Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse Business

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There are two ways to control the amount of spray. You can use an electric-time clock mechanism that is set to give a spray burst every three, five, or seven minutes. The problem with this method is that the interval between misting periods remains the same despite changing weather conditions. If the time clock is set to give a spray burst every five minutes, the plant will be flooded during dark weather conditions and undernourished during bright, sunny conditions.

The second method of spray control involves a sensing element called an "electronic leaf." This is used in conjunction with a solenoid valve and a switching controller installed in the water lines. The artificial leaf is placed among the cuttings, and dries out or loses superficial water at the exact same rate that the cuttings do. At a certain stage of dryness, the sensing element activates and opens the solenoid so that water is supplied to the nozzles. The electronic leaf then causes the valve to close when it's moistened by the spray.

Selling and Marketing

Now that you've got the growing part down, it's time to move on to business. Start by making a written outline of the steps you plan to take: talking with interested buyers, planting seasonal crops, advertising, purchasing boxes and sleeves, arranging deliveries, etc. Some people are more comfortable letting a broker do the selling while they keep their attention on the technical aspects of growing plants. Others enjoy the excitement of closing a large deal on a regular truckload delivery and knowing that they did everything by themselves. If this sounds more like you, be prepared to deal with a lot of management and problem-solving skills.

Picking the Right Market

The days of sending your plants to a traditional wholesaler and hoping for the best are gone. It's up to you to look carefully at the market segment and choose your outlet. Possibilities include: florists, discount chains, grocery chains, or garden centers. Each has a personality of its own:

Retail florists: Most florist sales will come by phone, and plants move out on the delivery truck. Florists control 90 percent of what goes out their door, and consumers have little say in which plants will be sold. (If florist owners don't like red flowers, don't expect any in their shop.)

Discount chains: Walmart/K-Mart types of stores are looking for low prices and reasonable quality. To meet the intense price competition, you'll have to go to high-density production, and be prepared to close your eyes to plant quality and prompt payment.

Garden centers: A special breed, these centers are similar to retail florists, but do a lot more cash and carry. They are also one of the fastest-growing outlets for foliage plants (few centers grow their own).

The plant industry will continue to grow, due to the increasing importance of ecology.

Grocery chains: Grocery-chain buyers are interested in diverse pot sizes. They sell greens that range in size from four inches to four feet, and the type of quality sought is good to excellent. Many markets today have full-service floral shops ranging in size from 500 to 1500 square feet. Many even operate like florists, offering full service for weddings and funerals. Plant quality is good to excellent. Their biggest asset is that customers pop into the supermarket an average of two times per week so there's plenty of traffic.

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