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For many people, they start their gardening adventure as a way to get outside more often. Some gardeners heard promising reports that working with plants helps with anxiety. For others, their doctor recommended gardening instead of hitting the gym.
Once you’re bitten by the gardening bug, it’s hard to stop, no matter why you started. Take your gardening to the next level and learn how to start a plant nursery.
With your nursery, you can spread the love of gardening to your community. But where do you start with such a big project? Our nursery guide walks you through the process from a seed idea to a growing income.
A Supply Checklist for Your Plant Nursery
The handful of tools scattered in your shed won’t be enough to tend to a nursery. Items like shovels break after too much use. Making a bunch of emergency supply runs adds to your overhead costs.
Hand tools to buy for your nursery:
- Gloves
- Pruning shears
- Needle-nose pruning shears
- Garden fork
- Trowel
- Spade
- Soil knife
- Weeder
The other tools you may need depend on how you intend to grow the plants. Container gardening for a nursery is the easiest, cleanest method. You will need to keep a steady supply of plastic pots on-hand, though.
If you go the container route, you won’t need to worry about prepping the ground. For those who want to grow in-ground, consider investing in a motorized tiller. You’ll save a lot of time and energy getting the garden ready.
Additional Nursery Supplies You’ll Need
Using a greenhouse to house sprouting plants boosts their chance of survival. A 6-foot by 8-foot greenhouse with shelves gives you plenty of space. Invest in a sturdier greenhouse that’ll last a few years to keep your costs down.
Watering a small garden by hand can take up to an hour. Now multiply that by how many new plants you plan to grow for the nursery. A sprinkler system with a timer will free up the time you’d spend watering.
The most important supplies are your seeds or starter plants. Pick plant varieties you know are popular in your community. Ask your friends and family what plants they love.
It might take some trial and error to find plants that sell at a steady pace. Start with no more than 4 species of plant. Flowers, succulents, and trees like maple are popular choices.
Buy your seeds and starters from a trustworthy plant nursery supplier. This way you’ll know if the plants you’re selling are healthy and safe for customers. Keep all your receipts in case your county needs to see the plant origins.
Setting Up a Sturdy Plant Nursery Workstation
Container gardening involves moving around heavy bags of soil and fertilizer. Without a good workspace, you’ll hunch while planting and hurt your back.
Bring your workspace up to waist height to make planting more comfortable. Make sure it’s made from solid wood or metal. Both materials should have a protective coating to make them water-resistant.
Tips for an efficient workspace:
- Create a deep trough along the table’s rear to store soil for easy access
- Build a peg rack behind the table for tools
- Use the side of the table to hang rolls of supplies like twine
- Keep a cheap bench scraper to gather dropped soil
- Build the workspace in a shady area
- Keep the workspace near the compost bin or fertilizer storage
For those working in a shed, install a concrete floor and a drain. You don’t want to ruin your shed with water damage.
Planning Your Plant Nursery Layout
The plants you want to grow in your nursery will have varying needs. Before planning the layout for your garden, research the plants. It will also come in handy later when customers ask you how to care for them.
For a few days, observe the way the sun hits your garden area. Note the places that never get sun and those that never get shade. You’ll probably want to avoid them unless you’re growing specialty plants.
Next, prepare a spot to lay out the pots that will remain weed-free. A couple of layers of weed barrier topped with mulch make a nice bed for pots.
Yes, you can line up the pots on a patio, but they risk burning from radiating heat. Put the pots on something about a foot over the concrete to cool them off.
For gardeners using cuttings to start their nursery crops, you need a rooting bed. Build a raised bed and fill it with sand. After you take a plant cutting, put it in the sand for 4-6 weeks to let new roots grow.
The Business Side of Plant Nurseries
When you’re ready to go, you need to create a business plan. The plan includes your financial goals, budget for 2 years, and target customers.
Use the business plan and the plants you plan to sell to create a nursery name. Double-check online to ensure there isn’t already a business with the same name. With a name you can create an eye-catching logo to put on your ads.
Don’t forget to make your business official. Those operating a business without the right paperwork face hefty fines.
Before you sell to the public, you need to file:
- A state business license
- A license to sell plant nursery stock
- A resale license
- A license to sell/import stock across state lines
Check in with your local regulations concerning how to start a plant nursery. Take the time to search for state rules banning the sale of certain plants, too. These rules keep invasive species from taking over indigenous species.
Learn How to Start a Plant Nursery and Turn Your Passion into Profit
Once you figure out how to start a plant nursery, you’ll love going to work every day. You get to spend all day outside in the fresh air helping plants grow. Tending to plants and watching them thrive is much more fun than an office job.
Remember, your plant nursery is still a business so don’t ignore the hard parts. While the plants have your attention during the day, focus on the business at night.
Now that you’re ready to start your plant nursery, you’ll need a little help. We have all the gardening tips you need in our DIY Gardening section.
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