Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse Business

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All of your plants should also have individual tags that label the plant and include easy-to-read care instructions. It's a good idea to include a letter that tells the store owner or employee how to care for the plants until they're sold. The buyer will usually require you to label the outside of the box with your name, address, and phone number. (You can purchase rubber stamps or adhesive shipping labels). Identify the contents of the box in the upper, right-hand corner of the box.

Box Construction

Plants to be sent out in large volume should be packed in cardboard boxes, preferably "live plant" boxes, which can be bought through any large box company. The 23" x 18" x 24" size is suitable for 6" to 8" hanging baskets, and for 4½” or 6½” pots. For 4½” pots or 5" hanging baskets, the 23" x 18" x 16" box is best. This will hold twenty 4½” pots or twelve 5" hanging baskets. Plants should also be sleeved before packing them in boxes. The length is determined by the box's size as well as the pot's size. You will need 8" x 24" sleeves for 8" hanging baskets and 6" x 24" sleeves for 6" or 6½” pots.

Plants will do fine in boxes for a day or two before shipping if you keep the tops open—they need the light and air circulation. When you close your boxes, fasten them with a staple gun, which can be purchased from your local box company. Place the bottom of the box on a homemade wooden-frame, staple at each flap, and then staple the top down. You can also use a strong-quality tape or glue on the top and bottom of the box.

After you've closed the boxes, keep them well shaded. Direct sunlight on the outside of the box can create heat build-up inside, and if the plants are subjected to such heat for three to four hours, there may develop severe leaf damage. Boxes should also be at least four inches higher than the plants to allow for adequate air circulation. Lastly, when you handle the boxes, be careful not to knock a lot of soil out of the pots.

Making the Delivery

Remember to discuss transportation when you're making your sales. At first, you might want to make deliveries personally, which can easily be done with a U-Haul truck or a rented large, tractor-trailer rig. (Prices vary greatly so take the time to shop around for the best deal.) Get a refrigerated-type trailer if you expect to haul more than a few hundred miles and if you have the quantity to warrant it.

You are responsible for your plants until they are signed off at delivery. (Always get an official signature of acceptance.) Try to arrange for payment upon delivery when you're making your deal—"cash on delivery" is a good way to start out until you've established your business and covered your initial investment in the plants. It can also save you costly delays in collection time. Most buyers will agree to this arrangement without hesitation.

Once you're more established and scheduling deliveries regularly, you can have a local motor line carry your plants to different parts of the country. By shipping F.O.B. (Freight On Board), the buyer pays for all handling expenses. The shipper (the motor line carrying the plants) is responsible as soon as he picks up the plants at your greenhouse, and he/she should pay the grower promptly for any damage that occurs in shipping. Inspect the plants again when you deliver them—they will react differently to long periods of darkness. If you're delivering yourself, stack boxes on pallets inside the truck, which will make unloading large orders easier. (Most warehouses have forklift operators to unload; otherwise, the boxes will have to be unloaded by hand.)

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