Are you tired of doing your office job in a tight cubicle? Is planting, gardening, and growing something that you really like to do? The good news is that you can actually earn money by turning it into a business. For people that love spending their time outdoors and have a green thumb, being a home-based gardener sounds like a dream job. You don’t need a lot of experience to start a business in this area, and it can become your full-time occupation. In this article, we are going to discuss how to start a successful gardening business in your own backyard.
Prepare the soil properly
If you want to have a good harvest, you have to plant your garden in a soil that is in proper condition. It would be a good idea to start preparing the plot in the autumn so that you can get down to business in the spring. What you should do is mark an area that comprises out of 100 square feet or more, and then take care of all the weeds, sticks, and other kinds of debris. It might be necessary for you to till the soil, and use organic matter like compost, grass clippings, or dead leaves in order to improve its health.
Start Planting
The fact is that people will buy the plants that you grow. You could be selling vegetables in order to provide someone with food, or you could choose to work with good-looking plants that garden centers and landscapers buy for a living. Whatever the reason is, people will buy your plants in order to provide for their family. When choosing the seeds for your garden, it is a good idea to stick to a plan. Location, spacing, and feedings are of an essence. Make sure that your garden isn’t too big for you to handle. Leave space between the plants, so that they can breathe and get nutrition. Choose the plants that fit with your growing conditions.
Water your plants
When it comes to water, the amount that is necessary for your garden depends on how much rainfall there is where you live. When looking at it generally, young seedlings need water on a daily basis. In time, the roots will get more established and stronger, so you’ll have to water them every other day. However, the fact is that it all depends on what kind of plants you decide to grow. Know that overhead sprinklers aren’t the best solution, because they lose a lot of water due to evaporation. Drip irrigation works better, or retractable hose reels, as Hoselink suggests.
Take care of the weeds
Weeds can make a real problem for your garden, so you need to take care of them promptly. Keep an eye for them and pull them right from the root whenever you find them, so that they don’t mess with your plants. In order for it to not become a complicated chore, weed often and on a regular basis.
Marketing materials and equipment
In order for people to get to know about your business, you are going to need to focus on marketing. A good website is necessary, and you should also have marketing materials at hand, such as business cards. When it comes to equipment, you’re going to have to invest into a shovel, hoe, rake, weed eater, lawn mower, and trowel. A commercial mower can be expensive, and cost about $2,000, but you can choose to start small and get better equipment once your business begins to boom.
Sources of revenue
In order to truly gain revenue, you need to have an access to quality restaurants and good farmers markets. Focus on the kind of crops that provide you with the largest return on the smallest amount of land and in the least amount of time. It’s a good idea to sell to restaurant markets, because you will be growing plants that have high margins. In time, you will get to know what sells the best and where you should sell it. Track your sales in order to know which products do best in which areas.
In summation
A gardening business can be quite lucrative once you have put an effort into it. It’s exciting to get to harvest the results of your gardening work, and earn from what you have created. And the best part is that you can make it all happen in your backyard.
