Horticultural magazines provide instructions for growing almost every type of plant known. But seldom is there any information about the disposal of plants once they have reached the peak of perfection.
One can watch blooms wither away, or the plant, at its peak, can be replaced by one just starting to open its buds. But something must be done with the plant which is being replaced. It can be given away or sold.
The money obtained can increase and improve your facilities to your fondest dreams. Every reader knows of at least one person who started growing and selling plants in his home and eventually owned several greenhouses. This success demands hard work and time.
Almost anyone can run a small, self-supporting home plant business, providing much pleasure and a modest profit. But his small income will permit indulgence in a few rather expensive plants and gadgets that otherwise would be foregone.
I have done considerable research on marketing house plants during the last five years.
Mail-Order Sales of Small Plants
One profitable area is the mail-order sale of small plants. Many problems and a high risk of loss for the inexperienced are involved.
Unless you are a competent hybridizer, you must advertise varieties already known and probably fairly widespread.
Sales of old varieties may not be sufficient to cover the cost of advertising in a single journal. Do not spend over 20 percent of the expected total sales on advertising.
Mailing costs will be high and should be charged directly to the customer. Special handling or insurance is not necessary if the plants are packaged correctly, but the customer should be given the option of paying these additional fees if he desires.
Plants sold by mail should be grown in 2 1/2-inch pots. The smaller the plant, the easier it is to ship.
The advantage of mail-order sales is that only small plants are sold, and many can be grown in a home.
The retail price of mail-order small plants will usually exceed the wholesale price of large ones sold to the local flower shop.
Year-Round Market For House Plants
There is a colossal market for high-quality house plants in full bloom. The market is open to home growers because large commercial growers deliberately ignore it because of the small profit margin.
Some specific plants housewives can raise and sell successfully are gloxinias, episcias, begonias, and African violets.
They can succeed here because big growers concentrate on these small-profit plants for Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day.
Many big greenhouses will not have a four-inch African violet for sale during the rest of the year. I have found that a market for house plants exists all year round.
Challenges For Commercial Growers
The large grower expects to sell at least four plants to the retailer at a time and be paid for them whether the retailer sells them or not.
Usually, some of the plants go out of bloom before the retailer can sell them, resulting in a resulting loss.
Consequently, the retailer does not wish to buy African violets and gloxinias except for big holidays because he will be left with a few, which he will have to discard.
He would be happy to have good, inexpensive house plants in his shop year-round if it were not for the “leftovers.”
Big growers cannot afford to take back these out-of-bloom plants and recover them. But the housewife can do this with ease.
Selling Plants on Commission
Assume that sometime between June and November, you have four nice double African violets (doubles sell much better than singles), a good rex begonia, and a double gloxinia.
You take them to the nearest flower and gift shop and explain that you realize sales are slow, but you will leave the six plants there on commission.
If the manager sells any during the week, he can pay you one dollar for each four-inch pot and one and a half dollars for the gloxinia in the 5-inch pot. You will take away the unsold plants when they are no longer salable.
If the plants are adequate specimens and the manager can be expected to accept your offer, you are in business.
He should have no trouble selling some of your plants in a few days. Those he does not sell should be taken back, and in a few months, they will be presentable again.
They do not need to be repotted but should be fed and well-lighted. They must be turned frequently to retain their symmetry and should be larger and more beautiful than ever when presented for sale the second time.
Home-grown plants stand up better in the store than greenhouse specimens, which can be suggested to the retailer.
He will, in turn, mention it to his prospective customers. If you do not have a flower or gift shop nearby, you can probably persuade the hardware store or any other store to put in a plant shelf.
Building Relationships With Retailers
If your plants are in good bloom and disease-free, your relations with the retailer should flourish. At Christmas time, there is no great increase in your plant sales because demand for poinsettias and other special season plants from the commercial grower is up.
Your retailer will want more violets on Valentine’s Day, especially red and white ones. He will probably want two or three dozen plants, and you may be unable to supply them.
You can offer to go to the commercial grower and select plants for your retailer, getting nothing for your trouble except the pleasure of visiting the greenhouse.
But you keep the business and gratitude of your retailer the year around. You do not deprive the commercial grower of business; you increase total sales of plants.
Popular and Easy-to-Grow Varieties
The following varieties are sure to sell and easy to grow. Begonias include ‘Helen Teupel’ and ‘Iron Cross.’ These begonias should be large plants, but they do not have to be in flower.
The Thanksgiving cactus will set its buds before being brought into the house just before the first frost.
It will be in gorgeous bloom the first week in November. ‘Emperor Frederick’ is a bright red single gloxinia that will always sell. ‘Ember Lace’ is a variegated episcia with irresistible pink and green leaves.
The varieties of African violets are too numerous to list, but a few are ‘Mayfair,’ ‘White Pride Supreme,’ ‘Northern Prize,’ ‘Ardent Red,’ ‘Sarnia, And ‘Pink Dream Supreme.’
The general rule is that double flowers sell better than singles, reds, and pinks better than purples and whites.
Expanding Market For House Plants
There is always a large unfilled market for inexpensive house plants. Many people are ill, and birthdays and anniversaries come every month of the year.
The only real restriction on the market is the quantity and quality of plants you offer, and you bear the entire responsibility for that.
44659 by Dr. Sheldon C. Reed