chemical pre-emergent control." The integrated pest management method is the most widely followed pesticide concept. It suggests using the least amount of toxins in spray and using natural organisms to help.

The Nursery

1. Clear an area of land dedicated solely to your nursery. Inspect it for previous toxic chemical use and pesticides. For a fee, an inspector from your state's department of agriculture can perform these tests.

2. Call around or visit online sites to find wholesalers with reasonable deals for seeds, soil, and supplies. Pick your plants based on your targeted customer. Mass merchandisers want trendy plants and herbs that are going to sell fast.

3. Build your greenhouse or plow you field. Construct a separate display area if you are going to allow customers to come by and view your plants before they go to market. Plant the seeds. Install the irrigation system, fertilize. Then, spray your pesticides. Schedule a nursing stock inspection with the department of agriculture

Promoting Your Plant Nursery

1. Market your business to your intended customers. Design a professional brochure and catalogue for mass market customers. Hire a graphic design firm or a direct mail company. For landscapers and consumers, a simple brochure with pictures of your plants is sufficient to pass around.

2. Enlist the help of a web design team to create a website. Target your customer. Corporate customers need lots of information and industry reports that tell them what plants will be big sellers for the year. Consumers need to see lots of pictures and are generally interested in health benefits and how to care for plants once they bring them home.

3. Lease a booth in a farmer's market. Bring plenty of brochures and fliers. Decorate the booth with your plants. Encourage your customers to spread the word.

4. Have a yard sale. Post signs on all the corners leading up to your home-based plant nursery. Set up a display area in your front yard and encourage passerby to stop, buy and look around. Stack plenty of fliers and hand them out to both buyers and non-buyers.

References

• PennState: College of Agricultural Sciences; Agribusiness Planning; Providing Direction for Agricultural Firms
• ATTR:National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service ; Sustainable Small-Scale Nursery Production
• So You Want to Start a Nursery; Tony Avent; 2003

Resources

• Nursery Management; John Mason; 2004
• Purdue University Department of Horticulture; Starting in the Nursery Business