5 things I did not know when I started a nursery in my backyard// 🌲💧

There are so many things in life that can only be learned by doing. Learning how to manage a small backyard nursery is no different. What if you have no experience? What if you don't know what you're doing? What if you don't even know who to ask? Yep. All that for me too. So, this simple video addresses a few things I was clueless about, but found out through some trial and error.
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0:00 - Intro
0:15 - Which plants to start with?
3:13 - People want your plants
4:32 - Repeat buyers
5:48 - Buying wholesale
8:00 - You need more of everything
9:44 - Til next time

[@emptynestgardens9057]

I'd so love to see a day in your life video. What daily routines for watering etc look like. Newly retired and considering a small backyard nursery on our countryside acre zone 5 Canada.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

A day in the life of my nursery is pretty bland... watering, weeding, potting, etc. But, really... most days, I just water. Takes 15-20 minutes. Sometimes the wife does it. Sometimes kid does it. Sometimes rain does it. But MOST days... it's just water.

[@glyndwrgardens3318]

I really appreciate you doing these videos I would rather learn from someone that’s done the thing than through the school of hard knocks

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Smart people learn from their mistakes. Smarter people learn from someone else’s.

[@BornFreeFilms]

You are so informative!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Theweeze100]

I may never start a backyard nursery, but I am definitely going down the rabbit hole with my garden these days. Thank you so much for the information you provided. I love your channel!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

You are so welcome!

[@annacoventry5054]

I had some successful plant sales over the past few years so this year I got a business loan and am going for it on a larger scale. Your videos have really helped and have motivated me when I felt a bit doubtful or overwhelmed. Thank you so much 😃

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Just get started. You can't figure everything out first. You have to learn as you go. Can certainly be overwhelming, but step by step you can do it too.

[@Inferno1988]

When it comes to blooming perennials I can recommend that you give Agastache a try - this year I’ve grown it from seed, it bloomed early in the summer and it’s still blooming now! I’ve sold most of what I had (and it’s a micro backyard nursery) but kept one of each in my garden. The varieties were Agastache Korean Zest and Agastache Arcado Pink. They are absolutely trouble free and even more - thrive on neglect! Also Salvia “Caradonna” is a drop dead gorgeous blooming perennial that will usually flower at least twice if pruned 😍 the weather over here - and I’m in continental Europe - was horrible throughout the year, we pretty much had no spring and what seemed like everlasting winter jumped straight into a hot, extremely dry summer, and yet these perennials performed outstandingly well in pots, given the harsh conditions. I also had great success and no trouble with growing Verbena Bonariensis from seed, this one took awhile but it’s still in full bloom and have I had any potted ones left they would be sold in a heartbeat. I am already anticipating next season, I have hundreds of coral bells waiting to be potted up, all grown from seed so each one was a surprise, but some of them turned out extremely unique looking so I think I will have no problem finding new homes for them ❤️

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks so much for this! I've done very well with coral bells myself. The others you mentioned? I would really like to learn to grow perennials from seed, but haven't tried at all yet... thanks for those suggestions though. And, I have tried a couple of varieties of Salvia. They did... OK.

[@SeededGarden]

I'm starting out heavily growing perennials from seeds that I harvest from my own plants. All from seed: 1. Milkweeds, the Monarch butterflies NEED them. 95% or better sprouting and growing success. Not picky about soil quality. Will grow to 4' tall the second year, pollinators love them. 2. Anise Hyssop, lovely lavender colored flowers atop beautiful light green foliage. 3. Mexican Sunflowers. Two of mine, their first year, 3' tall, plus, more than a dozen vibrant orange blossoms. 4. Marigolds, annuals, but their blooms last ALL SUMMER. 5. Dianthus (Sweet William) Another that will not quit. Vibrant pink flowers that reseed themselves, long bloom time. HARDY. 6. Gaillardia or Blanket Flower perennials with bright orange flowers, kinda like Coneflowers, but closer to the ground, and they bloom ALL SUMMER, and they thrive on neglect. Drought tolerant. I've neglected mine for 4 years, just started harvesting their seed and they grow. One thing about perennial seeds: you have to cold stratify them before sowing. They need to feel a cold season before their seeds will ready to germinate. You can sow them in the fall, or refrigerate the seeds at least 30 days before you want to germinate them. SeededGarden.com @@savvydirtfarmer Thanks!!!

[@DeeGeeDeFi]

Thumbs up to Agastache and Savia

[@christopherroach1968]

I really enjoy watching your videos. I needed to thin out my hostas and irisis/lilies this spring. Instead of giving away like normal every few years, we potted and placed a small ad on Facebook. We did almost 800.00 in just a few days. It has made me want to possibly start a small backyard nursery. This week is the first time I have ever tried to propergate plants. I've learned this from you. Anyways just wanted to say thank you for your knowledge and sharing it on videos. I'll be watching

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Great!! Thanks for watching

[@Jennifr1966]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Hostas! They're so beautiful!

[@mlissgay5054]

Thank you for sharing this ❤I'm starting a nursery in Hawaii tomorrow ❤ really aloha from big island 🏝️

[@anitahouse3600]

Thank you! I always get something from your videos. I look forward to them!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad you like them!

[@ourcoupleofacres8859]

Savvy Dirt Farmer, I have learned so much from you about small nursery operations from you! Thank you for your youtube efforts. Could you please do a video about how you package and ship your plants? Thanks again, Clayton Townsend, DE

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks for the kind words! I really don't ship many plants at all, and never do it when it's hot - just too risky with my limited ability. If I do ship any plants, I'll do a video on how I package them.

[@msher479]

Thanks I'm learning a lot from you! How do you store your plants in the winter time? Would appreciate a tour of your winter green house or just any info on winterizing and care of nursery plants

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I don't have a greenhouse at all, and my plants just sit outside through the winter.

[@nel6211]

It's been said that 20% of your customers are responsible for 80% of your business. It is true for any business. Liking the videos.

[@WiseTailsArt]

OMG the dog in the background lol.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

She's pretty great!

[@nativegardenangel]

Great tips, yes they are all hurdles that we jump. I do have a lot experience buying from wholesalers-so that was the easy part! How about a video on getting ready for winter?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thinking about it. I don't do much!

[@johnliberty3647]

5 things I did not know. That coarse sand is the best bulk rooting medium. Chickens will break down carbon materials fast as they drop scratch and drop nitrogen pellets. Squirrels will plant pecans in your pots and sometimes you just kill whatever was growing in the pot and keep the pecan tree that grew up along side it. Ever green hedging plant disappear fast at the right price. And when food becomes scarce it is easy to convert to food plants because the infrastructure is in place as I learned in 2020

[@savvydirtfarmer]

What did you NOT know when you started your nursery? What do you wish you knew before you get started?

[@laneyelkins6970]

So many pots!! I ordered what I thought was a TON of them from Greenhouse Megastore and went through them sooo quickly! Pots, pots, pots!! I always need more pots than I think I do!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

@@laneyelkins6970 YES!! Pots of all sizes. For me, I use way more trade gallons than anything else, but I always need 3 inch pots, 2 gallons, 3 gallons, etc. ALWAYS MORE!!

[@christinastoltz2688]

I don't know what sizes to get?

[@KevinSmith-dq9tz]

@Christina Stoltz Depends on size of plants. Work your way up as needed.

[@herbertinniss9109]

Always so informative. Thank you. God Bless.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Our pleasure!

[@youtubeisajoke2546]

There will be no limit! I want thousands of juniper trees ready to sell!! Let’s goooo!!!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

yes!!!!!!

[@ticktock2383]

You are lucky that your neighbors are not complaining about your backyard business. Sad that such a venture would not fly in many areas of our country.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I help my neighbors... cut their grass, give them plants, and keep my nursery looking nice. And yes, I have good neighbors all around and try to be a good one myself.

[@KevinSmith-dq9tz]

Haha. Indeed whatever you think you need, just double it right out of the gate. Within the first 12 months you'll see you need it all, plus more, lol.

[@jamesgaffney7480]

Phenomenal video.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

thanks!

[@teresaholland4790]

I appreciate that you say “men and women when you refer to someone 😉😎

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Depends on what I'm talking about, but, OK. thanks

[@brokenempath]

I’d love to see the top 20 plants to start video ☺️

[@savvydirtfarmer]

That's more varieties than I typically even have!! Pretty small nursery here. 😀

[@justsayin5609]

Just found you this week but already subbed, and am so inspired by your positivity and encouragement for hopeful backyard growers! Wondering what planting zone you are in? Love your accent, from zone 6b a bit north.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Welcome aboard! Zone 7, North AL.

[@SeededGarden]

Business tidbit: BEWARE if you get a Reseller's Certificate with your business, it allows you to buy plants and flowers without paying taxes. HOWEVER, supplies like soil, cups, trays, etc. are NOT eligible for buying tax-free. From Washington State department of revenue: "Plants and flowers are all eligible for purchase with a reseller permit. However, tools, equipment, supplies and any other items used in the ordinary course of business are not eligible for purchase with a reseller permit." Be careful of how your state classifies supplies regarding taxes.

[@pandorasgarden3369]

Repeat customers are called regulars. Atleast that’s what we called them when I worked Spinx during HS.

[@shanetitus3791]

What the dog doin!?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

being awesome!

[@fabricdragon]

if you can find a *native* plant that works well for you? the native plant buyers are hard core

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Sure. There are hard core plant buyers of ALL TYPES of plants.

[@kerrytoby7041]

I do plastics part time now as a sole proprietor in BC Canada. I love plants and would like to transition to that and then do my shop time and sales at my leisure. I have close to 1\2 acre property my house is on. When you do driveway sales I would guess one would need two people at least? If I needed to fetch more plants from the back property another person would need to be present at the driveway. Do you have any comments on how that works for you?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I can do a driveway sale by myself, but usually my kids are helping me, and my wife. I try to not generate so much traffic at a time that it becomes a problem with being too busy to manage. I bring about 150 (+ or -) plants to the driveway and bring wagon loads from the back to front 28 at a time if I need to reload or if I have enough to reload. With my setup, it's pretty easy to keep up with it.

[@kerrytoby7041]

@@savvydirtfarmer Thank you. I don't have a lot of family to be involved in propagating but I do have a couple people who could help with a driveway sale. Do you ever have people come by appointment? I feel it's simpler and more efficient and less intrusive to keep it to a driveway sale. Do you have any comments on that? My wife would be happier if I wasn't touring people through my back yard.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

@@kerrytoby7041 yes! We sell more via appointments than from the driveway. There's a bit f an art to it because people love to make appointments and not show up. But if you set everything up right, it's very doable.

[@kerrytoby7041]

@@savvydirtfarmer Your replies are so helpful. I am ok with appointments. I could try to organize appointments to say one day out of three in general perhaps to be more efficient? Be around for appointments on changing days of the week? Or simply set more than one appointment for a given day so that it's more likely some will come? Also not too many on a given day? I think I know the answers lol just do it and adjust as I learn🙂

[@johnking6504]

you talked about buying plugs for daisy's and cone flowers from? just starting out and finding wholesalers that are viable is very confusing?

[@dn744]

Cheers

[@Jennifr1966]

Thank you so very much for sharing all this information. I VERY much want to do this. I have a few questions. 1) is it illegal to sell plants propagated from ones I simply bought from the store? I read that there could be like a copyright. 2) can I do Some of these indoors? I have a UV light, like they use for African violets. 3) are there plants that can thrive in SC in mostly SHADE? Because that's all I get. 4) most importantly: are there ones I can do right now (mid July) and sell in September?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

1) some plants are protected from propagation by patents; some plants's names are protected by copyrights. 2) Sure. Indoor plants are in huge demand; I just dont know anything about them. 3) Shade plants? Hostas, ferns, astilbes, bleeding hearts, some hydrangeas for starters. 4) If you can find a wholesale nursery in your area with sale ready plants, you can buy and resale them.

[@redwoodsgal]

Slugs and snails eat any Hostas or Bearded Iris here

[@nevonthedaily]

Where do you buy your seeds?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I don't propagate by seed. I propagate most things by cuttings or divisions.

[@nevonthedaily]

@@savvydirtfarmer wow!! Do you have a video tutorial on how you do it?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

@@nevonthedaily well, that's pretty much what my channel is... how I grow plants in my nursery. Numerous propagation videos on dividing hostas, rooting green giants, crapemyrtles, hydrangeas, etc. Just look around. thanks!!

[@nevonthedaily]

@@savvydirtfarmer I will thank you

[@rustyshields7190]

Is there a video on how to determine the price/value of plants?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I don't think I have a video on that, specifically. Best thing to do is know exactly how much it cost you to produce the plant, and double it, at least. Go to your local nursery and find out what they are selling them for to get some idea - if you have no idea at all. Most of my plants sell for $7 and I have $3 or less in all of them. If I propagate them myself, I have maybe $.50 in them.