Also I meant to ask what softwares do you use? I have been using Medlin for my DH's landscaping business...I actually only bought the accounts receivable b/c you can use it for free but unless you buy it prints a printed w/ an unregistered version on it and their payroll software is great. I wondered if I could just take my totals from the register tape at the end of the day and still use this same software...boy I have a lot to figure out.

ok - breathe. :) I'm sure you've read all the "so you want to start a nursery" threads, but it sounds like, given your husband is already knee deep in the industry, that this isn't a huge lark. what you need though is a business plan, something you can follow so you know what you need to do and when. this will help you not freak out. if, after you've finished the plan, you decide doing this on short notice will be too overwhelming, then you'll be much better set for next year. if you can't even finish the plan because there are too many things you don't know, then you clearly shouldn't start this year. You don't want to get a bad reputation because everything was chaotic. Could it be in the plan to 'start small' in some way? like only annuals, or hanging baskets, or vegetable starts (whatever would work best in your community)

I think someone else will have to answer the question of whether or not you lose too much money buying stock versus growing it all yourself. You have heating and labor to consider as extra costs, versus buying finished product at wholesale prices.

As for quality of stock: if your DH is a landscaper, where does he get his stock? I assume he buys bedding plants at wholesale somewhere. That would be the same place you would buy wholesale. If you want to get plant starts (plugs/liners) then deal with a broker. It'll make your life easier, and the quality will be fine. I use Harris Seeds as a broker, but there are others. You'll need to get going with that quickly so you've got time to grow things on.

Are the greenhouses already up? Do you have experience growing in them? If not, it might be good to experiment for the first year with just growing the stock your husband's landscape company would use. If he knows he's going to plant a ton of petunias every year, then practice starting those from seed (now), or order liners to transplant. you want to make sure your product is good, and some greenhouses can be fiddly.

it does sound really short notice, but I wish you luck with whatever you decide.

You don't give your zone, and that really helps as far as answers go. Does your husband have growing experience? Do you? Are your g'houses ready to fly with whatever you're going to use for irrigation in place? Do you have sufficient water for the area? I had to have an irrigation well drilled when I expanded, because the extra g'houses put too much of a load on my existing spring. Do you have a heating system? A back-up? I know what I need for spring and have twenty two years of growing under my belt, and have had my liner/plug seed order in since last year and fretting because I haven't put in my plastic order, and even with my existing inventory of plastic, know I am going to need mucho more.

If you do buy in pre-grown stock, look for larger wholesale nurseries, so you won't be buying from a direct competitor, who will make sure their prices to you make your finished retail price higher than theirs.

My advice to you, since you don't seem to have a clue just yet from whom to get your supplies or stock to ease into sales this year and get yourself to a trade show and meet some vendors and ask a lot of questions. The last thing you need to do is start off unprepared......it could reflect in a negative way on your husband's existing business by association.

Working as a partner or associate with a spouse is not an easy thing. I know a lot of couples who do this and each seem to have a mind of their own where their side of the business is concerned. Are you knowledgeable about horticulture? Can you answer customer questions when your husband is not around? This is going to sound really strange to you I imagine, but the best thing I can recommend you to do, since you won't have to worry about child care is to find a local growing operation and hire on for the spring season. After following the crops until the end of the year as an apprentice, you'll know several things 1) whether you even want to do this for a living 2) a basic handle on nomenclature and popular varities 3) all the vendors your company uses 4) what the market out there is like 5) how to water and a basic introduction to bugs and plant diseases

Sorry I thought my zone would show with my user name...it is zone 7. We do have a broker but my DH has only used them for shrubbery and he hunts out his trees and has a few acres of them... I was very well pleased to find out that they do offer perennials and annuals and she told me my best bet this year maybe to go w/ Raker b/c of the no minimum.

I did the State Certified Plant Professional through NCAN w/ my DH but I refused to get my pesticide licenses w/ him as long he knows it he can tell me, but I have never studied horticulture...our local community college offers classes and I am going to do the basic ones they offer online... maybe pick up some more in the fall so that I can learn... I believe I have checked out every book in the library on it so far.

I do not believe any of our local nurserys would hire me on for the season b/c they are already upset w/ my DH b/c he does not use them. Also they use their nursery to bring in landscape jobs and we would be doing the opposite of bringing the jobs to the nursery. Personally I do not see how any of the landscapers would use them and still make profit b/c they do not offer big discounts even when we buy large amounts for the jobs plus my DH prefers bigger than what they carry on a lot of items.

This year we are going to do very little other than what my DH already does... he has trees and shrubbery now and a few perenials. My FIL already has the vegetables going and we are going to do those and just a few annuals and hanging baskets. This year may just look like my MIL craft store is just adding a little to what she sales and that way I can get the feel for how my community is going to accept it.

My biggest thing is soil b/c I am picky about it...my DH uses something he gets from his supplier but usually I mix up my own mix that I actually found on this website along time ago so I have to figure out where we are going with that.

Oh and yes the green houses is up with fully functional irrigation...there has been a new well drilled b/c we use the spring for the trees. We have two different ways to provide heat just incase one doesn't work.

Thank you both for so much info! This year I plan on doing just a little in sales and a lot of planning for next year. One thing I think that may help is what profit I do make from sales I can turn straight around and put it into next year b/c we will be living off of DH's salary.

You sound like you have both feet on the ground, your ducks in a row and are ready to fly! Get thee to a trade show or two. Good Luck!

I need luck b/c I am scared to death...my DH just up and quite his job 6 years ago and went straight to supporting us w/ his landscaping and I think I am more nervous about this than when we had a new baby and no promised income...weird

It's always scary when the buck stops at your feet. It's that reality check we all get before we jump into being a small businessperson. It's a good thing to listen to those voices, and to hedge your bets as best you can. But we all take that plunge.

I wish I could give you all sorts of warm fuzzies and encouragement and say you'll do great. But, of all the people I know who started business when I did and thereafter in this area, not many lasted very long. A few do, and you just got to determine you are going to be one of those who do. It's a hard/competitive enterprise and you have competition you never would dream you have and don't discover until you set up and commit.

Keep a good dialog going between yourself and your husband concerning both your and his aspects of it..and try to be detached as to what is a profit maker and what you would like to grow and isn't. Keep your data lain out in front of you, so that you know at any given time how much you have in a crop and what you need out of it. A computer can be your best friend in this respect.

In my first decade of business, when I wasn't out hauling I was reading, studying, falling asleep in bed with catalogues around me and making cold calls and dreaming of ways to market a good product. You just really can't be timid. Look for those niches where you will shine. Mine were in potted seasonal ornamentals. I am one of the few experienced lily growers/forcers in counties around me. It's a lulu crop, but one where I have no competition. So, guess who has gone off to grower's classes whenever I see one where I need to learn something. This is why I am recommending getting to some trade shows. Good ones not only have more business contacts with vendors than you'll ever want to know, but also some priceless classes.

Just a comment about the soil issue...

I couldn't imagine mixing my own...and I'm not a big operation. Most commercial mixes are more than satisfactory for growing a wide range of things.

Also consider the time saved by using a commercial mix. In the dead of potting season, there are 101 more important things to be doing than taking time to mix up more soil. When you receive your plugs, they need to be potted up ASAP. They can only be held in plug trays so long before quality goes down hill.

You will need consistency, too. Commercial mixes are very consistent, but I think it could be a real challenge when mixing yourself. If you have several 1000 plants all drying out at different rates, you'll forever be trying to keep things watered correctly.

Just a few thoughts...

Oh yes, I have been doing some serious reading this past month and taking notes. Luckily I love spreadsheets and to keep up with stuff so I am thinking that will be to my advantage. I already have some going if I pick this one supplier on the stuff I get from him. I am not out to lose money and I know this year I will mainly be paying for the supplies and hopefully get enough to get me started next year.

I can tell you I will not be mixing my own soil I just have to decide which one to go with and I know I don't want to judge just on price either.

Thank you all!!

I guess I had an advantage over you when I started my nursery. I was forced to start slow. Every year I added something new as I learned more. February is late for planning to purchase a ton of stock. My suggestion is to start with bringing in bedding plants. They sell themselves. You're going to have to educate yourself on perennials and herbs, because customers ask the darnest questions, and they will know if you're unprepared. I'm friends with some great nurserymen, and they all started small. Join the "Perennial Plant Association". Remember, people will buy from you rather than the big chain, because you know more. Good luck, and I know that you will succeed.

Here is a link that might be useful: How I Started My Nursery

Luckily I know my perennials, that is why my DH took me w/ him when he went to get his State Certified Plant Professional license through NCAN and I got mine. I am ok w/ the shrubs but not as good as perennials b/c they did not interest me as much...hehe You are exactly right about February being a bad time to get stocked especially if you plan to make any $ off of them. It is to late for plugs and I am having the hardest time finding bedding plants from more than one supplier. This board has been a ton of information though. Hopefully next year will be a year I get to do lots b/c I am already planning for it now!!

I don't think it's too late for plugs - my first year I ordered late (didn't know better), had an order get messed up due to a freak cold snap (supplier didn't tell me they couldn't fill my whole order, and it arrived incomplete - in the middle of march). I had to reorder from somewhere else - in the middle of march - and two weeks late the liners arrived. That still gave me 6-8 weeks of growing time for summer annuals. I noticed a trend in my area, where the big nurseries will have annuals a couple weeks before purchasers are ready for them. Partly this is because the garden centers buy from them, and they want their shelves filled, but an experienced gardener isn't going to buy impatiens before the last frost date. makes me wonder how many plants go to waste. anyway, sometimes it makes me feel "behind" because I know the big guys are several weeks behind me in production, but if my impatiens are ready at the proper planting time, am I really behind, or just in time? That could just be a trend in my area: you'll have to evaluate for yourself. All that to say, if you're prepared, I don't think it's too late to order. Figure out what plants you want, call a broker, give them the list and your alternates, and in many cases you can get it in two weeks (they grow based on projections, so sometimes they'll have things, sometimes they won't. if there are things you KNOW you want, then order 10 weeks ahead so they can grow it specifically.)

Some of the liner greenhouses have info cultivation on their websites, and I know Harris Seeds has a cultivation guide that will tell you how many weeks from liner to 4" pot, to 6" pot, to 10" hanging basket is needed. That will help you plan. So if you just want to sell mixed baskets, you'll need 10-14 weeks from when you receive your plugs/liners, but just 6 weeks to 4" pot. It may be too late for cool season crops, but summer stuff--absolutely!

I am starting a nursery as well. Not retail though, I am more interested in wholesale. I will be starting out mainly with ornamental shrubs and some evergreen. I do need some help with locating wholesalers in the area to purchase my base stock plants from ( southwest Ontario, Canada ) If anyone has some information I would be very thankful. U can e-mail me as well. My addy is jaguar.1968@hotmail.com. Sheila Smith.

You sound like you may not have all your ducks in a row, but you certainly have energy and motivation- and that goes a long way! I am also in zone 7 and grow for retail with a small local clientele. I don't think your late at all with your plugs except that you'll be limited to whatever speculative availability is listed at the time. Often it can be limited this time of year. I use Raker amongst other suppliers & I find their quality to be pretty good. Price is good, quality is solid although I've had a handful of problems over the years. For a growing mix I use PX1 which is a SunGro product. I buy in bulk loads & I find that it works great for everything from 606 production up to 3gallon (I don't do much 3 gallon, there are probably better things for shrub production)but my point is that its a very versatile growing mix. Start small- take notes- and cross your fingers that there isn't a late frost!!! Much luck to you.

You can get good plugs here http://www.euroamprop.com/availability/
They have excellent labels, quality, and finish up fast in 4 inch pots or hanging baskets. I placed my orders last fall to arrive this March. Perfect for Mother's day. Hope you're not down the road. It's a competitive business.

Stock market fell 300 points, magazines have articles on how to organize your personal finances so as to be able to weather the coming storm. Wonder how it's going to affect small hort. businesses. Consumer spending in general has been down for months.

I think there's been a bit of a downturn in the interior landscaping industry because of talk of recession.

But for outdoor gardening, I've read that sometimes people decide to save by not going on vacation, and they decide to stay home and spruce up their gardens instead, so maybe it won't be too bad for the nursery biz.

Depends on how bad it gets. During the Depression Vermeulen nursery got by growing indoor potted cacti. Their main line is hardy conifers. After things picked up again they went back to it.

I'm out for this year due to the drought here in the Southeast. I am just a small backyard grower that sells at a tiny farmers market in a neighboring city. I mostly grow stuff that does well for me in my yard, a lot of ornamentals, some herbs, veggie starts, a pretty big mix because the customer's tastes change throughout the season.

The drought and high heat really did a number on me last summer and this summer is predicted to be worse, much worse. Now they have very tight watering restrictions in place to save as much water as possible for drinking ($1000 fine the first time you're caught using public water to water your garden, water shut off the second time!!!!!). They now measure the amount of available water in days rather than months. Needless to say, most people are not buying plants.

Many local nurseries and growers have gone out of business. Some of them lost everything including their land and homes in the process. It is a sad sad situation.

I can keep the stock I have now alive by hauling water up from a creek til it goes dry. I can spend the year making adjustments to my display and building more birdhouses (reliable sellers). In other words, get my act together. But selling doesn't look good until it rains enough to lift these restrictions.

With gas getting more expensive, the economy tanking, it does look like a tough ride this next summer but I believe I will be perfectly situated to jump in once things turn around - I may have no competition when that day comes.

That's very sad indeed. Good luck to you! And wishing you lots of rain!

One possible way to survive the worsening economic woes might be to grow/sell more plants that require relatively little time and money to care for, and agressively market them as such. Plants that flourish with no irrigation, no soil amendment, no pest/disease control issues, etc. might be found to have great appeal at a time like this if customers can just be conviced how much they are saving money by using such plants.

Like potted cacti for apartment windowsills.

Well gllc21,did you start your nursery and is it successful? Sure hoping!
Best to you,
Ron from Mercer, PA