Greenhouse Business?

[beginnerfarmer]

I am wondering is there a demand, for flowers and vegetable plants? To me the greenhouse business seems like a good thing to get off into.

[4PIGS]

I recently purchased a 10x24 ft. used, greenhouse.
Not sure what to do with it yet. I plan to start some vegetable plants
and small tree seedlings to sell this summer. I am not sure about the legal
end of this business, but I will learn as time goes on. Let us know what you decide to grow in your greenhouse.

[Mountaineer]

Seems the only greenhouses actually making money are huge acreage GH's. Do a bit of research, look for a market ete etc. I have a couple plastic hoop GH's, but reality is I just get tomatos etc.
Getting a good GH set-up- with irrigation and what not is very expensive.
If you're planning to do a GH business in the same way I sell eggs (as a hobby and losing way more money than I get in sales but the time with the birds is priceless then the risk is tiny. I LOVE my greenhouse and could practically live in there.

[blufford]

ahhh

[bonsai jim]

I have a small nursery business in the semi-start-up stage. I've been a backyard operation for years and am now trying to make it "real".

Part of my expansion is coming from buying out two other small nursery businesses. Hmmmm any wisdom there?

I would check with your local extension office and see what resources they can provide to you.

Definitely look at your competition- you will NOT beat out the big box stores on pricing and variety. Not to mention the convenience. The overhead will kill you. What smaller nurseries are around?

Do you want to be wholesale or retail? Maybe there's a market there.

While "specialty" nurseries are an option, you have a limitted market. Only a few people will even care that you offer a rare variety of tomato or begonia- they just want to pick up a 6-pack at Home Despot.

Will you do mail-order? Internet sales? Teaching? Lots of things to consider.

By way of example- I use every sales outlet above. Check out my name and you can see what I specialize in- I sell "mallsai" for the casual drop-in but I really cater to the advanced bonsaist. I have to keep a large stock of quality Japanese pottery (re: expensive) and tools. This requires a lot of time and a vast amount of horticultural and technique knowledge - I've been doing this since I was 19 (I'm 40). I don't know Japanese yet but I'm trying! ;^)


I also deal in Texas natives for any application. Another niche market.


Good luck and I hope you make it!

[chris30523]

Several small greenhouse buisness in our area are doing well.Not getting rich but staying busy.There is very little cost here in heating.They just opened a new lowe's in the area about a year ago .I still see lots of people stopping at these small buisness's.They both have beautiful landscaping of their own to merchandise their plants and draw folks in.I like to go look and get ideas for my yard take a nice stroll ....

[PonderosaQ]

I have both worked in and owned greenhouse businesses. All the info you have been given about costs are true. Heat, plant pots and planting materials are very expensive. The business I worked at ended up buying many
"starts" and just growing them on.During the height of the season the owner made trips nearly every day to wholesale greenhouses for hanging baskets etc. Most of those sources have been put out of business by the big box stores. Keeping the plants in the GH in good shape for sale is time consumming (read $ comsumming). One year she lost a lot of stock , even covered with blankets, to a very late heavy frost.
So what did work? I found growing and selling perennial flowers worked. If you don't sell them one year you grow them on for the next. They don't need lots of care or heat. The GH I worked at found a nice niche selling scented geraniums and herbs. Of course both those markets take some time to develop. These days fresh herbs and greens for upscale restaurants make make you some $. A lot depends on what type of market you have and how much time and energy you'd be willing to put into the business. Most GH markets will never make you rich but as a side line if you enjoy it you might be able to get something out of it. If you have the time to devote and would enjoy it keep pursuing your idea.
PQ

[tamatik]

"does canada still subsidize the heating costs of commercial greenhouses?"
WOW..never heard that one..I wish..I was planning on a commercial GH business but the heating costs and lack of established market,put an end to that..Some GH can cost 10,000$ a month to heat in the winter..Ther are no subsidies

[uncle Will in In.]

To get started in the GH and nursery business, start small, and you have a chance to learn as you grow. Heating a greenhouse in the country that gets snow is way more expensive than it seams like it would be. Shrubery and trees that can winter over outside would have a higher profit margin.

[Helena]

Oh !! my gosh !! Was just thinking about this same idea !! I do have friends that buy the plants and sells at farmer's market. If they don't sell..as mentioned before..they just winter them over at their house. He does sell "old fashioned" roses that do very well in this area and that I suppose is his "special" item that keeps people coming back to him. He obligates himself to so many weekends during the summer months at the market. I need to ask him all the little things about this. I now have a small home business and really need another to help at tax time. Am getting very, very tired of dragging myself off to a job that I'm not enjoying at this stage of my life. I do have a small plastic greenhouse that I start my plants in for my own garden and end up giving away dozen of plants since I go a little "crazy" when planting the seeds. Wouldn't want to do tomatoes and peppers though..there is just that window of time to sell them and then you have lost them $$...A couple of the smaller greenhouses around here have closed also. The bigger companies as mentioned have come along and you can't beat their prices or their guarantees either. But I personally, will stop at local sellers before heading to the big stores myself. I need to get on this idea. Spring is coming and I'm sure I will need to make orders for the spring and get in touch with local markets. That will be the tough part as I believe you will need to have insurance of some kind. In the next town over a few years back I checked into this and they wanted a million dollar policy to sell tomato plants etc and since I only wanted to sell them for a few weeks it wasn't even a consideration at that time. Let me know what you find out..would be interested. Good Luck !!

[MELOC]

i am in the "oh my gosh" club too, lol. i have the space and resources. i need the propagation knowledge along with the practical usage of a greenhouse. i never worked in one. my hopes were to exploit the booming housing industry in my area.

[beginnerfarmer]

I dont know yet, I am going to go wholesale or retail, I really dont how many nurseries we have but we have a few. I would like sell vegetable plants or maybe flowers. but I wont to keep it small.

[charles burns]

I toyed with the idea of specialising in Japanese Maples, ornamental trees for residential gardens. Beautiful trees, dwarf varieties, medium height varieties, much sought after as landscape specimen, accent pieces or small potted trees. You can only grow them from seed and then not too easily, so everybody and their dog aren't selling them.

I never quite got into it because I'm basically lazy and have a million other things I'm half way through. Worth a look though. Seed quality is important so you would need a good seed supplier. If you put 'Japanese Maple' into your google thing you should get lots of links. I lost a few good links I had when my PC went down the toilet and I never got around to re finding them.

[wilderness1989]

http://www.network54.com/Forum/519353/

[Ken Scharabok]

I know a couple in Southcentral, TN who do reasonably well from their greenhouse, but they speciality market. Last spring they sold something like 50,000 well started tomato plants. (If you are in the area she sells at Krumps one day a week. Just ask around for 'The Tomato Lady'.)

Highlights: Essentially wife does the GH and sales work while husband does rest, including keeping the GH at desired temperature range. She starts in early January planting seeds. Supplies are bought in bulk, including the absolutely best potting soil she can find. It is much the secret to her success as she strives to produce the healthiest seedings she can. If a plant dies or a tray doesn't do well all material goes onto their garden compost pile with thorough clean-up afterwards. She limits herself to something like 12 varieties she has garden tested on her own and becomes somewhat of an authority on them. I believe each year she drops one and adds a new one. She also grows other items such as houseplants, herbs and some some veges. However, tomatoes are her primary crop. She said she had determined 50K is her optimal level so doesn't want to go beyond it.

She markets at a flea/farmers' market out of a trailer her husband has modified for her with a large lift up panel on one side. Plants slide onto shelves inside. Then a table or two go out front. Back on the homestead her husband is responsible for walk-in sales there.

If she doesn't sell out I am not sure what she does with the extra ones. Suspect they might be brought back a second week, but if they get too large and spindly likely they go onto the compost pile.

Her business is based on repeat loyal customes who simply don't buy tomato starts from anyone else. Likely she knows most of her regulars on a first name basis. Once spring planting season is over they completely shut down the GH and sales. She noted it is pretty well a full-time job for several months, with corresponding job-type income.

Between seasons they do stained glass and other artsy stuff. Their own garden provides much of their meals from fresh or preserved (and perhaps frozen).

[skruzich]

Biggest thing you want to make sure of is to get your certifications and licenses.
You have to have a Dept of Agriculture guy come out and check your operation out before you can sell. They check to make sure you don't have disease and other things like a fireant problem.

without your nursery license, your taking a big risk in getting nailed by the dept of ag.

[rafter]

You have the same dream that I do. My grandparents changed a layer operation to greenhouses when I was a kid. They seem to do well. They sold direct to the public and seemed to be busy. Of course I was just a kid.

I want to combine a green house business with selling fresh veggies.

[moopups]

There is always the possibility of selling specialized plants, such as wetland recovery plants to state agencies, but of course a lot of knowledge would be required in that area.