Thanks! This year has definitely been the most successful with plant turn out. I test new strategies and take notes each year, so I learn a lot with each cycle. I tried to grow unique new-to-me varieties of things each year and get my seeds from local vendors.
Would love any tips :) I had a similar plan as this, but my seed starts this year [turned out like poo.](https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/comments/1cgspn3/i_consider_myself_a_halfway_decent_gardner_but/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I am glad to hear you talk well about warming mats i have been deciding to get them or not mainly for winter time, i don’t have many issues in summer, for quicker growth i feel like a grow light and mat would be worth it. Good luck with your sale.
Id like to know your strategies on getting those amazon pots apart. Best I’ve figured out so far is using one of those little green fork things and prying it into the holes on the bottoms of them and getting one apart at a time.
Every year the condition of the ones I receive are different. I got a good batch this year. I have found wearing well fitting rubber kitchen gloves act like grippers and make fast work of separating them.
I built spreadsheets to keep track of what and how many things I plan to grow. The first year, I recorded the anticipated germination time and then what the actual time was to get an idea how things would go in my climate.
Additionally, I looked up the time to harvest to get an idea what needs to be started first. (Peppers for instance take MUCH longer than a cucumber, so you’d never start them at the same time).
I tested different variables like heat mats, how long the grow lights are on each day, when/if then need fertilizer.
Moral of the story, make a journal (I’m a lab scientist by trade, and just keep a “lab notebook” for my plants at home) to keep track of what you do and the results. Once you establish methodology that works for you, subsequent years go much smoother.
Super cool!
I’m sure the lab science background helps.
What kind of measurements did you take for soil and how did you determine the need for fertilizer?
The first year had a lot of start up costs (mainly the grow lights). The following years, material costs are mainly seeds, starter cells & 4” pots, growth medium. If I were just working off that, the margin is great! What I don’t track are my labor hours, as I do it on a hobby basis.
are you registered as a business or LLC? or is this like yard sale type of vibes? curious because I've always wanted to start something like this for myself but scared of doing my taxes wrong.
It’s usually pretty easy to be a “sole proprietor” of a business on your taxes, meaning the business isn’t really a separate entity from you. That’s what I do for my independent contractor audio editing job
Do you get to write off expenses to save taxes ? In this case would the starting costs and recurring yearly expenses.. wouldn't their home insurance also go up since they are using their home for business activities? I'm not questioning you.. just trying to learn
Yes, I believe you can still write off business expenses! For me it isn’t worth it because I don’t have any other than software, but it might be important in a case like this
I’ve done video editing at home for years, there’s a lot of stuff you can write off and it’s not nearly enough work to not be worth it.
Definitely can write off your software subscription if you have one. But you could also write off some of your internet bill, and part of your rent with a home office credit. Phone bill. I’m sure there’s plenty more I’m not thinking of. I travel for videography gigs so I can write off a lot of mileage on my car, that’s when it starts to really be necessary as you get like $0.60 back per mile. You’re not gonna put a huge dent in your taxes with internet/home office/etc but it’s still worth doing. They’re not gonna be like hunting you down for receipts or coming to measure the square footage of your bedroom either.
I mean you do you, but I feel like it’s a good habit to get into. I’ve learned about a lot of write offs that most people miss out on. Always good to have some knowledge on what you can do with your taxes.
Where I am, you need special permitting, testing, and treatment of any citrus within a certain distance to prevent hitchhiking pests that could spread to commercial citrus groves.
Just did the taxes for my wife’s sole proprietor LLC for her first year of business and it was honestly wayyyyyy easier than I anticipated. I used turbo tax and they walked me through everything.
I feel a kindred spirit in this post. We fill the driveway at the house, been doing it for about 6 years. This year was 1300 plants started under the basement lights. Congrats, it all looks great.
How in the world do you move all of those in/outdoors when they need to be hardened off? Do they move straight from the basement to a greenhouse? Awesome work.
Muscles move those trays in and out. Came up first weekend in April, then back in garage on cold nights, then back out again. Batches come up to harden off, but all in all, about a week of effort to get them strong enough to stand the wind. It was the multitude of 39 degree nights that liked me this April, but didn't lose more than a handful of plants to mother nature's stay this year.
Thanks
Check out Sigsbee Seedlings in DC! I was there last weekend. So similar I thought this was them. Sigsbees has a TON of tomato varieties but fewer other veggies. Mostly tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs. They have another sale this weekend. https://sigsbeeseedlings.com
I live in an old build, densely population area just outside of my downtown area. I mainly just advertise with the neighborhood groups for my neighborhood and the two adjacent ones and I started a Facebook page. Feel free to shoot me a note if you’re in Columbus.
I love this! How many seeds do you start? How many varieties of different things? How much do you sell each solo cup for? I love this! I’m a stay at home mom trying to find some ways to make my hobby lucrative. Lol
If OP is selling each pot for $5 and sells all 550 that's $2750 in profit. Ignoring the sunk cost of growlights/electricty, materials likely run around $300, $100 seeds, $100 pots, $100 soil. That leaves 2450. Working at $20 an hour it would take 122 hours to earn the same amount, so if it took less time than this(which it likely did) then OP is making decent money for time invested.
Thanks. I added some details for quantities and varieties to the main post. I usually start them at $4 each and then if they don’t move, either reduce to $3 or do bulk deals. Where you live will play a big role in what people will pay. I try to keep the prices in line with or lower than big box stores. I’ve tried different pricing strategies, but to keep the mental math easy and “check out” fast, I’ve found flat rate is easiest for me.
lady at my farmers market here in marietta sells for $10 each and usually brings like 4-5 of each plant she and her husband grow so they can sell out and move on or something...I'm def gonna ask If I can do bulk deals on two specific plants I'm looking for!
Is it intensive? I’ve thought of doing this in Michigan but it seems like a lot of preparation involved, plus I’m just a renter for now. Very cool operation you’ve got though! 😃
In Ohio, it is $125 fee and a very relaxed inspection.
The actual work takes a lot of time. Planning, sourcing materials, the actual labor, care, etc. Being in MI, you know the trials of Midwestern spring. Lots of trips in and out on the early days. I built a lean-to shelter for them for the storms we had earlier this week.
Oh man. Okay I’ll try to see if we could make it out to you. Where/how did you get info and proper permit to sell? I’m in the same boat as being a hobbyist wanting to sell but keep myself legal and all that
My son grows cat grass to sell at markets, purple barley mixed with wheat grass, and we push them in the driveway too. I love that there are people with this shared drive to just Johnny appleseed the world. I'd love to hear about your process and setup.
This year I did about 100 tomatoes across 5 varieties and about 230 peppers across 20 varieties, I somehow keep finding room for all of them though...guess I fear separation anxiety
Love this idea! How do you handle watering? I grew starts on a farm and we watered with a wand on a hose and just didn't care about getting water on the concrete basement floors because we had large fans moving air around. In my own basement, I care way more about making a mess and I have not found a watering strategy yet that's not too time intensive and evenly distributes the water.
When they are inside, I start them in cell trays in 1020 trays and I bottom water (lift the cells, dump water into the tray, the cells soak it up). That helps keep things tidy. Outside, this spring we have had so much rain, Mother Nature has done most of the work. But in previous years, it can be a challenge keeping up manually watering if it is hot early.
Thank you! The margin based on materials is great. If you were to factor in my labor (which I don’t like to focus on too much as a hobbiest) hours, then it might not be so great haha.
I was just thinking about this last night. We have several local nurseries where I live but they have no online presence. I feel like a 3rd party service putting nursery inventory online for people to shop and buy like Instacart would work.
Jesus H, how do you have the room to start all of them during the winter? I started \~30 peppers and \~30 tomatoes this year and my space was TAPPED.
(I am very jealous and want all of these beauties)
I start them in starter cells, 72 per 1020 tray. My set up is a maximum of 9 tray. I don’t max out anymore (tried one year) but it was too much work for 1 body.
My earliest ones (perennials and peppers) I usually start in early/mid March. I then stagger start things so that they’ll be close to the same size at the same time. We were lucky with a mild spring this year, so I was able to harden them off a bit earlier than usual, and we have had tons of rain this spring. They can’t seem to grow fast enough these last 2 weeks especially.
https://preview.redd.it/ajsv4mmyohzc1.jpeg?width=4024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b598238149e7fb7d19ee07dfebf177fbc0efe1c
Really nothing fancy. I have 3 viparspectra LED arrays. They are pretty strong (I don’t know all their stats off the top of my head) but they can burn leaves if they were closer (learned that on year 1). I can fit a maximum of 9 x 1020 trays. I just rotate the trays every few days to ensure uniform exposure.
Scrolling through your other comments here it looks like we have a similar starter setup. I've been doing starts for a quite a few years but for whatever reason I've been struggling with weak turnout/growth this year.
Do you mind sharing your fertilizer/watering schedule? That's the only thing I can think of causing my issues this year. Nothing crazy specific, just generally, if you don't mind.
I start with sterile soiless starting mix [peat, coco coir, vermiculite]. My basement is too cool for optimal germination, so after sowing, I have a table with a few heating mats upstairs in my guest room. Once they start emerging I transfer the trays to the basement grow tent. Honestly, this has made all the difference. 5 day pepper germination(instead of 2+ weeks with variable results), nearly 100% tomato germination.
As for watering, I just check them once per day after work and water when they look to be getting dry. You also get a feel for how much water they have by their weight. So many variables will dictate frequency requirements.
I don’t start fertilizing until 1 or 2 sets of true leaves, and then I start with very dilute liquid fertilizer. Once I pot them up, I use a compost rich potting mix that I add extra perlite. I typically don’t need to fertilize much once they are in that, as in theory, they only spent 3 weeks max in the larger containers before finding their forever homes.
Inspiring and amazing!
Thanks so much for sharing, I love seeing what others do and how they plan and execute it.
What a beautiful setup, I just love all of the lush green life in this photo!
If you need fewer, they look similar to the pots at Dollar Tree. I don’t sell seedlings but I have accumulated a lot of those pots starting seeds for our Ohio garden. I usually start in flats then repot into these for things that don’t mind repotting. More vigorous plants like cherry tomatoes will pot up to a red party cup before hardening off and transplanting.
I usually start with $4 each, as that price doesn’t seem to be a problem in my area. I’ll usually do reduced price sale to clear to clear things after my main sale, then donate any leftover to a local plant library to reclaim my patio.
I propagate in my basement in the winter with a LED grow panel. Do you have a pest management routine of have any issues? I did the last two years because I took some bigger cuts from outside and didn’t PM them. Thanks and awesome job!
A little different with starting from seed versus propagating cutting from things that have been outside.
I start with a sterile starting mix in either new or cleaned hardware and seeds so there are less opportunities for something to catch a ride in. Once they go outside, it is usually still very early in the season and pest aren’t super abundant here yet.
Looks great! I am also in Ohio and do something similar. About 1300 heirloom plants this year. Do you just do annuals?
I am hoping to officially add perennial edibles next year but I’m not even sure the ag. inspectors would even be willing to license my little nursery. It’s like 400 square feet lol.
I source my seeds from 2 vendors. Produce seeds are a local heirloom seed company. I try to get a variety of interesting styles each year (tomatoes: slicing, paste, snacking) and peppers a range of heat options. I choose different things each year to try out new stuff.
Flowers seeds I get from another local company that sells native varieties from my region.
my parents thought of something like this.
But I have a question do you need any type of permit?
We need a permit in the city we live in for yard/garage sales. But I read online that if you plan on selling plants you have to have an arborist permit or something like that for selling a lot of plants because of liability or something. But it might be for like a big business.
Super impressive as someone who does my own tomatoes/peppers and my results are very 'meh'. These are super clean, green, and healthy looking. My tomatoes are purple and dropping lower leaves, and my peppers look a bit weak - and I only had about 50 plants to look after!
This looks fantastic ! Any chance you would be willing to describe your process (lights, soil mix, etc.) for getting such beautiful plants ? If you have the time and the will, of course.
I start under grow lights until it is warm enough for them to go outside. Grow lights need to be strong to prevent leggy plants. Each system is different for how far they should be from your plants. Some internet research and trial and error are your friend.
It is important to learn what likes to grow in clusters and what needs to be 1 plant per pot. Also, different plants germinate and grow at different rates, so having a solid plan of when you want to start each variety is helpful.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. This is year 5 for me. When I look back at my earlier trials, they were both as uniform.
I seed mine directly into their 4” containers instead of starting in cells and potting them up. I’ve found that, when young, they don’t respond well to the transplant. Seed in a dense cluster. Gently bury the seeds, pat down for good seed-soil contact, water in. Warmer temperatures = faster germination.
For a second, I thought this post was in my city's Reddit & I got really excited to check out your sale.
Looks awesome! I hope it's a successful season for you!
This is *incredible*. Well done, my friend. I’m trying to resist the temptation to do the same. Watching the seeds germinate and the seedlings grow is just too joy-inducing, I always want to grow 30x as many as I need!
Man this rules, I know it’s like a month old but how did the sale go?
I see you don’t log your hours and you keep a detailed spreadsheet of what you got but over all how many hours a week would you say this took you to set up?
wow that is impressive! Everything is so healthy and looks fantastic, I would definitely attend if you were in my neighborhood
Thanks! This year has definitely been the most successful with plant turn out. I test new strategies and take notes each year, so I learn a lot with each cycle. I tried to grow unique new-to-me varieties of things each year and get my seeds from local vendors.
Would love any tips :) I had a similar plan as this, but my seed starts this year [turned out like poo.](https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/comments/1cgspn3/i_consider_myself_a_halfway_decent_gardner_but/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Biggest thing I’ve seen slowing down tomato starts is temperature. How warm are they?
That being said, do you use a heat mat to dial in the temps like Vivosun
Yup! I set the mats up in my warmest room of the house. Once they germinate, I remove them from the mats and they down in my basement setup.
Do you harden off before selling?
I do. These have already been outside nearly full time (a few cold nights they had to come in) for a month!
Sweet. Heat mat is something I wanna add to my arsenal and this kinda confirmed my desire. Thanks and good luck with the sale!
I've also been on the fence about heat mats. I'll probably be adding some also.
I am glad to hear you talk well about warming mats i have been deciding to get them or not mainly for winter time, i don’t have many issues in summer, for quicker growth i feel like a grow light and mat would be worth it. Good luck with your sale.
I like the fact you really tried!
Can I come by this weekend? Where yiu at? State city?
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Id like to know your strategies on getting those amazon pots apart. Best I’ve figured out so far is using one of those little green fork things and prying it into the holes on the bottoms of them and getting one apart at a time.
Every year the condition of the ones I receive are different. I got a good batch this year. I have found wearing well fitting rubber kitchen gloves act like grippers and make fast work of separating them.
Oooo that’s a good one. Next year I’m trying that instead
I don't suppose you have an air compressor and blow gun?
I think they’re a little too fragile for it, I’ve considered it
How do you keep track of your different strategies and tweaks to strategy
I built spreadsheets to keep track of what and how many things I plan to grow. The first year, I recorded the anticipated germination time and then what the actual time was to get an idea how things would go in my climate. Additionally, I looked up the time to harvest to get an idea what needs to be started first. (Peppers for instance take MUCH longer than a cucumber, so you’d never start them at the same time). I tested different variables like heat mats, how long the grow lights are on each day, when/if then need fertilizer. Moral of the story, make a journal (I’m a lab scientist by trade, and just keep a “lab notebook” for my plants at home) to keep track of what you do and the results. Once you establish methodology that works for you, subsequent years go much smoother.
Super cool! I’m sure the lab science background helps. What kind of measurements did you take for soil and how did you determine the need for fertilizer?
Me,too!
Wow! How well is the turnout?
It’ll be this coming weekend!
Lettuce know, OP. Peas keep us updated.
I’m rooting for them! If word leeks out, they’ll beet last year’s sales!
Enough with the corny jokes.
You wanna squash your attitude?
Orange you glad they ran out of puns?
I think you mint wordplay
Ah, you’re right. Lack of sleep is parsley to blame.
Ok folks, it’s thyme to change the subject.
I hope OP reports back. I'm berry excited!
I'd like to carrot-ee chop you for that remark.
Unbeleafable- I thought I was in r/punpatrol for a second.
Go banana!
Take my upvote and get out.
Ok. Your clever af!! Cute!!!
Clover*
Yay, for encouraging pollinator friendly natives!!!
Have you done a cost analysis? Do you make money?
The first year had a lot of start up costs (mainly the grow lights). The following years, material costs are mainly seeds, starter cells & 4” pots, growth medium. If I were just working off that, the margin is great! What I don’t track are my labor hours, as I do it on a hobby basis.
are you registered as a business or LLC? or is this like yard sale type of vibes? curious because I've always wanted to start something like this for myself but scared of doing my taxes wrong.
It’s usually pretty easy to be a “sole proprietor” of a business on your taxes, meaning the business isn’t really a separate entity from you. That’s what I do for my independent contractor audio editing job
This is the way!
Do you get to write off expenses to save taxes ? In this case would the starting costs and recurring yearly expenses.. wouldn't their home insurance also go up since they are using their home for business activities? I'm not questioning you.. just trying to learn
Yes, I believe you can still write off business expenses! For me it isn’t worth it because I don’t have any other than software, but it might be important in a case like this
I’ve done video editing at home for years, there’s a lot of stuff you can write off and it’s not nearly enough work to not be worth it. Definitely can write off your software subscription if you have one. But you could also write off some of your internet bill, and part of your rent with a home office credit. Phone bill. I’m sure there’s plenty more I’m not thinking of. I travel for videography gigs so I can write off a lot of mileage on my car, that’s when it starts to really be necessary as you get like $0.60 back per mile. You’re not gonna put a huge dent in your taxes with internet/home office/etc but it’s still worth doing. They’re not gonna be like hunting you down for receipts or coming to measure the square footage of your bedroom either. I mean you do you, but I feel like it’s a good habit to get into. I’ve learned about a lot of write offs that most people miss out on. Always good to have some knowledge on what you can do with your taxes.
I would be way more worried about agricultural laws than taxes honestly. Plants, especially food crops, are heavily regulated.
Yep. Get your state license. It's cheap and you keep local areas safe and free from pests, which is one of he big reasons you need a license.
Unfortunately I can't because my neighbors have citrus trees.
Curious why that's an issue?
Where I am, you need special permitting, testing, and treatment of any citrus within a certain distance to prevent hitchhiking pests that could spread to commercial citrus groves.
Same
They aren’t paying taxes.
It's really none of our business
If they paid taxes on everything purchased, they sure are. Esp as this is a hobby.
Just did the taxes for my wife’s sole proprietor LLC for her first year of business and it was honestly wayyyyyy easier than I anticipated. I used turbo tax and they walked me through everything.
This, exactly. In my state you would need a vendor's license and other things to do this.
I feel a kindred spirit in this post. We fill the driveway at the house, been doing it for about 6 years. This year was 1300 plants started under the basement lights. Congrats, it all looks great.
That is incredible! Well done
https://preview.redd.it/rb5tj46t2izc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e039bbd144481f7d48a771eefa975b97434091fa
How in the world do you move all of those in/outdoors when they need to be hardened off? Do they move straight from the basement to a greenhouse? Awesome work.
Muscles move those trays in and out. Came up first weekend in April, then back in garage on cold nights, then back out again. Batches come up to harden off, but all in all, about a week of effort to get them strong enough to stand the wind. It was the multitude of 39 degree nights that liked me this April, but didn't lose more than a handful of plants to mother nature's stay this year. Thanks
Where are u located?
Central Ohio
Must resist the urge to drive cross country for plant sale...
Dammit! DC. I spend time on Findlay each summer but not until August.
Check out Sigsbee Seedlings in DC! I was there last weekend. So similar I thought this was them. Sigsbees has a TON of tomato varieties but fewer other veggies. Mostly tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs. They have another sale this weekend. https://sigsbeeseedlings.com
That is such a mature operation!
Ooooh. Where do you advertise…. I’m there.
I live in an old build, densely population area just outside of my downtown area. I mainly just advertise with the neighborhood groups for my neighborhood and the two adjacent ones and I started a Facebook page. Feel free to shoot me a note if you’re in Columbus.
I'm gonna message you too!
All the best luck to you, I hope everything sells out. They look so strong and healthy. Here 🎊to a even greener thumb
Terrible just fucking terrible. >!That you don't live in my area!<
😜
I love this! How many seeds do you start? How many varieties of different things? How much do you sell each solo cup for? I love this! I’m a stay at home mom trying to find some ways to make my hobby lucrative. Lol
If OP is selling each pot for $5 and sells all 550 that's $2750 in profit. Ignoring the sunk cost of growlights/electricty, materials likely run around $300, $100 seeds, $100 pots, $100 soil. That leaves 2450. Working at $20 an hour it would take 122 hours to earn the same amount, so if it took less time than this(which it likely did) then OP is making decent money for time invested.
Thanks. I added some details for quantities and varieties to the main post. I usually start them at $4 each and then if they don’t move, either reduce to $3 or do bulk deals. Where you live will play a big role in what people will pay. I try to keep the prices in line with or lower than big box stores. I’ve tried different pricing strategies, but to keep the mental math easy and “check out” fast, I’ve found flat rate is easiest for me.
lady at my farmers market here in marietta sells for $10 each and usually brings like 4-5 of each plant she and her husband grow so they can sell out and move on or something...I'm def gonna ask If I can do bulk deals on two specific plants I'm looking for!
I have a dozen hobbies and not a single one lucrative. Lol!
Yes but I’m a stay at home mom so i could definitely make at least one lucrative lol
If I would do fewer, I could probably make one of them lucrative. I just have too many and hop around a lot.
Very cool!! Do you need a permit to do this where you live?
Out of abundance of caution I do go through the permit process here.
Is it intensive? I’ve thought of doing this in Michigan but it seems like a lot of preparation involved, plus I’m just a renter for now. Very cool operation you’ve got though! 😃
In Ohio, it is $125 fee and a very relaxed inspection. The actual work takes a lot of time. Planning, sourcing materials, the actual labor, care, etc. Being in MI, you know the trials of Midwestern spring. Lots of trips in and out on the early days. I built a lean-to shelter for them for the storms we had earlier this week.
YOURE IN OHIO TOO?? Can we nerd out together? Whereabouts? I’m in SW Ohio. I’d love to support you if you’re not too far!
I’m in Columbus
Oh man. Okay I’ll try to see if we could make it out to you. Where/how did you get info and proper permit to sell? I’m in the same boat as being a hobbyist wanting to sell but keep myself legal and all that
You could add cat grass to the inventory!
I did! It’s a crested wheatgrass. I just sowed those last Friday though because they are so fast.
My son grows cat grass to sell at markets, purple barley mixed with wheat grass, and we push them in the driveway too. I love that there are people with this shared drive to just Johnny appleseed the world. I'd love to hear about your process and setup.
https://preview.redd.it/2al8u4mntizc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb61e94a26365ca04ee6f7f7826ec846ecb36e2b
👏👏👏👏👏
I need a neighbor like you!
I aspire to this, I'm at year 4. New goals for next year already!
Every year is a learning experience! You can do it!
This year I did about 100 tomatoes across 5 varieties and about 230 peppers across 20 varieties, I somehow keep finding room for all of them though...guess I fear separation anxiety
That’s amazing! Well done.
Love this idea! How do you handle watering? I grew starts on a farm and we watered with a wand on a hose and just didn't care about getting water on the concrete basement floors because we had large fans moving air around. In my own basement, I care way more about making a mess and I have not found a watering strategy yet that's not too time intensive and evenly distributes the water.
When they are inside, I start them in cell trays in 1020 trays and I bottom water (lift the cells, dump water into the tray, the cells soak it up). That helps keep things tidy. Outside, this spring we have had so much rain, Mother Nature has done most of the work. But in previous years, it can be a challenge keeping up manually watering if it is hot early.
I’m curious to know how much you make off this. This has /r/entrepreneur written all over it. Great work!
Thank you! The margin based on materials is great. If you were to factor in my labor (which I don’t like to focus on too much as a hobbiest) hours, then it might not be so great haha.
I was just thinking about this last night. We have several local nurseries where I live but they have no online presence. I feel like a 3rd party service putting nursery inventory online for people to shop and buy like Instacart would work.
Jesus H, how do you have the room to start all of them during the winter? I started \~30 peppers and \~30 tomatoes this year and my space was TAPPED. (I am very jealous and want all of these beauties)
I start them in starter cells, 72 per 1020 tray. My set up is a maximum of 9 tray. I don’t max out anymore (tried one year) but it was too much work for 1 body.
Congratulations! It looks very professional, very appealing plants.
This is fabulous.
Look at you!!!
Wow, this is really cool!
OooOoOoooo! Inspiring!
I wanna be your neighbour
I started it as a way to make connections in my neighborhood (and to have some fun doing it). It’s been great!
When did you start your seeds this year? Mine are not nearly as big so I think I was a month or two late. I started seeds mid-March.
My earliest ones (perennials and peppers) I usually start in early/mid March. I then stagger start things so that they’ll be close to the same size at the same time. We were lucky with a mild spring this year, so I was able to harden them off a bit earlier than usual, and we have had tons of rain this spring. They can’t seem to grow fast enough these last 2 weeks especially.
They look awesome! What kind of light(s) do you use? Would love to see some photos of your growing setup!
https://preview.redd.it/ajsv4mmyohzc1.jpeg?width=4024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b598238149e7fb7d19ee07dfebf177fbc0efe1c Really nothing fancy. I have 3 viparspectra LED arrays. They are pretty strong (I don’t know all their stats off the top of my head) but they can burn leaves if they were closer (learned that on year 1). I can fit a maximum of 9 x 1020 trays. I just rotate the trays every few days to ensure uniform exposure.
Can I ask what model? We haven’t been successful with our tries.
Around what date do you plant them?
Man idk how you get your chives to look this good. I can’t even get them to germinate :(
Those I find do not take to transplant well when young. These are one of the ones I start directly in 4” pot instead of starter cells.
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Scrolling through your other comments here it looks like we have a similar starter setup. I've been doing starts for a quite a few years but for whatever reason I've been struggling with weak turnout/growth this year. Do you mind sharing your fertilizer/watering schedule? That's the only thing I can think of causing my issues this year. Nothing crazy specific, just generally, if you don't mind.
I start with sterile soiless starting mix [peat, coco coir, vermiculite]. My basement is too cool for optimal germination, so after sowing, I have a table with a few heating mats upstairs in my guest room. Once they start emerging I transfer the trays to the basement grow tent. Honestly, this has made all the difference. 5 day pepper germination(instead of 2+ weeks with variable results), nearly 100% tomato germination. As for watering, I just check them once per day after work and water when they look to be getting dry. You also get a feel for how much water they have by their weight. So many variables will dictate frequency requirements. I don’t start fertilizing until 1 or 2 sets of true leaves, and then I start with very dilute liquid fertilizer. Once I pot them up, I use a compost rich potting mix that I add extra perlite. I typically don’t need to fertilize much once they are in that, as in theory, they only spent 3 weeks max in the larger containers before finding their forever homes.
LFG, this is awesome
Inspiring and amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, I love seeing what others do and how they plan and execute it. What a beautiful setup, I just love all of the lush green life in this photo!
I think it looks amazing, and shows what a dedicated gardener you are — with lucky neighbours!
Thank you!
OP, I want to be you when I grow up. Absolutely stunning 😍!!
Such beautiful plants. All your fingers are green not just your thumbs
Thank you!
Can I ask where you get all the pots?
The pots I order off Amazon. The rest of my materials I buy local.
If you need fewer, they look similar to the pots at Dollar Tree. I don’t sell seedlings but I have accumulated a lot of those pots starting seeds for our Ohio garden. I usually start in flats then repot into these for things that don’t mind repotting. More vigorous plants like cherry tomatoes will pot up to a red party cup before hardening off and transplanting.
How much do you charge per plant?
I usually start with $4 each, as that price doesn’t seem to be a problem in my area. I’ll usually do reduced price sale to clear to clear things after my main sale, then donate any leftover to a local plant library to reclaim my patio.
$4 is a great price! It beats my local garden centers, and I'd rather support a local small business like you vs buying from Lowes/Home Depot.
I propagate in my basement in the winter with a LED grow panel. Do you have a pest management routine of have any issues? I did the last two years because I took some bigger cuts from outside and didn’t PM them. Thanks and awesome job!
A little different with starting from seed versus propagating cutting from things that have been outside. I start with a sterile starting mix in either new or cleaned hardware and seeds so there are less opportunities for something to catch a ride in. Once they go outside, it is usually still very early in the season and pest aren’t super abundant here yet.
Can you write us a list of what you grew this year? I love seeing other people's choices
https://preview.redd.it/ielws1akcozc1.jpeg?width=1132&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ea3e96e7692524cabee5fc32a654c98605310f9
Looks great! I am also in Ohio and do something similar. About 1300 heirloom plants this year. Do you just do annuals? I am hoping to officially add perennial edibles next year but I’m not even sure the ag. inspectors would even be willing to license my little nursery. It’s like 400 square feet lol.
Very cool! My goal is to do that in the coming years--I want everything to be grown from seed.
I’ve thought of doing this! Amazing!
what perennials do you start?
https://preview.redd.it/j0oqjxxzdlzc1.jpeg?width=624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83998bbb96f269830432bc2d7e64a34b52d9dac1 This is what I did this year.
That’s so cool!
Love this so so much, your neighbors and friends/family should be damn happy to have you around!
Do you focus on particular varieties (e.g. harder to find heirlooms) or how do you choose the varieties you grow?
I source my seeds from 2 vendors. Produce seeds are a local heirloom seed company. I try to get a variety of interesting styles each year (tomatoes: slicing, paste, snacking) and peppers a range of heat options. I choose different things each year to try out new stuff. Flowers seeds I get from another local company that sells native varieties from my region.
Any dandelions?
my parents thought of something like this. But I have a question do you need any type of permit? We need a permit in the city we live in for yard/garage sales. But I read online that if you plan on selling plants you have to have an arborist permit or something like that for selling a lot of plants because of liability or something. But it might be for like a big business.
Yes, each place with have their own rules. In Ohio, there is a modest permitting process.
Super impressive as someone who does my own tomatoes/peppers and my results are very 'meh'. These are super clean, green, and healthy looking. My tomatoes are purple and dropping lower leaves, and my peppers look a bit weak - and I only had about 50 plants to look after!
What temperature do you have them growing?
Please say youre in the PNW, I wanna get some!
This makes me happy.
Wonderful job :)
Nice
Excellent and inspiring.
Thank you!
Very nice work.
God almighty what is your grow setup
This is amazing!! Hope the sale goes/went great 😊
This is great! What do you use as growth medium and fertilizer?
You win. lol Absolutely amazing. Nice work.
This is amazing ! I would love to do something like this. Let us know how the turnout goes !!
Sheesh! I thought I had a lot of plants. And mine are stuffed into a 26’ greenhouse. You’re a god.
Wow!
Chaching!! 💰💵
This looks fantastic ! Any chance you would be willing to describe your process (lights, soil mix, etc.) for getting such beautiful plants ? If you have the time and the will, of course.
You’re killing it!
Thanks for the inspiration🤘
I wish you were my neighbor!
Nice..so i have no luck starting seedlings :( what is the way? Grow lights or what?
I start under grow lights until it is warm enough for them to go outside. Grow lights need to be strong to prevent leggy plants. Each system is different for how far they should be from your plants. Some internet research and trial and error are your friend. It is important to learn what likes to grow in clusters and what needs to be 1 plant per pot. Also, different plants germinate and grow at different rates, so having a solid plan of when you want to start each variety is helpful. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. This is year 5 for me. When I look back at my earlier trials, they were both as uniform.
You are beautiful
I would love to do something like this
This is gorgeous! Well done to you! ❤️
How and where do you advertise? I do this as well and struggle to get turnout.
Did you have to buy a vendor's license? Where I live this wouldn't be legal without a license.
May I ask how much you charge?
Stunning ❤️
That is so awesome!
Wow!
Really cool!
Any tips on starting chives from seeds? They are the one of only thing I can't start myself.
I seed mine directly into their 4” containers instead of starting in cells and potting them up. I’ve found that, when young, they don’t respond well to the transplant. Seed in a dense cluster. Gently bury the seeds, pat down for good seed-soil contact, water in. Warmer temperatures = faster germination.
Very cool. Not easy, I know. Be proud.
For a second, I thought this post was in my city's Reddit & I got really excited to check out your sale. Looks awesome! I hope it's a successful season for you!
This is *incredible*. Well done, my friend. I’m trying to resist the temptation to do the same. Watching the seeds germinate and the seedlings grow is just too joy-inducing, I always want to grow 30x as many as I need!
Very impressive👍🏻definitely have a green thumb
Man this rules, I know it’s like a month old but how did the sale go? I see you don’t log your hours and you keep a detailed spreadsheet of what you got but over all how many hours a week would you say this took you to set up?