How to start a nursery business in your backyard for under $1,000 NOW!! // Step By Step

Many people are interested in the idea of starting their own small nurseries but have no idea where to start. Figuring out how to get your own potting soil in bulk, pots, plants, nursery licenses and more can be intimidating if you have no experience. In this video, we show how to do all this and more for under $1,000. If you have less than $1k to start your nursery, or more, the ideas will work on any scale.
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#beginnernursery
#nurserybusiness
#startanursery
#backyardnursery
#sellplantsfromhome
#growplantsinyourbackyard
#nurserylogistics
#propagateplants
#diypottingsoil
#nurserypots
#plananursery
#howtostartanursery
0:00 - Intro
1:02 - Ground Cover
2:42 - Starter Plants
7:25 - Pots
9:42 - Potting Soil
11:30 - Legal Stuff
15:45 - Fertilizer
19:08 - Final step and wrap up

[@savvydirtfarmer]

What is your best tip for starting a nursery?

[@OfftoShambala]

If you can’t put a sign up in front of your house, or don’t have much of a connection with a gardening community, it’s crucial to figure out how you will reach customers. There are many angles.

[@John_GGG]

start now

[@savvydirtfarmer]

@John This x's 100!!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Social media... nothing better.

[@onchi3263]

No plastic allowed.

[@ShitpostShuster]

I'm 14 and I love plants. I'm currently starting to sell houseplants and roses outside my local mall. currently I'm just seeding, but I'm super excited

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Keep it up! You can do awesome things growing plants

[@raultorres-bonilla5649]

That's awesome! Congrats! Which are your best sellers, and which are you favorite?

[@ericsmith8129]

Good for you. Good to see young people carrying the torch!

[@MrWaterbugdesign]

Perfect time to learn.

[@karenyoudenvengeruk2897]

That's awesome! Don't be a typical teenager and you will go far

[@davidunderwood4341]

A "Liner" is a plant that has been grown big enough to be planted directly into the ground, in a line, so they can grow bigger so you can re dig and sell later. It's called" "lining out stock". That's why they're called "liners".

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Good words! thanks

[@davidunderwood4341]

I'm also a backyard grower. Great video!

[@lonestar3983]

​@davidunderwood4341 I want to start selling plants. I love plants and have alotttt of house plants. I'm a widow and have 2 small kids . Daycare, and bills are a killer so I need an extra income. I want to start a greenhouse. Any tips that u guys could give me would be extremely appreciated.

[@robertevans8024]

I've been gardening since I was about eight years old. I'm 56 now. Since being married to my Indonesian wife, 20+ years ago, I've learned a lot about the spices and herbs she uses in her Traditional Indonesian cooking. She likes Asian pears. She once spent $4.00 for one piece of fruit ! 🤦🏻‍♂️ So, halfway joking, I told her I'd plant the seeds and grow her her own tree. That was about Ten years ago. The last few years have yielded some very nice, and very sweet, asian pears. I also grow two Kaffir lime trees that she uses the leaves for her cooking. One I grew from a cutting. Now I have 16 key lime tree seedlings because she wanted to grow some for herself and to sell some to her Indonesian friends. So now, without planning it, I've started a mini nursery. I also grow A LOT of chili peppers for her every year for making hot chili oil.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Good plan on the "mini nursery."

[@rosebullkennel]

Yes! Exactly what I want to do, grow everything I need to prepare Tom Yum soup.

[@spfein]

I love the little thai hots as well as ghosts

[@patriot223]

Make your wife happy. It’s very important. 😰

[@1kingdom816]

Me too, with an indonesian wife, try to open the greenhouse business😂

[@travistaylor6110]

I learned the "rooting into the ground" lesson the hard way. I had a bunch of vegetable plants in pots that were doing really well but I hadn't moved them in weeks. I picked them up off the ground to move them and it sounded like velcro. 😂🥴

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Yep. I've had them root so bad to the ground I had to cut the roots from the ground with clippers and ended up killing the plants.

[@ORIGINALSECRETSCRATCHER]

Ohio only charges $125 per year for the certification. Glad I watched your video and found out about this certificate.

[@ruthmeow4262]

In case anyone is wondering, the nursery license is very important. Do not try to save money by not getting your license. If you do not have that, and the state finds out (and they do have active searches just for this) they will come and confiscate your plants. There are fines as well, but if you get into compliance they don't fine you. Even if you are selling a few plants at a garage sale, if you do not have a license bye bye plants. This was told to me by a friend who works for my states Department of Agriculture. They are serious about this.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Yep to all of this.

[@ticktock2383]

Each state has its own rules. Look it up online

[@iayang3045]

This is what i been wanting to do, but lack knowledge of getting the license.

[@corystadman9089]

No one is coming after you for selling plants out of your garage. Unless you're in California or NY 🤣

[@kitfranzman4860]

Where do you live?

[@timberc5936]

I have always been a plant nut, and plan to do this in my retirement but have been planning in advance, and getting started slowly before I retire. A mix of house plants and annuals so far, with all being started myself by seed, or cuttings. I started building my stock of mother plants to take my cuttings from several yrs ago. Currently have over 1,500 potted plants started at less than.25 cents each by doing my own cuttings.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

You’re on your way!!

[@johnaverageman6249]

Seen several comments talking about starting fruit trees from seed. If you want the same variety with the same traits your better option is to clone. It is also faster to bear fruit if done correctly. It is not hard it just takes patience. I just successfully cloned a Meyer Lemmon after about 8 weeks of misting and covering a red solo cup with a sandwich bag.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Yep. SO many plants/trees won't come true from seed and cloning/grafting is the only way.

[@RHampton]

We just bought some undeveloped land in the country and this is the business I want to start out there. Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge.

[@ChelseasYoutube]

I just had this thought to start a nursery 10 min ago😂 this is my first video and it was AMAZINGGGG! So thorough and encouraging thank you! ❤️

[@savvydirtfarmer]

It starts with an idea! Thanks for watching

[@alma6six]

same - I just subscribed to his channel. Great info!

[@matthewkeesler1871]

Here as well. Love to grow plants. Figure make a little side money doing it lol

[@Rory-re2vo]

Did you end up starting?

[@matthewkeesler1871]

@@Rory-re2vo I got a small collection going. And started a whole tray of aloe vera. As well as got about 100 starting Japanese maple trees.

[@Pink_Cactus_]

I want to start a cactus nursery. That’s my dream but cactus plants need well draining soil. I buy pumice and other rocks in bulk to add to my cactus soil. It’s not cheap but I love my cacti so much, it’s worth every penny

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Definitely a very different growing situation than mine! ☀

[@ericsmith8129]

That’s a good idea. I feel like that’s a small niche that could be taken advantage of with the right marketing.

[@ticktock2383]

Teu mulch. Mine do really well in that. And very cheap

[@davidvickers8425]

Addictive

[@Rory-re2vo]

@Pink_Cactus_ any update?

[@wonkamywilly2456]

I started doing bonsai a few years ago. A floral store by my job throws away nursery pots and told me I’m welcome to take one or all at my leisure as well as trays they throw away. Started propagating some juniper and boxwood cuttings over the winter. Took the last week off in April for repotting my bonsai and potting my cuttings. These cuttings won’t be proper mame bonsai for 6 years but also have some Japanese false cypress and others I’m working on to sell to introduce others into the hobby and support my hobby. I’d love to scale it next year as my gf and hopefully future fiancé loves plants and would love to propagate if she had room in her apt.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Seems like you're on the right track

[@wonkamywilly2456]

@@savvydirtfarmer thank you for the information and inspiration!

[@theunburntbush7711]

As someone who sells lots of propagated plants and would like to scale up the legal section is a great start on what I'm looking for. Another great option for the ground cover is wood pallets stacked on cinder blocks. I have my nursery on a large concrete patio, but this allows me to hose things down and wash away dead leaves, debris, bugs etc. Plus being higher keeps the plants more accessible to people and less accessible to pests. Plus it adds clear, visual grouping for different plants/varieties. Go to some local businesses or contractors and ask if they have any pallets they need disposed and offer to pick it up for them. Ask for bricks/ blocks at demolition sites. This also means I can offer pallet pricing and pickup for landscapers. Two people lift and load 30 plants at once into a pickup. Wood pallets are also fantastic trellises, raised bed material and can make sellable succulent walls with some modification.

[@krissifaith6709]

For used pots, we post every 3 months on our city's facebook group page & people let us know that they have them. Some throw them over our fence. We go picking on trash night and pick up 5 gal buckets constantly...

[@anitahouse3600]

That was FABULOUS! I've dabbled but didn't have the "to-do" list. Now I do. THANK YOU!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Good!

[@doloresreynolds8145]

You can also get ‘reverse’ ground rooting, if you have fast growing trees or whatever nearby (I get wild blackberries growing up into potted plants). I have had an oak tree take advantage of a stationary potted plant with a couple roots.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

When growing plants on the ground, all kinds of crazy root things happen!

[@effthegop]

I'll be back to watch this later. I have almost an acre of back yard and have been wanting to do a real nursery. I have a good start and I'm hoping to be motivated to continue.

[@percyblok6014]

Great starter idea/source video. I'd also follow up with companion videos of what to grow and what not to. Knowing the local nursery market is critical. Specialization in a handful of profitable plants trees or shrubs at the start is crucial.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Did a similar video to that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXzEaKmjgM2Aeck

[@ledacypreadel7268]

I like plants, we've been growing plants 13 yrs till now, plants and flowers are anti stress🤗 I feel fresh everytime I look at my plants just outside home and at our farm

[@jorgemercado7505]

Thank you so much for what you do. Time to turn my passion in to a real business in 2022.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

You can do it!

[@NatureAndBee]

I'm thinking of the same thing. How's your garden nursery business going?

[@thea.m.p.co.467]

I learned the hard way not to use cheap, quick release fertilizer... I nearly killed everything I started this year thinking I was being clever saving a bit of money. Managed to save a few summer squash, and ended up putting together a hodge-podge of several other plants I hadn't planned on growing so late in the season just so I had something to garden. I won't be making the same mistake twice!

[@traceykays433]

Super great video

[@songweaver6076]

Great video!

[@augyannafacey7616]

Awesome video !! Thanks for sharing ❤

[@greenmable475]

Thank you so much for this!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

thanks for watching!

[@MoonGypsy]

Fantastic information. Thank you !

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@victoriabarnett4279]

Excellent advice. Thanks!

[@larry4657]

Outstanding video thanks

[@saundrayork1654]

THANK YOU!!! Thank you so much for all of this! This is wonderful information!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@allthingsarion7489]

This is such a great video!!! Thank you for sharing

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@user-lt4fu6dn5c]

Thanks again

[@theadventuresofzoomandbettie]

This was a really great video. Thanks for all the effort you put into it!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thefixerguy1]

Thank you man.

[@2978christy]

Thank you much for sharing this video

[@73elperro]

Great video,thank you for sharing.

[@roannegrasso6035]

Very informative, thank you very much.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@functionalguy7]

That was an excellent and very helpful video. Thank you very much.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@karlmacdonald3267]

AWESOME VIDEO!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks for the visit

[@leoma7802]

Very informative, useful tips. Thanks for your advices

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Luna-hy5lj]

Thanks for the video! I love the way you explain, is fast and easy to understand.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@GeauxGrow]

Thanks for the information! I needed that.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Sure thing! From a Lousianan, I assume??

[@GeauxGrow]

@@savvydirtfarmer Born and Raised. Who Dat! :-)

[@HybridComedyTV]

this video has been the most helpful thing

[@savvydirtfarmer]

thanks!

[@richmatteo5652]

Thank you so much for all the info. I've been flirting with this idea for the past couple years. I appreciate the work you put into this to help others achieve. Best of luck to you!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Dive in! It's a blast... most of the time. 😀

[@joecrites]

What a great video and great guy.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks for watching!

[@beautifulmedicine6219]

That was a great video …thank you

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Very welcome!

[@nadamsga]

This is helpful to me! Thank you for the info and thoughts.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bricehawley6693]

Wow! First time watching ANY of your videos. Subbed right away! Good job, man!!!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Much appreciated! Thanks for being here

[@jaredanderson7494]

Best video that can be made on the topic, immediate sub.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful

[@janinedyason2924]

Thank you for this video. I found your KZbin videos about a week ago. I have been wanting to start a small backyard nursery for a long time but never knew where to start. It is good to hear that I can start small. I am in zone 7. Can’t wait to start.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Just get started! Learn to manage just a few plants and you’ll catch on quickly

[@mattyguy4286]

This is so cool, I literally work at a plant nursery

[@PixelPit757]

videos loaded with good info ty

[@savvydirtfarmer]

thanks for watching!

[@cromaticdragon5079]

Thanks for sharing this information

[@beantownorganics]

Great info thank you

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dawndominionmusic]

Thank you! Your enthusiasm is contagious!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks for watching!

[@isabellaantonia6157]

Thank you for putting this out there!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Sure! Glad it's helpful.

[@branchesinthyme9070]

Thanks for sharing this information. It will be useful for us.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Very good!

[@FamofSamYT]

Absolutely brilliant video. Exactly what I was trying to find. AWESOME work, thank you so much for sharing. This helped a ton! Greatly appreciated and keep up the great work. Subscribed :D

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it helped! If nothing else it gets you pointed in the right direction.

[@FreakyFunnies]

Very nice and informative video thank you for taking the time to do it! Wish you all the success!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@matthewfarrell317]

This was awesome. Start of covid we built a food forest in the front a mini orchard in the back, and a citrus hedge. I practiced last winter grafting cuttings onto rootstocks. Had thought of finding a cheap source of rootstocks and go to town. I have at least 8 different apples, 10 citrus and a ton of stone fruit trees to grab free scion wood from.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Nice!

[@ScottFairley-sv4yg]

Superb video. Loads of little nuggets of wisdom to glean here. Subscribed.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Much appreciated!! Thanks for watching

[@sibongilemsomi889]

Very useful information thank you

[@savvydirtfarmer]

thanks!

[@heatherstevenson3465]

Amazing informational video, definitely had to become a subscriber

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Great! Glad it was helpful and thank you

[@JoshuaSmith-cc6wf]

Really informative video. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I look forward to learning more from you. Subscribed 💪

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Many thanks!

[@tylergoodwin58]

Nice

[@chompers11]

Another banger of a video

[@savvydirtfarmer]

thanks!

[@kamanirajarathna5543]

I am a plants and nature lover , currently working as a teacher , this morning I was thinking about different income sources, and its should be related to plants, thinking as this I was just stared to research on utube , wow… I found this channel , very impressive, I subscribed and excited to learn every important tips, thank you so much- from Florida

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks for sharing!

[@michaelbackovski4994]

Thanks for the excellent information, pondering a retirement business. ALL the best!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

This would be an excellent retirement business. Work at your own pace. Do it as big or small as you can manage. The work isn't backbreaking unless you make it that way. Time off whenever you need it (except Spring).

[@zoshomestead]

New sub! Great video 👍🏽 Thanks for sharing

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks for being here!

[@stanleybarret990]

Thanks for the encouragement about the nursery inspection, I have been thinking about going for it... but, that part intimidated me. lol

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Yep. It's a big unknown, but it's a straightforward thing and their job is to help.

[@pedropereira8924]

Very nice I really like your video

[@savvydirtfarmer]

thank you!

[@DavidAram-sz1cr]

Down to the point video. Very helpful. No junk talk or bs. Wonderful. I enjoyed watching it.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Appreciate that very much!

[@antdeegaming]

Can’t wait to get started! Will definitely be small but I love it

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Start with a few plants. Sell a few of those, keep a few of those for cuttings. Acquire more plants. Repeat over and over and over.

[@matthewkeesler1871]

Same I'm in city on .25 acre. Lol. But why nor grow some hastas in the back to sell

[@thegniffen4645]

God bless you, Brother! Thanks for sharing this information.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Sure! Thanks for watching

[@spiceconception]

AWESOME

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thanks 🤗

[@lorettavaughn1180]

Thank you so much for your videos. They have really encouraged me and helped me kick start my business. I had been selling flowers and this past season I expanded to plants and did wonderfully

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Great! What plants have you sold?

[@michaelstrickland4111]

Thanks

[@robertevans8024]

You earned my subscription today, at a time when I recently unsubscribed from several channels that lost it's appeal and it was just too much stuff to keep up with and swipe all the time.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thank you for watching!

[@derrell81]

Good video.. Great information... Thanks

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Glad it was helpful!

[@caseybarrington]

Craig!! I’m starting a tree farm and I just stumbled across your video! We knew each other from Tolar. Great video, I’m subscribed! Hope you guys are doing well

[@marie8872]

Great :)

[@wesleyholbert6531]

First i want to say great content. Second, it looks like you have answered or replied every comment. That is awesome!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

I can’t get ‘em all, but I try. Thanks for being here.

[@titasipin1902]

Nice thank you for sharing and this is what I want to do also.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

You can do it!

[@josieoct]

Thank you so much for this video. I just retired and I thought I would like to start a nursery, but didn't have a clue on how to start one. Your short video was packed with so much great information, wow!! I can't wait to start my nursery. Thank you again!!

[@savvydirtfarmer]

You are so welcome!

[@grammycooks8527]

Thank you

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Welcome!

[@LaidBackHomesteader]

Great advice sir. I am planning on getting started next year. I'm going to start making compost this year

[@savvydirtfarmer]

You can do it!

[@ab5382]

thank you this is my dream job

[@savvydirtfarmer]

It's fun work... most of the time.

[@Tropical_Fruit_stateofmind941]

Wow great content yeee

[@savvydirtfarmer]

thanks

[@DavidJones-we2ex]

I know how to grow and enjoy doing it but I wasn't sure where exactly to start. Thank you.

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Happy to help!

[@shk2564]

Subscribed 😊

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Thankful to have you!

[@subasevana7842]

honestly thanking you very much for your information and explanation good job done by youjanaka from sri lanka

[@mohsen7021]

Thank you so much

[@savvydirtfarmer]

You're most welcome

[@juliecarmody7710]

Thanks for making such a detailed and informative video!! It would be great if you could do a video on how to sell your plants. How do you compete with bigger nurseries? How to reach private /retail consumers? So happy to have just found you! Subscribed!🌞🪴🌺🌈❤

[@savvydirtfarmer]

A small nursery really isn't "competing" with the big guys at all. You're a unique thing, unique experience, and SO many people HATE going to huge nurseries, Wal Mart, Lowe's etc. They tell me that all the time. Good plants. Good pricing. Good service. That's what people want and guaranteed they won't find at least one of those at the box stores.

[@Sky-Child]

Even though I am in the UK, so the $ don't directly make sense, it is still a useful guide for what to consider and the kind of ratio of how to split my first chunk of capital to buy certain things. Very helpful, thanks

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Great! Thanks

[@ticktock2383]

Just substitute pounds for dollars.

[@joannwilliamsnola504]

thank you

[@savvydirtfarmer]

You're welcome

[@alexiasmith6120]

I was working at chick fill and and have back pain problems so I quit and started selling a plants it’s not much but I hope I can grow my little business this year

[@savvydirtfarmer]

You can do a lot on a very small scale

[@markdonnelly7225]

Hi i like your vedeo

[@user-qw3my3gw8q]

Definately look around. Last year I got a bunch someone had sitting by road free!

[@mofomoco]

Trying to start my mini backyard tree farm. Hadnt thought about the legal aspects or how "ez" it should be to get licensed. Def the way to go as I will have well over 100 young trees to sell at the end of summer hopefully

[@savvydirtfarmer]

Your nursery license or certificate, terminology varies by state, will be a small part of that. All the best to you!

[@cobratzi1]

Just found your channel and subscribed. Looking forward to diving in to this. Very helpful information, thank you for sharing. What part of the country are you growing in?

[@savvydirtfarmer]

West TN, zone 7. Thanks for watching!