This is the million dollar question that I get asked a lot. “How big does a plant have to be before I can sell it for $5.97?” And of course the answer is . . . it depends.
To help explain this, I’ve made a movie about plant sizes and value. Actually my intent here is to make two movies. The first one covers a lot of our retail pricing but you will also see a lot of plants that I purchased wholesale and I share what I pay for those plants on the wholesale market.
Plant sales prices depend on the type of plant, the variety of the plant, how fast the plant grows, how long it takes to produce the plant in question and how much time and effort is involved in getting each variety of plant to a sale able state.
Gold Mound Spirea rooted cutting should sell for around .50¢ wholesale
Plant sizes, plant prices and the value of plants can vary a lot depending on what you are selling, at what size you are selling it and who you are selling it to. In short, a wholesale buyer is only going to pay 50% of what a retail customer might pay.
So if you are selling to other growers, landscapers or garden centers, you will get considerably less for each plant, but you sell each customer a lot more at any given time than you will a retail customer. And a wholesale buyer could easily buy thousands and thousands of dollars from you for 10 or 20 years.
Thank you so much for all the information. Where are you located!
Hilda,
I’m located in Perry, Ohio. I do not ship plants, only sell locally.
Hi seen your video on YouTube saying about the Japanese maple you sell for $1 odds orso.id like to know can u post to the UK and if so can you send me a catalogue of AA your Japanese maple In all sizes that can be shipped far cheap.
Thanks very much hope to here soon tom.
Tom,
I don’t sell them for that price but our members can buy them for around $1.50 today. But not to be shipped out of the U.S.
Do you leave all your potted plants outside for the winter or do you put them in a greenhouse? I’m buying some crate Myrtle and Julius and some spirea if I pot them now would be best if I put them in my greenhouse or leave them out in the weather over the winter? I’m in zone 7. Thanks
Margie,
Often plants will survive outside uncovered if protected from the wind. Most growers put them in houses under white plastic, not clear. See this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/11/over-wintering-protecting-plants-for-the-winter/ But a greenhouse with clear plastic or glass is not good for over wintering.
Hi,
So we are rooting some cuttings right now. We started them in late July/early August. Next spring we are wanting to sell them. This is our first time doing cuttings and plant sales so we are a little unsure of how big the plants are going to be by like, next May. Will they still be small? Will we be able to sell them for $5.97 or will we have to sell them for 50 cents each?
Thanks in advance,
Smith
Smith,
That’s the million dollar question. It really depends on what kind of cuttings you are rooting now. Be sure to see this post I did yesterday; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2016/09/hardwood-cuttings-winter-of-20152016/
But more importantly I detect a tinge of a negative attitude at the prospect of selling rooted cuttings at 50 cents each. Let’s address that.
1. 50 cents is pretty cheap. This spring I sold some rooted cuttings to one of our members, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, for 85 cents each. I just sent him home with a bunch of cuttings I had heeled into several pots. Told him to count them and pay me only for the good ones. He sent me an Email and told me that he owed me over $700. That was the biggest single sale that I’ve done all year.
2. Patience is virtue. I want you to go into town and find the biggest brick building you can find. Stand at the base of that building and study the bricks on the bottom row. Think about the brick layer that put those bricks there. What was he thinking? What was his goal? What was his mission? His mission was to build this massive brick building and he knew that he could only do so one brick at a time. So he began the journey. One brick, two bricks, brick #25, brick #150 and so on. Eventually he had a massive building that still stands today.
That’s how you build this business into something that will serve you for a very long time.
Look what I accomplished in just a few short years; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2011/07/mikes-new-nursery-from-the-beginning/
Look what I accomplished on only 1/20th of an acre; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2016/03/mikes-first-backyard-nursery/
What are your goals?
Hi, I’m in zone 8 what 3 seeds do you recommend to refurbish my lawn? I am a just starting in the business very excited!
Lizzy,
In zone 8 I don’t think I can say for sure. Do some research on “warm season grasses” to see which grasses are the best for todays lawns. Good luck with your new venture!
Great video, Mike! And I like the idea of the pinwheels moving on the plants and giving them away to kids.
I wish I was closer so I could come shop at your nursery!!
Thanks for all the great information!
I see that you pruned your plants in Oct. I haven’t done that, if I prune them now-Mar 2 will they be ok? We are still having winter here-high maybe 30 most night 2 to 10 degrees. Will I hurt them.
Terry
Terry,
I trim my plants year round. If it needs pruning it gets pruned when I have the time.
Where do you find liners? and for $1+. I have the list I got with my original purchase of your system but have never been able to find liners for less than $2.6+. Thanks
Terry,
In our members area there are always liners for sale. Right now I am buying awesome liners for less than $2.00 each. But even at $2.60 I’d jump at the chance to get what I needed.