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Interested to know how many of you propagate your own plants, and commercially, how viable is it alongside a gardening and tree business.Those of you that do, small scale? Commercial? Polytunnels? Do you already have space, or do you rent? And so on.Any input appreciated.

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  • Time consuming, too much so. We tried it this year for a couple of planting jobs. 

    Couldn't really charge for all of the time we put in to it, tried plug plants too, still spent too much time on them. 

    Very small jobs in the scope of things, £500 planting budget, still too much hassle. 

    Wouldn't do it again, not with full time work, perhaps as a hobby.

  • as Scott says time consuming just as you get busy you need heat light water feed and compost to stand a chance  I tried it with a bit of summer bedding from seed then went onto bought in plugs still to late in maturing into good plants

    get yourself a trade account at a plant nursery more choice and will be cheaper than doing your own   

  • a good option might be the Dutch growers that come pver here to sell

  • PRO

    Hi Ben, we've been growing plants for a few years.  Where we are based, we either have to get expensive deliveries from trade suppliers or travel 50 miles plus for local suppliers.

    Lots of people grow plants for sunny gardens, but dry shade er no!

    We typically over order on each variety, grow them on, sell them at plant fairs or plant them in clients gardens.  We are still planting,  plants from 2014.

    A lots of plants come in 2 litre pots, but often are in P9 or P7, 1lt or 1.5 lt, all the smaller pots, we pot into Teku 3 litre.  This allows them to develop better roots, and survive.

    We use peat-free compost eg Melcourt, add Perlite, Osmo organic fertiliser, and Raingel (this helps stop drying out)

    We currently have about a 150 varieties and have had about 600 plants this year.  This is all very time-consuming, but also saves a lot more time in travel.

    If you are only going to use or sell 'bog standard' plants, there is no point bothering unless travel / delivery costs are high.

    We have some space, we split & divide some plants (watch out for PBR), small scale, would love a polytunnel, we don't sell at the gate.

    Check out your local Hardy Plant Group, advice, knowledge, etc

    Above all else, you really got to Love plants, and grow ones you Like

    Amongst others, I like Monarda's, Heleniums, Rudbeckia's and Asters

    Good websites to view regarding, unusual ranges, well-written, good suppliers

    Dorset Perennials https://dorsetperennials.co.uk/

    Plantsman Pref http://www.plantpref.co.uk/

    Long Acres http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/

    If your interested, you should visit the Four Oaks show at the beginning of September, go to Plant fairs especially on wet days and talk to growers.

    Dorset Perennials - plants for sale direct from Dorset
    Welcome to the Dorset Perennials online store. Click on the SHOP button to the left to go straight to our shop or alternatively use the buttons eithe…
  • PRO

    I grow select things here and there. Tried growing summer bedding this year from plugs and worked out that I couldn't really compete with retail cost of bedding. Next year I'm going to grow some from seed. But honestly, I just love growing plants, I'm very at home in a green house. If I wasn't, it wouldn't be worth it for me. I just do it for the fun of it.
    Later this year I'm going to buy some bare root stock and try that and see what sells next year. 

  • Thanks all
    • PRO

      i think theres value in small scale growing on of unusual or fast growth plants -- such as some hardy tropicals -- the growth rate on fargesia bamboos , banannas and such things like Tetrapanax are enormous and once at a reasonable size could easily be sold on to clients at a decent price.

      If i had the space for some growing on id dedicate it to lower volume higher profit items that grow fast but are unusual so difficult for customer to price up.

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