flowers to start from seed

[curly_kate]

I'm trying to come up with 'different' things to sell at the farmers market this year, and I'm considering growing flower seedlings to sell. What are some of the easier flowers to start from seed? I'd like to grow ones that are not as common at garden centers & such.

 

[Nyboy]

Great idea all the garden centers around me, all carry the same thing.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I bet you get some great responses on this one. The easy ones that the garden center will do include my stabd-bys, marigolds and zinnias. One I don't remember them having that are pretty easy are black-eyed-susans.

 

[vfem]

I would probably go with seedlings that flower quickly so they look fuller and healthier when you bring them up to sell. Have you sold any in the past, or have you seen what others have sold when you were there before?

I would just assume each region is different and I don't even know what would be popular there. I'd like to see you make some $$$!

 

[ninnymary]

curly-kate, it may not be much of a problem if you grow some flowers that are also at the garden centers. For me, I always buy impatients at the centers but would buy them at the farmers market if they were close to the same price but were healthier. Actually, I would probably buy all my annuals there because it would be a much more pleasant experience. I tend to buy the same things every year for my pots. I like supporting small growers.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Things probably vary widely in popularity by region, but Thunbergia is a very versatile annual, it can be grown in the ground up a trellis or used in a container mix. It's available in a lot of varieties of shades these days. I also really love sanseveria and it's not real common around here.

You could grow a mix of the different colors of alyssum, it's not an unusual plant, but because it's such a great filler people tend to buy them in multiples. I buy them by the flat for several customers.

Coleus is also a fun one with all the different varieties of foliage, it seeds easily.

I'll keep thinking on this, it's good brain work for a gloomy winter day...

 

[digitS']

I'll agree with Mary but it is sometimes difficult to compete with the "industry." The 18-wheelers unloading in the Lowe's parking lot gives one pause . . .

I would probably go with seedlings that flower quickly so they look fuller and healthier when you bring them up to sell. Have you sold any in the past, or have you seen what others have sold when you were there before?

I would just assume each region is different and I don't even know what would be popular there. I'd like to see you make some $$$!

Here are some examples: First, there are some very specific varieties that are best choices for bedding sales. More than that, the growing is down to a science and there is quite a complexity to it. Nurseries often buy plug trays (500+ seedlings/standard tray) and transplant to larger containers. And, did you know that bedding plants are often sprayed with a growth inhibitor so that they are fuller and not so tall?

Impatiens are popular most places but not so much here. Petunias are far more common and tolerate the arid conditions better than impatiens. So, you need a local understanding of what people are putting in their yards.

When does your market open? Are there sufficient customers for early, bedding plant sales? Often, farmers' market customers are showing up for produce and don't come to the market in any numbers until that's available. The early things that can be set out like pansies and primulas may not be good choices if that's true. You may even need to wait for people to be thinking about setting out zinnias and dahlias.

Having blooms on things would really, really help but - see above - for what the industry is doing to allow maturity enuf to flower without a plant outgrowing its container . . . I am convinced that more people do NOT grow China asters simply because they will not flower in their pony packs at the nursery. The instant gratification thing comes into play.

It may be that bedding plants are just not a way to go but mixed plantings in larger containers work just fine. One thing, those plants don't have to go out in just a few days and will still look nice for several weeks if there are a couple of slow marketdays to get thru.

Steve

 

[curly_kate]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Last year, what we sold the most of was stuff no one else had. No one sold cell packs of annuals, so I thought it might be worth a try. The price point at our market is lower than I had expected going in, so I couldn't charge a whole lot more than the big box stores. The market doesn't pick up until may so I do need to plan accordingly.

 

[thistlebloom]

I think Steve is on to something with the mixed plantings. Or maybe I misunderstood, but I was thinking you might be able to offer ready made containers of mixed plantings for people to take home and put on their porches. You wouldn't have to put them in a decorative container, just a regular nursery pot would work that could be slipped in to a fancier pot they already have.
You might want to have a demo of that to get them thinking.

Or... if you didn't have a mixed container preplanted, maybe you could have a prototype of a container planting where you just grouped
your 4" ( or whatever ) plants in a larger container to show people the possibilities. Some people just need a little gentle push to get their own ideas bubbling.

You could do a grouping like that of shade plants, and some for sun too.

 

[Jared77]

I agree Id try some mixed planters something cheap and easy to get going with enough room to expand. Plus if you stay with smaller pots you don't need an army and a truck to get them to the Farmers Market. Plus if they don't sell you could gift them to friends/family or keep them for yourself.

Another thought is what about toparies? Some simple shapes with coat hangers or started kits might be something that nobody else has. We did then with our Conservation club back in High School (I graduated in '96) and sold them as a fundraiser. We used hen and chicks as the main plant so they could be sold anytime. We did turtles and they sold VERY well. The biggest factor was time to get them filled in. I don't know where the teacher got the wire frames to make the shape but they grew in well and looked fantastic.