[johnkeegan]

In the past I've always purchased perennials/grasses/hostas from local growers but, for reasons that are partially due to availability, quality and cost, I've decided to try grow my own using starter plants, either bareroot or plugs. It seems the local growers are usuallly just inserting the same into a one or two gallon pot with potting soil and Osmocote, watering and waiting, and then selling to me. I thought having my own supply line would allow me to better control availability, cost and quality.
I've been in contact with a supplier called Van Hoorn Nurseries out of Illinois. They seem helpful and insightful and they seem on the same wavelength as me in regards to the need to have plants that are great all-season performers but long-lived and low maintenance.
My hope is to be able to pot up the bareroot or large plug speciman as early as possible, add the correct fertilizer and have saleable plants by late May (I'm zone 5). Does this seem reasonable? And has any one else attempted this with good results. Any pointers or pitfall warnings would be appreciated.

[TrickyDick]

You have a greenhouse?

[johnkeegan]

Not this year. I do have a rather large heated garage with extra space. Perhaps I could temporarily start them in there in early March and put them out under poly in early April?...Just thinking out loud.

[r schipul]

John,

It is doable. Depending on availablity plan it right so they don't have to sit that long in you garage or the plants could possibly start to stretch for light.

You could also put them outside once daytime temps are above freezing and cover at night with a insulating blanket or even burlap.

Be forewarned it's a lot of work to keep plants looking good for more than a couple months. If you have the time to not allow the perennials to flower will help keep your plants in good shape longer.
There is also Walter's Gardens, Bluebird

PS With success, next year you'll be looking into buying in some bare root shrubs as well.

[Cochran]

I've basically done the same thing before. It's a great idea and a great concept, but time consuming. Make sure you have the time and manpower to devote to developing a quality plant before you make the investment. That's the biggest problem I've run into--we get busy and too spread out to take care of our plant material properly.

I would also suggest staggered plantings based on when you believe you'll use the material. By doing this, you won't have all your material ready at once then have to maintain the quality throughout the growing season. Instead, you'll have what you need ready when you need it without having to push material out or hold a plant at #1 quality.

[VoodooChile]

So You Want to Start a Nursery is an excellent introduction to getting going growing green plants for green money. Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh N.C. wrote it, and anyone who has seen his catalog or heard him speak can testify to his expertise.

It is also a very sobering book. Having a successful landscaping business which has grown more profitable as it has grown more specialized makes me wary of the "think of the money we'll save/make if we grow our own plants" mindset.

That said, my woman, Spiderlilly, is taking two courses on market-growing/flower farming this winter as we eye 7.5 acres adjacent to us that is for sale.

I dabbled in nursery production a few years back and found the conflicts between tending my own plants for sale and caring for my landscape clients' plants for profit a stressful, overly demanding place to be

But the allure of tilling the earth to bring forth beauty, bounty and bucks is hard to resist.

Good Luck!

[johnkeegan]

Thanks for the replys. I am a little weary of creating extra work once the season gets into swing but I hoped that with potted perennials the difference between maintaining the plants I potted myself and the ones I bought from a grower would be minimal. As it is now I usually order 300-500 at a time from each grower in anticipation of what I'll need for the subsequent month or so. For that reason, I already have a fenced in area (deer/woodchucks/rabbits) with 4'x8' wire-covered benches (sun-loving plants on top/ shade-loving underneath) with an automatic watering system dedicated to perennial/hosta/grass stock. So I already must weed/dead-head/fertilize occasionally to keep the inventory looking presentable. Therefore, it would seem that by doing "homegrown" plants, that the extra labor is mostly in the initial potting (seems minimal). Now remember that I only plan on growing plants for my own designs/planting. I have no interest in retail. I believe this might help me create "nursery area" that is geared towards efficency of maintaining/loading and not retail customer considerations.

[Nathaniel Carr]

Before starting my Landscape design and construction company I was the grower for a wholesale perennial plant nursery. If you already are tending plants you are more than ready to grow them. But your schedule may be ambitious, to finish a large plug (28 to a flat) you will need 6 weeks of good weather. (in New England). So to start with plugs in march/april they wont be ready till june. Interestingly March and April potting will have saleable plants at the same time. Nothing much growing in March and the cool part of April, especially the grasses.
Bare root stock would finish sooner (like bleeding hearts), they are usually top size and just need to leaf out. But the roots are what you need to watch out for. I liked to see little white roots peeking out the drainage holes of the pot.

I would think you should go for it, but be prepared to bring in your first shipment of plants like you usually do.

[johnkeegan]

As you say, "Nothing much growing in March and the cool part of April..", so would it help to start the newly potted plants in a heated garage (in say early March) to encourage initial root growth and then move them outside in early April to a holding area that gets covered by poly on cold nights. Would that give them a month's jump on maturity, so that they may be saleable by mid-May?

[Nathaniel Carr]

The best thing to do might be to pot them up but keep them dormant. If the temps in the garage stayed just above freezing your roots could grow just a little bit (they wont start GROWING until it warms up and there is bright light). Then move them to a coldframe. You will need to be careful about rot, though. Don't water much, just pot them up into slightly moist mix.

If you really want them to get growing... bring the temps into the 50's-60's and provide bright light. (Like sodium halide hung 12" from the foliage.)
I'd bet this route is not practical for your purposes.

Once they are ready to go out, put them in a hoop house or the like. That will make them grow faster and will protect against frost.

As to their "saleability" in mid- May... who can say? Your early season perennials should be looking great, your summer perennials will be leafy and your grasses will still be dormant (not quite dormant but I bet there will be more stubble than new growth, if you know what I mean)

[PSUscaper]

What do you think the cost saving would be in growing your own vs bringing in. These day, with the price of trucking, it seems that anything you can do that doesn't involve transportation is going to be cheaper. It seems like the trucking might be as much as the cost of 300-500 perenials are.

When you consider the time spent unloading and stocking the plants, it might equal the time spent potting and stocking, and you won't get any damage from transporting.

Just wondering what the gross profit margin you are counting on and whether it really makes sense. I'm not sure how many you plan to grow, so that may make it more sense yet.

[johnkeegan]

I plan on sitting down the next week or so and doing the "numbers thing" but cost savings isn't the only issue. By growing my own I hope to keep available all the plant varieties I desire to use in my designs and installations. I also have a long term employee who has taken an interest in growing so I thought it might be a chance to have him take a little "ownership" of that part of the business. I thought I might even have a little production bonus for each plant that made it to maturity successfully. I just want to make sure that this is designed in a way that doesn't cause me more headaches and responsibilities.

[treedoc1]

Just adding one more item for you to think about.
In my area, growers are typically long in July and August on most varieties of perennials. One gallons become mature and pot bound.

I purchase these in August and bump them into 3 gallon (10 inch) pots. They immediately root for fall installations on jobs and overwinter great for spring.

I offer a greater impact on the installations, less headaches on maintenance(standing up tall one gallon perennials after a rain storm), and provide a superior less expensive product.

Many times the going rate for a one gallon is in the $1.50 range, purchasing them at this time.

[johnkeegan]

Thanks Tree but around here there's no real price change from Spring to Fall from local growers.

[treedoc1]

Your profile says Northeast.

Imperial and Clinton always have extra from their Florida farms, check with their salesmen on their weekly availabilities. You might be surprised at the values if you are in a position to take advantage of them.

It might be worth walking New England Grows...2/6 - 2/8

Also, many times the Lowes and Home Depot will not fulfill their allocation. If the tags don't indicate the grower, do a UPC search for the information. One gallon liners are the way to go for standard staple items.