If you've ever wanted to make some extra cash working from home, this ebook is for you. No, this isn't a scam like most of the other work at home schemes. It really works and doesn't require a lot of money up front. This will work for anyone with a yard or access to an area that can be used for growing ornamental plants in containers.

When was the last time you visited a plant nursery? You probably didn't realize it, but they are basically creating money out of thin air. Many of them buy small plants and then grow them out to a larger size and sell them at a substantial profit. Some nurseries propagate some or all of their plants, which increases the profit margin, but that's beyond the scope of this book.

What you're about to learn is how to:

• Acquire flats of small plants at a reasonable price
• Grow those plants to a marketable size
• Market and sell them

How to buy your plants

The most economical way to acquire your plants is in plugged flats. Each one holds 32 or 50 plugs, which is a complete plant with a root ball in a peat/pearlite mixture. The only disadvantage to this is that most propagation nurserys only sell to the trade, meaning if you don't have an established business with a nursery license, you can't buy their plants. They also have large minimum order requirements, usually at least $500 per order.

That's where we come in. You can buy flats from us at a reasonable price, with no minimum order, and we sell to the general public. Of course, if you want to buy a lot of flats, we will give you a discount based on the number you are purchasing.

Growing your plants to market size

Once your plants have arrived, you can begin up potting them. At this point you need to determine what type of soil or soilless medium you will use. Dirt is relatively cheap, but it weighs a lot and needs to be a sandy loam for best growth. Most of the soilless media you would use for container growing are going to be largely pine bark, which is lighter than dirt but doesn't retain moisture as well, will require more fertilizer, and is prone to develop mineral deficiencies due to there being no soil. So if you're just starting out, good old dirt is probably your best bet.

If you're not blessed with a large quantity of light, fertile soil, you will need to purchase some. You can buy it by the bag from a garden supply store or you can get a dump truck load of topsoil. If you opt for the truckload route, you'll need to check out their quality beforehand. It's also quite possible that you'll need to add some sand to the soil if it has too much clay. This will make it lighter which helps the plant to grow.

You may also want to get your soil tested. Small kits are available at stores such as Lowes or Home Depot. You can also take a sample and have it tested by your county's agriculture extension agent. The results will tell you about any deficiencies or surpluses of important nutrients in the soil and your extension agent can help you determine what to do to remedy them.

There are quite a few ways to fertilize plants but one of the best and least expensive is to do so with a liquid fertilizer and portable sprayer. We sell small, measured quantities of concentrated 20-20-20 that are ready to be dilluted in five gallons of water. If you go this route, it will be substantially cheaper than using Miracle Grow. You'll need to apply this to the foliage of your plants approximately every week.

Plants need to be watered regularly and a good way to do this is with a watering wand that attaches to the end of your garden hose. It gives you several more feet of reach so that you can easily water groups of plants and should have a breaker head attached. This looks like a showerhead with 200 to 400 holes in it to break up the water pressure and simulate a gentle rain.

As your plants grow out, you will need to prune them to create a visually pleasing habit or growth pattern. For instance, if you have one or two long shoots that are growing out of proportion to the rest of the plant, you will need to trim them back slightly shorter than they need to be. After a couple of weeks, the plant will put out at least two new shoots at the last node before the cut.

It's also important to make sure that you practice good pruning techniques by making your cuts just above a node (where a leaf or branch is attached to the stem). If you don't, the area above the last node eventually dies and becomes unsightly as well as an area for disease to invade.

Overwintering Considerations

Since your plants are growing in pots, it's essential that you bed them in for the winter. This can be done in a variety of ways, but the easiest is to line the pots up fairly close together and shovel dirt, sawdust, or mulch around them to a level almost up to the top of their containers. This will help protect them from the coldest temperatures of the season.

One improvement you may wish to undertake is building a small coldframe. While it is not necessary even in a colder northern climate, it will lengthen your growing season and allow you to have plants that are ready to sell one to three months earlier than if they were outside.

Depending on the size of the structure, and quality of the plastic covering, you can build one for less than $300. That's a small price to pay for the added protection of your plants and the longer growing season. It will also help to prevent plant damage due to late season frosts.

Whether or not you have your plants outside or in a coldframe/greenhouse, here's some precautions to follow in the event that a frost warning has been issued for your area. You will need to make sure your plants have been watered, as frost tends to have a dehydrating effect on the leaves.

Covering your plants with a lightweight, breatheable fabric will provide a few degrees of protection, as will running fans to keep the air moving around the plants. Just be sure not to lay plastic directly on the plants. While you can purchase commercial products called floating row covers, you can also use regular cotton bedsheets to achive the same effect.

Market and Sell Your Plants

In most states, you will need to have at least a hobby nursery license before you make your first sale. This is not difficult to obtain. All you have to do is fill out a form from your state's agriculture department, include the small, required fee, and someone will show up to look at your plants and make sure there are no major disease problems or pest infestations. They'll also be able to advise you on how to deal with any of those problems you may encounter along the way.

For some of you, marketing and sales probably feels like it will be the most difficult task in your mission to make money, but it doesn't have to be. First of all, you're going to be selling nice looking plants at prices that are less than what you would expect to find at a garden center. If you keep the price under five dollars for a trade gallon plant, you should be able to find plenty of takers.

Remember, certain times of the year are better for selling plants. Mid to late spring, in particular is probably the best. You may also be able to have another sale later in the summer, but that really depends on the weather. Most people aren't going to be out slaving away in the heat, digging holes for plants. If you're in a more temperate climate, late summer sales could work well for you.

The weekend is a good time to have your sale. If you live in a well populated area, put up some signs around the community and see what kind of traffic you draw. It could be as simple as "Plants - $4.95" with an arrow pointing in the direction of your house. You might also try placing a short ad in the classified section of your local newspaper or finding a radio station that has a free "trading post" service where you call in and describe what you have for sale.

Many areas also have a free classified "trader" publication that has a wide circulation. With a little creativity, you can find at least several free or inexpensive ways to get the word out about your plant sale.

Another option is the flea market or a farmer's market. For a small fee, you can rent a table or booth for the day. This is a good way to supplement your income when you're not having your big springtime sales. Since many of your plants will now be in bloom, they will also be more appealing to potential buyers.

Well, that's what you need to know, in a nutshell. If you have any questions, please send us an email or call 931-863-5824.