How to Start a Successful Backyard Plant Nursery

Many people love to garden for fun, but most don't realize you can actually turn your plants into profitable plants quite easily. Yes, it's really quite possible. How do you do that? Simply by growing plants for profit. Here's how to start a successful backyard plant nursery:

First, you need to find out if the land where you'd like to start your nursery can handle growing plants. Has the land been exposed to pesticides or other toxic chemicals? Is it prone to floods? Is there good water drainage? Also, is there an adequate water supply?


Second, you need to take care of some legal things. Get a business license. You also might need a special permit or license to operate a nursery. Contact your state to find out more.

Next, pick the plants you'd like to grow. Visit your local retail nursery and see what they're stocked up on. Talk to landscapers and other people. What are they looking to buy? Do you want to grow ornamental grasses, flowers, ground covers, trees or shrubs?

After you've picked out the plants you'd like to grow, it's time to buy your supplies. In addition to a water supply and basic hand tools, you'll need:

Containers - There are a wide variety of container sizes available. Pick the sizes that you'd like to grow. You'll have higher turnover with smaller containers, such as the one-gallon size, and slower turnover (but higher prices) with the larger pots, such as 3-5 gallons.

Potting soil mix - Your plants are going to need a good soil. You can purchase pre-mixed soil or make your own. A good formula to follow is:

Six parts topsoil or compost

Three parts peat moss

Two parts sand

Fertilizers - Stick to organic fertilizers. You want your plants to grow big and strong. Slow-release fertilizers (also known as time-release fertilizers) are the best to use. They slowly release nutrients over a longer period of time, easing the amount of work on you. Many slow-release fertilizers are non-organic, but are still very environmentally friendly, as they prevent run-off, so they are okay to use.

Plant labels - You need to know which plants are in which container. That's where plant labels can do the trick. There are two types available: "stake tags," which are placed in the soil next to the plant and "slip-a-tags," which get attached to a branch of the plant.

Now start planting! It's generally a good idea to get started right after the ground has thawed. Use plant starts or plug trays to get going. Be sure your plants get the proper amount of water, and check for weeds or other diseases on a regular basis.

When you're ready to sell your plants, you have a variety of options, including:

Farmers' markets continually draw big crowds eager to buy from the best local growers.

Fundraisers are perfect if you're willing to donate some of your profits to a church, charity or cause. It makes you look good, plus opens you up to a lot of business.

Garage sales are a way to sell plants right out of your home, especially if your state doesn't allow retail sales from your backyard nursery. Many do allow garage sales. Just be specific in your ads so people don't show up looking for baseball cards or old computers.

You can start a successful backyard plant nursery in no time. Just follow the steps in this article and you'll be making money growing plants before you know it. To learn more, read: How to Start a Profitable Backyard Plant Nursery, available at    http://profitableplants.com

FREE BOOK. If you want to earn money growing plants for profit, get a copy of my new book, "Specialty Crops For Small Growers - 14 Best Profitable Plants For Backyards and Small Acreage." Visit http://profitableplants.com for your free copy.

Craig Wallin is the author of 8 books about growing high-value specialty crops, such as herbs, flowers, garlic, mushrooms, ginseng, bamboo, lavender, exotic trees, woody ornamentals, microgreens and landscaping plants.

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