As part of my future business I hope to venture into Floriculture and would like to chat with others who are either currently in this field as a hobby or a career.
Share your knowledge and experiences with us here.
Name: Mary (Marti) Nelson Ventura, CA Peace and long life
Susan, I'm not currently in the field, but am like you wanting to get started. We have a 2 large Flea Markets in town and this summer I plan to take some of my plants and sell them. So am looking for any suggestions on how to price them and best way to grow them and in what.
I have the direction on how to make a greenhouse out of PVC and heavy plastic, so am collecting the things to do that so I can start seeds soon.
Tahlmorra lujhala mei wiccan
(The fate of a man rests always within the hands of the gods)
Name: julie Dellroy Ohio Zone 6a Freelance Writer and Avid Gardener
Hi Susan....Nice to see a face with the name....(jar617 here) anywho...........I grow herbs each year for some of the local stores in town. It is easier to sell to them when there is a variety of herbs in the flat instead of an entire flat of oregano or parsley or whatever.... The larger nurseries want businesses to buy in whole flats.... so if you can, or want to, offer mixed flats of herbs to local places like the grocery store that carries flowers or even the local feed mill. Ours only carries plants for one month out of the year and then that's it til the next year.
Also, a bottle of rooting hormone does wonders for me. I can duplicate almost anything but sticking a stem in rooting compound and a mix of 1/2 peat and 1/2 sand. Keep everything moist (not wet) until they root. This is how many nurseries buy their stock in the first place is by finding a supplier of rooted stock they can grow out and sell when the growing season hits....... anyways...just my two cents worth
wanted to stop in and say HI!!! so HI!!!! glad to see you.
Wow, that is great! I love my little greenhouse, my hubby built it 3 years ago now. It is 8 x 12 but holds lots of trays. I have seen the ones out of PVC, they look like a great way to build one.
I have been selling plants now for a couple of years and I just based my pricing on what was being sold around me. I advertised through some local Yahoo home school groups and have gotten alot of business that way. I suggest being competitive, don't underprice to try and get customers, that usually doesn't bring them in, tends to make them skeptical. Let me know if you need any ideas or suggestions.
I am currently in a horticulture program at a local college here and I just started a whole course on propogation and learned about rooting hormone. I have always used powder but just learned about liquid.
I plan on selling trays of seedlings, herbs, veggies, annuals, etc. I like the idea of mixing them, that is helpful.
Name: Mary (Marti) Nelson Ventura, CA Peace and long life
Susan, I think we've got something in this site. We can all learn and share. I'll post pictures of my greenhouse when I get it built. I will be out pricing supplies tomorrow for it.
Tahlmorra lujhala mei wiccan
(The fate of a man rests always within the hands of the gods)
Name: Sidney, Zone 9A and 9B Okeechobee, Fl Giving Audubon Sanct. Tours Soon.
Howdy all,
My dear friend in NC and I are going in on some rooted plugs from NC Farms.
I will pot them and grow them out for retail at Flea Market in Greensboro.
I have been involved with coleus cutting co-ops from there, but think the rooted plugs will give good results quicker.
Here's their link; http://ncfarmsinc.com/store/index.php?cPath=211_213&sort=2a&...
The difference between adventure and adversity is attitude. Be positive, be happy.
that is very true, I am learnign all about plugs in my hortiulture program and they are much faster. But you can also grow your own plugs too, we use Oasis plug starter foams, have you heard of these? They have food and stuf in them to prevent disease while they are rooting. We use them at school and we did lots of plants that rooted in about 3 days, amazing stuff.
Name: Sidney, Zone 9A and 9B Okeechobee, Fl Giving Audubon Sanct. Tours Soon.
I'm familiar with florist oasis, but not with food and stuff.
I usually use fresh potting soil which also has fertilizer and I use rooting hormone.
I'm tickled you are going to school so you can share with us these new methods.
I had Oasis plugs just not fortified.
Coleus cuttings root pretty good in Oasis alone too.
I want to learn how to propagate Alstromeria, aka Persian Lily and Geraniums
The difference between adventure and adversity is attitude. Be positive, be happy.
oh Sunshine,
The geraniums are easy, we did some just like coleus in the oasis plugs, they just took a little longer. You have to take them with a good node on them, leave about a 1/2 inch stem below the node and stick. I will post a link to the oasis thingys
Hi JUlie, and thank you. Its is nice to be missed. We have a wood stove so that was not a problem, but everything is electric and we have well water so no water, no plumbing, it was awful.
Gald your back.