Growing Vegetable Seedlings for Market

Healthy vegetable seedlings can be sold for profit if sold at the right time.

Growing vegetable seedlings for market is a challenge due to high competition from discount sources and other sellers. However, you can set yourself apart by providing the healthiest seedlings available. A vegetable seedling business can be small or large depending on your budget and available space. However, it does take attention to detail and knowledge of when and how to plant your seeds. Vegetable gardeners cannot wait to plant beyond the recommended planting date for your area, so the seedlings must be healthy, green and ready to plant.

Things You'll Need

• Soilless potting medium
• Potting containers
• Heated greenhouse
• Grow lights
• Heating pads
• Water source
• Plant shelving
• Water soluble fertilizer
• Vegetable seeds
• Planting calendar of marketing area

Instructions

1. Look at a planting calendar for the area where you are selling your vegetable seedlings. Planting calendars tell you when to set vegetable plants in the garden according to your first and last average frost date. Your local county agricultural extension office is another source for planting schedules. Most counties in the United States have an extension office that assists farmers and gardeners with soil test and growing information.

   You must have healthy ready-to-plant seedlings ready to go when the planting date arrives for your area. Most seedlings need to be started in late winter or early spring while there is still frost outside so they are ready on the planting date. A good rule of thumb is to plant the seeds six to eight weeks before the target date.

2. Choose what vegetable plants you are going to grow from seed for market. Popular vegetable plant choices for gardeners are tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and peppers. Not only are there many different types of vegetables but different varieties within each type. Look for varieties that grow well in your area. Your local county extension office will have a list of recommended varieties and types of vegetables for your area.

3. Build or find a dry, warm and brightly lit location to grow your vegetable seedlings. A heated or vented greenhouse is ideal because the light level is high and the temperature can remain between 70 and 75 degrees Farenheit during the day and 60 to 65 degrees Farenheit at night.

   Obtain or build shelving to keep the plants off the ground where they may be subject to insect damage. Also, cold air pools near the ground level and affects vegetable seedling growth rates.

4. Provide high levels of light for your growing operation. Customers will not buy leggy or weak-looking plants grown under low light levels. You can use artificial light, but the best light is bright natural light like you find in a greenhouse or outdoors. If you live where the spring weather is very cloudy, you may need to use artificial light in addition to natural light.

5. Plant seeds at the right time of year in a soilless potting mixture placed in containers with drainage holes. A soilless potting mixture is sterile and does not contain mildew or fungal spores and insects that attack seedlings. Also, it has a wetting agent to keep the medium damp and low levels of fertilizer that cannot damage tender seedling roots.

   Keep the soil temperature at the level recommended on the seed container. Use extra heat or heating pads specifically made for placing under seed trays if needed.

   Potting containers can vary from 2-to 4-inch-wide containers. Containers called six-packs hold six plants and are easy to transport. However, if one or two plants look bad or is missing from a multiple plant container, it makes the entire container unsaleable.

6. Moisten the soil around the seeds and keep the planting medium at the right temperature according to the seed information. Do not allow the seedlings to dry out during the growing process and be sure light levels remain high.

7. Fertilize the seedlings with a water soluble fertilizer diluted to half-strength one week before taking the seedlings to market. There are both organic and chemical water-soluble fertilizers available. Full-strength fertilizer may burn the tender seedling roots. The fertilizer prepares the plants for planting in the ground.

8. Display the seedlings at the market location beginning two to three weeks before the optimal planting date to capture the business of impatient gardening customers. Only sell healthy plants that are not leggy, yellow or too large to encourage repeat customers.

Tips & Warnings

• Every vegetable has slightly different sprouting and growing conditions. For the best chance of success, follow the directions on the seed packet or marketing material carefully.

References

• Aggie Horticulture: Timely Tips on Starting Seedlings at Home
• Oklahoma State University: Commercial Vegetable Production Guide

Resources

• The Vegetable Garden: Planting Schedules
• USDA: Cooperative Extension Offices