Archive for September, 2010
Growing The Right Plants For Profit
Owners of small “commercial” greenhouses are alert for ways to save labor and stretch their producing areas. Both ends can be served by starting annuals including bedding plants and tender perennials in flats in late winter or early spring and moving them to cold frames as soon as freezing weather is past. Once the flats are moved out the greenhouse space can be filled with other things.
Selling plants in flats of a dozen to 100 or more avoids the work of potting. Most small plants retail at about 50 to 60 cents per dozen with the possible exception of double petunias which usually run to twice that much. Potted singly these same plants retail for 25 to 39 cents apiece but to rate that price range the potted plants will also have to be grown a bit larger than is necessary in flats.
Grow the plants in full sun in a cool house to keep them bushy. The following are four of the most popular plants small greenhouse owners have found to be steady profitable items. The cultural hints I offer are of course based on the timing of the seasons weather etc. in my area. Be sure you take your own local conditions into consideration in applying my recommendations or anyone’s as to seeding timeetc.
Alyssum
Although sweet alyssum Lobularia maritima is a tender perennial it is treated in the north as an annual. It can be started in the 50degree greenhouse. January seedplanting should assure salable plants in April. Culture approximates that of ageratum and the sweet alyssum can be propagated by cuttings and rooted in any growing media. If your greenhouse is crowded move the flats of sweet alyssum to the cold frame as soon as danger of freezing is over.
Impatiens
Impatiens often called patience busy Lizzie or touchmenot has a translucent stem. Leaves are green reddish or variegated green and white. These attractive little plants produce gay flowers of white pink red or purple.
Any friable soil in 65degree temperature is well adapted to impatiens. Seed culture is much like that of coleus and you can grow impatiens from seed to bloom in 6 months. Cuttings taken in January and rooted in any media will be ready for 2 or 3inch pots by April.
Thrips and aphids are the most bothersome pests and can easily be destroyed by malathion.
Marigold
The brilliantly colored marigolds that grace nearly every garden can become a source of profit for the home greenhouse grower. Sow the seed in ordinary soil in late February. Pot up as growth indicates and you will have salable plants by midMay. If you want the extra greenhouse space transfer the marigold flats to a cold frame or lath house once the danger of frost is over. In this way they occupy space for only 6 to 8 weeks. A few more weeks in the cold frame and they are ready to be sold in the same flats they were grown in.
Petunias
Petunias are among the best spring sellers. Hybridizers have done so much work on breeding diverse varieties that it is difficult to recognize the old petunia form in some of the new double beauties. Grow your petunias from the best seed you can obtain; it costs very little more than inferior seed and assures you petunias different enough to sell at a premium to gardeners in your community or to a retailer.
Sow petunia seed in midJanuary for flowering plants by the first week in May. Transplant the seedlings to flats of average greenhouse soil spacing them about 2 inches apart. They can be grown on and sold directly from these flats; or as they crowd one another you can pot some of them in 2 or 3inch pots.
Petunias do well in 65 to 75 degrees F. and can stand full sunlight. If you are short of greenhouse room shift your petunias to the cold frame as soon as hard frost no longer threatens.
Aphids are their worst trouble but in this case too malathion makes short work of the pests.
Enjoy growing and selling these delightful plants!
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Long Lost Manuscript Resurfaces With The Secrets On How To Make Money With Your Greenhouse Nursery!Click here for FREE online Ebookhttp://www.greenhousenursery.org/
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Growing And Caring For Tomatoes – Tips You Should Know
The most popular plant that is grown in the home garden is the tomato. Most gardeners take more pride in growing tomatoes than any other crop. There is nothing like a ripe juicy fresh grown tomato.
There is a large variety of tomatoes that can be grown by the home gardener and they all have there own unique characteristics or qualities. That can be for there size color shape or taste. There are tomatoes that hybrids heirlooms and plants that are indeterminate or determinate. The selections that you can choose from seem to be endless.
Tomatoes are easy to grow and will produce a large amount of fruit if properly cared for. There are a few basic tips that you should know that will help your tomato plants thrive and produce a high yielding crop.
Tomatoes like a good healthy soil that is full of organic matter and nutrients along with a good soil structure that provides good aeration drainage and retains moisture well.
Never start your plants to early. Tomatoes like warm soil temperatures. If needed warm the soil two weeks before planting by covering with black plastic.
Direct sunlight is very important in growing a strong healthy tomato plant. Tomatoes should be planted in an area that will receive a minimum of eight hours of direct sunlight.
Preparation of the planting location is also very important. Bury your tomato plants deep burying the stem a minimum of half it’s total height. It takes a little more time to plant this way but the growth and productivity of the plant will be rewarding. When planting tomato plants deep it gives them the ability to form roots that will branch off of the stem. This will give the plant a big advantage of forming a large healthy root system which benefits it’s nutrient intake greatly.
Give your plants enough room to grow. Plant tomatoes a minimum of two to three feet apart depending on the variety. This will allow for the proper air circulation and direct sunlight needed for the plants to thrive.
Watering of tomatoes is very critical. Tomatoes need a steady moisture content in the soil. Over watering or letting the soil dry out will stress the plant and cause the fruit to produce poorly.
Applying a good organic mulch like compost will greatly benefit the plants growth by retaining the moisture content in the soil while adding nutrients to the soil at the same time.
Tomatoes love a regular supply of nutrients. having a good healthy nutrient rich soil full of organic matter is the type of soil that tomatoes will thrive in. Watering your plants every two weeks with a nutrient rich compost tea will greatly boost the productivity of the fruit the plant will produce.
With a little care you can have the best home grown tomatoes in your own back yard.
About the writer: My name is John Yazo. I enjoy Organic Gardening. Everyday is a learning experience that is full of challenges. Trying new methods and techniques keeps it interesting. I enjoy to write and share all my gardening experiences with everyone. Feel free to comment on any of my articles. That’s what keeps the learning process going for all of us. http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com
Growing A Garden In Containers – Tips To Get Started
People living in apartments do not have the luxury of a fullscale garden simply because they do not have a yard. Space constraints may hamper the creation of a fullfledged garden. The best solution for this would be to grow plants in containers. Those willing to make an effort usually have a few potted plants placed within the house or in the patio or balcony. The pots do not take up much space as they can be hung up or placed on the windowsill or balcony. A few potted plants placed strategically can brighten up the ambience of the room apart from improving the air quality within.
The biggest benefit of plants in containers is that they do not need extra space. Secondly the containers can be moved around and arranged to suit the overall d
About the writer: Abhishek is an avid Gardening enthusiast and he has got some great Gardening Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 57 Pages Ebook “Your Garden Neighbor’s Envy Owner’s Pride!” from his website http://www.GardeningMaster.com/762/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
