Have you ever wanted to start your own business? Are you wondering how to start a profitable backyard plant nursery? If so, starting your own backyard plant nursery may be the perfect venture for you! In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know to get started, from creating a business plan to choosing the best plants for your climate. By following these steps, you can set yourself up for success in the plant nursery industry.
Here’s everything you need to know on how to start a profitable backyard plant nursery.
How to Start a Profitable Backyard Plant Nursery
How to start a backyard garden nursery. If you’re passionate about plants and want to turn your hobby into something that makes money, then this is the article for you. We’ll explore some of the best business ideas for plant enthusiasts.
Why? There aren’t many individuals who have the highly-coveted “green thumb” required to start a backyard nursery business. So, if you’re serious about establishing a lucrative backyard nursery with your gardening abilities, read on to find out how to start a profitable backyard plant nursery.
How to Start a Profitable Backyard Plant Nursery: Everything You Need to Know
SWOT analysis
A simple SWOT business analysis can help you avoid being caught off guard halfway through your backyard plant nursery adventure. So, here’s what you need to consider to answer some of the questions you may have regarding how to start a profitable backyard plant nursery.
Strengths – There are many strengths you can have that would be valuable in the nursery business. You might have experience running a business, extensive knowledge of plants, or previous experience working at a nursery. These are just some examples of useful strengths you could bring to the table.
Weaknesses – Before you begin your journey to becoming a plant parent, consider any potential obstacles you might face. This could be a lack of experience or limited space. By planning ahead, you can set yourself up for success.
Opportunities – If you want to start a plant business, the first step is to research whether there is already a demand for plants in your area. Find out if any local nurseries sell plants wholesale, and see if you have any connections who might be interested in buying from you.
Threats – Is there already a lot of competition in your industry? Is your plant company known throughout the region? Do you sell soil with no pesticides, chemicals, or other contaminants? Is your location prone to floods? Are there too many garden shops nearby?
Check your finances
The initial costs of seeds, soil, and ceramics, among other things, should be estimated first. Similarly, expect to spend approximately $250 to $1,000 for a company license. Even if you’re just starting out as a small business, you may need the assistance of an employee (or willing friend or family member) for a few months to get it up and running.
Any business needs liability insurance, so you’ll have to include it in your budget. These first expenditures are critical to know before you begin. It can also be useful if you need to apply for a loan since it may help you estimate the total cost of ownership. Check with local nurseries to see whether they provide reasonable resale rates on plants and supplies.
Secure a business license
The forms you need to fill out for your business license and permit vary based on your location. To figure out what you need, contact your local government’s business department. If you’re running a backyard plant nursery business, make sure you get a home-business license.
Check if you have enough land
The size of your backyard doesn’t matter when it comes to creating a quality space. You can operate your own plant nursery on as little as 4000 square feet and still have room for other plants. Usually, rare plants, bonsai, carnivorous plants, and orchids take up less space. For example, if you’re planting ground cover crops such as ivy or violets, then a 50 x 50 foot plot can hold 8000 potted plants that could be sold wholesale for $3 each or retail for $4 to $5 per plant—which is quite profitable!
Gather supplies
You can get supplies from your local garden center or purchase them online. Plant propagation tools and materials such as hand tools, knives, secateurs, hoses, wheelbarrows, sprayers, punnets, pots, seeds, disinfectants, propagating and potting soil mixes and hormone preparations are some of the items you may require. You may also require clean benches to prepare any seeds and also have space for repotting.
How to Start a Profitable Backyard Plant Nursery: Choosing the Correct Plants
How to start a profitable backyard plant nursery? The plants you choose for your business need to be both profitable and easy to grow. If they are not, they will not help your business reach its potential. You don’t need a large number of plants to make money, but you do need to carefully select the ones that will bring in the most profit.
Landscaping Trees and Shrubs
If you can identify a topic that you’re interested in, landscaping trees and shrubs may be sold for a premium revenue every year. Japanese Maple sample trees might cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000.
Furthermore, shrub trees such as Abutilon, Azalea, Camellia, Cercis, Hydrangeas, and others are ideal for tiny tree/shrub farmers. If you’re maintaining bigger bushes, you’ll want to know how to trim your other landscaping plants.
Bamboo
People are clamoring for bamboo plants, and willing to spend about $150 per potted plant (for full-size ones that will grow 7-12ft tall). Bamboo is versatile enough to be used as screens, hedges or stand-alone decorative specimens. It also withstands winter cold temperatures better than other options, making it a valuable addition to your backyard nursery business. Get ahead of the competition by learning about the different types of bamboo and their corresponding values.
Flowers
Flowers are a long-lasting commodity in the plant market since they have year-round demand. Flowers are an excellent choice for people who wish to generate a lot of money fast in their first year of operation. With eager consumers that can be found all year, spending a few dollars might get you up and running with a flower company. Make sure you conduct appropriate research before utilizing flowers in your business. It’s crucial to understand whether you’ll be dealing with annuals or perennials (or both) in your endeavor (or neither).
Microgreens
Potted or transplanted zucchini plants in the garden will provide you with large yields of these edible orbs. They’re best for making main dishes and served as mini-salads since they can grow and mature within two weeks. Microgreens are simpler to produce because they can flourish both inside and outside, and they’re also quite simple to maintain.
Herbs
Many culinary and medicinal herbs, such as basil, chives, cilantro, oregano, lavender etc., are wonderfully easy to grow and can bring in a healthy profit. In fact some small nurseries that focus only on growing lavender have been known to earn a very sizable income.
Mushrooms
If you’re anxious about having sufficient space, oyster mushrooms are a great solution. They can proliferate up to 25 pounds per square foot in only 12 months. Selling Exotic mushrooms at $7 per pound gives the potential to make approximately $17,000 yearly by exploiting a 10′ x 10′ area for growth.
Succulents
Succulents are ideal for establishing a backyard plant business and are very popular among consumers! They require little upkeep and are simple to maintain. They’re also simple to grow from cuttings or leaf propagation, so you can buy a few plants and produce many offspring without spending any more money.
By selling a variety of succulents (such as Aloes, Crassula and Echeveria), people will be more likely to shop from you. They can then use these plants in different ways to decorate their homes or gardens.
How to Start a Profitable Backyard Plant Nursery: How to Maintain your Plants
It’s not just about getting started with a company you love; it’s also about keeping it going. The enjoyable aspect of growing and selling plants is what makes money in the long term. So here are some tips on how to start a profitable backyard plant nursery and keep it valuable for longer.
Maintain Weeds and Pests
It’s critical to keep your plants healthy by eradicating weeds in crop-free areas using herbicides. Insect invasions may also harm or even destroy your plants, so be sure you have an insecticide if necessary.
Proper Watering
Another approach to water your plants that you should avoid is overhead watering, since it can expose them to water-borne illnesses such as Phytophthora and moisture-related diseases like powdery mildew. Ground watering is the greatest because it delivers water straight to the roots where it’s needed. Depending on the size of your nursery, you may wish to install an automatic watering system, but this is something you could consider in the future, as your business grows. Also, be careful of the water source you use because it might contain harmful substances that will kill your plants.
Cleaning
This business is unique and not like other businesses. The value of your backyard nursery will increase the more you take care of it by removing debris and plants from time to time. Old dead leaves should be removed as it not only makes the plants more visually appealing, it also creates more airflow around the plants to prevent mould or fungal issues.
Before the winter, clean your nursery to prevent catching any plant diseases and insect infestations. The best method to clean your nursery is with a regular household cleanser. Use cleaners that are safe for your plants instead of harsh chemicals.
Concrete or Gravel Floors
A dirt floor is generally not a good idea as it can quickly turn to mud during heavy rain or even just after your plants have been watered. The best options are concrete or gravel.
How to Start a Profitable Backyard Plant Nursery- Bottom Line
How to start a profitable backyard plant nursery – There is more to beginning a backyard plant nursery than meets the eye. However, if you are enthusiastic enough, you can accomplish these initial phases and figure out the most cost effective and efficient method of expanding your business.
The presentation and packaging of your business chips away at your brand identity. If you focus on the gardening portion first, you can then begin to ease into online selling. An increased online presence in today’s market has wider reach and higher profitability as opposed to businesses without one.
After you’ve reached a high level of success in your business, you may consider turning it into a full-time job with the potential for assistance. There is no way to know everything ahead of time, but as you progress, you will continue to obtain more and more knowledge.
So, there you have it! Hopefully, this article has answered your questions on how to start a profitable backyard plant nursery.