written by | October 11, 2021

Expert Tips to Master a Plant Nursery Business

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Table of Content


Do you love to be surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants? Do you truly think you're the only one who loves that? Well, most of us love to have a natural setting around us and praise decorating our homes with attractive plants, flowers, etc. We're living in a concrete jungle, and having a few patches of nature in our home and workplace is highly helpful in creating a good mood and feeling relaxed. 

Having a garden right in front of the home is a dream of many, but everybody can't afford it, especially in the urban areas, where there are land issues. That's the reason the demand for flowering and bonsai plants is increasing rapidly. 

How about opening a plant nursery? Is it truly possible to generate enough profits? It certainly is. It's time to understand how to start a nursery business, including all the ins/outs and the procedure for the same. Let’s get started!

Did You Know? 

Commercial nurseries produce and distribute herbaceous and woody plants such as shrubs, bulb crops and ornamental trees.

How to Start a Plant Nursery Business?

If you want to make a profit in the plant nursery business, we suggest you start the business under your own control rather than hiring more employees. It is a simple process, and you won't require costly equipment or a lot of raw materials to run it. Here is a list of things you will need:

Woody Stem

In order to begin a plant nursery business, it is necessary to have several stems of the desired variety of plants. The stems can be availed from garden centres or you can directly cut from the plants itself. The cutting procedure isn't like the normal procedure, and it is actually a special technique. When cutting your stem tree, be sure to cut straight from the bottom and diagonally to the top. Keep the stems in a ready state to be planted. If you plan to plant multiple varieties, separate the stems to ensure keeping the distinction even when planting.

Also Read: The Ultimate Business Plan to Start a Successful Organic Farming Business

Land

The most important element in any farming venture will be access to land. The space used for farming does not have to be huge. Backyards can yield greater profits rather than renting land to farm. The fundamental properties helpful for farming are already there in the land. These properties include:

  • Fertile soil
  • Nutrition in the soil
  • Moisture content
  • Non-toxic minerals

These are all factors that determine the development of the plants. If all this is present in the soil, it is clear that the area is ideal to begin the farming process. If you’d prefer planting three kinds of woody plants, then using different varieties of soil is a necessary requirement. In such a case, you may need to invest a bit in the purchasing of soil. But don’t worry, your return will be high if your plant nursery business ideas are on point.

Following the purchase of the land, it can be subdivided into various segments. The land can be brought to its best possible shape through the use of conventional methods for ploughing. If you lack the cash to buy additional land for your nursery business, you can opt for a business loan.

Sand

The second critical ingredient required for farming is sand. The technique you'll master for planting these wooden plants will require large quantities of sand.

Simple Tools

When it comes to a nursery farm, there's an advantage to using fewer tools. Simple tools for cutting stems are the only tools you'll need. There is no requirement for tools for any other stage in this business.

How to Start a Nursery? 

There are numerous available plants that we can classify into several categories. A list of plant groups are provided to give you an understanding of which kind of plant is best for your nursery.

Forest Nurseries

In these nurseries, saplings are planted and will develop into larger trees in a short span of time. The trees like eucalyptus teak, pine and oak are all grown in forest nurseries. You can choose any or all of these varieties according to the available land and resources.

Vegetable Nurseries

Many people are turning to organic vegetables in order to avoid eating the pesticide-laden varieties available in the market. There are many varieties of vegetables that you can plant in a nursery, like radish, peas, brinjal, onions, tomatoes, spinach, sweet potato, pumpkins and more.

Fruit Nurseries

In recent days, lots of people are establishing food nurseries. They require lots of care, but they yield high profits in return. The most popular fruits are sapota, lime, coconut, oranges, pomegranate, mango, common fig, papaya, lemon, mulberry, jackfruit, Indian sweet dragon fruit, banana, apple and various other local fruits. Hence, this plant nursery business idea can surely make you rich.

Medicinal Nurseries

With the increasing demand for Ayurveda and natural remedies for illnesses, people adopt healthier habits and turn to organic cures for hard-to-fight diseases like diabetes. Nowadays, plants like aloe vera serve in making cosmetics. Many medicinal plants grown in nurseries include Bryophyllum aloe vera Sagargota, Vasaka Costus Igneus, Vetiver the Curry Leaf, etc.

Flower Nurseries

We also call flower nurseries ornamental nurseries. They are high in demand, being the most popular. Everyone loves Flowers, and due to their seasonality, they don't need maintenance throughout the year. Popular flowers you can plant in your nursery are Marigolds, Salvias, Gladiolus, Lilly, Roses, Jasmine, Aster, Hibiscus, Tecoma, portulaca and mini roses.

Steps to Plant Trees

 Firstly, prepare the soil bed with the essential ingredients. Separate it into thin lines in the case of planting several trees.

  • Dig the soil to 2 feet in depth. This is the highest point a stem can go to, and after the dig, it is ready for plantation. After digging, fill 1-4th of the soil with sand.
  • Make sure that the stems are standing in the soil in a proper space between each other. It is crucial to space them out to make them grow faster.
  •  Cover the remaining empty space by laying soil on top of it. After you have covered the empty space, tap it to flatten.
  • Now that you've finished planting, it’s compulsory to water them regularly.

Also Read: All About the Floriculture Business In India

How Can You Attract More Customers to Your Nursery?

Most plants are grown in a nursery for decorative reasons. So, you should pay most importance to appearance. The use of ribbons and other colourful items will draw the attention of others. Attach a few stems to a lovely piece of rope, and then sell the stems to home-based gardeners.

  • Include more stems per unit to make your product more popular in the market.
  • Selling online is an excellent idea as well. Take pictures of the stems, and promote them on the internet. Offer prices that beat your competitors.
  • You should focus on areas with a higher usage for these kinds of plants. Many bouquet shops make use of woody plants. Look for places where the lifestyle of people allows them to afford these items.
  • Beyond that, the regular agreements with artisans are enough to make huge profits.

Conclusion

You can earn great profits if you run a plant nursery business strategically. If you already have an interest in gardening, you'll enjoy this business every day. 

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FAQs

Q: Which are the most profitable plants to grow and sell?

Ans:

  • Bamboo: homeowners and landscapers are paying as much as ₹1000- ₹2000 each for potted bamboo plants
  • Landscaping trees and shrubs
  • Ginseng
  • Flowers of all kind
  • Herbs
  • Ornamental grasses
  • Mushrooms

Just make sure you do proper market research.

Q: Which are the most profitable plants to grow and sell?

Ans:

  • Bamboo: homeowners and landscapers are paying as much as ₹1000- ₹2000 each for potted bamboo plants
  • Landscaping trees and shrubs
  • Ginseng
  • Flowers of all kind
  • Herbs
  • Ornamental grasses
  • Mushrooms

Just make sure you do proper market research.

Q: What plants can I sell from home?

Ans:

Spring and Late winter are the best times for planting herbs, and there's a large variety available to take advantage of. Thyme, chives, and cilantro are always in great demand, and most importantly, they don’t need much maintenance while growing. Lemongrass and oregano are the other two awesome options.

Q: Does a nursery setup need a lot of plant-related knowledge?

Ans:

You just need some basic knowledge to avoid blunders, and rest, the internet will help you! To put it in simple words, you can open a nursery easily, just consider the vital points from this guide to get started with.

Q: What are some cool small plant nursery business ideas?

Ans:

The preference of the buyers will differ from place to place. You'll have to do a bit of competitor research to understand what plants are liked the most by the locals. Also, you can attempt to grow plants that don't just look attractive but have some benefits as well.

Q: What’s the cost of opening a nursery?

Ans:

It highly depends upon the size of the nursery business. ₹3/4 lakhs per year is an approximate cost to open it.

Q: How to open a nursery?

Ans:

If you're confused about how to start a plant nursery, then here are the primary steps:

  • Conduct market research
  • Choose your premises (running a nursery from home or buying/renting a dedicated place)
  • Financial planning (funding, insurances, etc.)
  • Buy seeds and arrange everything needed (soil, nutrients, etc.)
  • Hire professional gardeners to harvest the plants
  • Marketing and branding your nursery

Q: What plants can I sell from home?

Ans:

Spring and Late winter are the best times for planting herbs, and there's a large variety available to take advantage of. Thyme, chives, and cilantro are always in great demand, and most importantly, they don’t need much maintenance while growing. Lemongrass and oregano are the other two awesome options.

Q: Does a nursery setup need a lot of plant-related knowledge?

Ans:

You just need some basic knowledge to avoid blunders, and rest, the internet will help you! To put it in simple words, you can open a nursery easily, just consider the vital points from this guide to get started with.

Q: What are some cool small plant nursery business ideas?

Ans:

The preference of the buyers will differ from place to place. You'll have to do a bit of competitor research to understand what plants are liked the most by the locals. Also, you can attempt to grow plants that don't just look attractive but have some benefits as well.

Q: What’s the cost of opening a nursery?

Ans:

It highly depends upon the size of the nursery business. ₹3/4 lakhs per year is an approximate cost to open it.

Q: How to open a nursery?

Ans:

If you're confused about how to start a plant nursery, then here are the primary steps:

  • Conduct market research
  • Choose your premises (running a nursery from home or buying/renting a dedicated place)
  • Financial planning (funding, insurances, etc.)
  • Buy seeds and arrange everything needed (soil, nutrients, etc.)
  • Hire professional gardeners to harvest the plants
  • Marketing and branding your nursery

Disclaimer :
The information, product and services provided on this website are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any warranty or representation, express or implied. Khatabook Blogs are meant purely for educational discussion of financial products and services. Khatabook does not make a guarantee that the service will meet your requirements, or that it will be uninterrupted, timely and secure, and that errors, if any, will be corrected. The material and information contained herein is for general information purposes only. Consult a professional before relying on the information to make any legal, financial or business decisions. Use this information strictly at your own risk. Khatabook will not be liable for any false, inaccurate or incomplete information present on the website. Although every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this website is updated, relevant and accurate, Khatabook makes no guarantees about the completeness, reliability, accuracy, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, product, services or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Khatabook will not be liable for the website being temporarily unavailable, due to any technical issues or otherwise, beyond its control and for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the use of or access to, or inability to use or access to this website whatsoever.
Disclaimer :
The information, product and services provided on this website are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any warranty or representation, express or implied. Khatabook Blogs are meant purely for educational discussion of financial products and services. Khatabook does not make a guarantee that the service will meet your requirements, or that it will be uninterrupted, timely and secure, and that errors, if any, will be corrected. The material and information contained herein is for general information purposes only. Consult a professional before relying on the information to make any legal, financial or business decisions. Use this information strictly at your own risk. Khatabook will not be liable for any false, inaccurate or incomplete information present on the website. Although every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this website is updated, relevant and accurate, Khatabook makes no guarantees about the completeness, reliability, accuracy, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, product, services or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Khatabook will not be liable for the website being temporarily unavailable, due to any technical issues or otherwise, beyond its control and for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the use of or access to, or inability to use or access to this website whatsoever.