How To Price And Market Your Plants
The price you charge for your plants will depend on whether you sell finished or unfinished stock, and whether your enterprise is a full-time business or just a profitable sideline or self-supporting hobby.However, the plain purpose of this is to make sure that if and when you expand your plants-for-profit horizons, you will be forewarned and forearmed with important information to guide you all along the way.
"Finished stock" means plants that have reached a size or state of growth where they have decorative value. This can mean flowering plants, such as African violets, begonias, and gloxinias when they are in bloom-and-bud or in full bloom, or foliage plants potted and of large enough size to be attractive.
"Unfinished stock" refers to young, undeveloped plants. This can mean seedlings like annuals sold from flats or pots; started or dormant begonia, gloxinia, and other tubers or bulbs in pots;cuttings, either rooted or un-rooted; and small foliage or other fibrous-rooted plants. Since it requires time and expense to bring a plant to maturity, finished stock should sell at a considerably higher price than unfinished plants in the seedling or dormant stage. (Actually the common trade term for dealing in dormant bulbs and seeds, either loose or packaged, is "dry sales.")
Large commercial firms expect their plants to earn a profit of approximately $30.00 to $60.00 per square yard of greenhouse space. If you are carrying your greenhouse operation only to make a little extra money and you have a low overhead because you are doing your own work, then you, too, will be satisfied with such a minimum return. However, with a bit more effort you can extract the full potential from your greenhouse by planting crops which will return a profit of between $15.00 and $20.00 per square yard of space. You'll see how as we go along.
Price your plants realistically. Before setting a price, total your upkeep, such as the original cost of seed, cuttings, plants, tubers, or bulbs; your pots and potting material; and an approximately proportional share of heat, light, and water, fertilizer, insecticides, and greenhouse deterioration.
Take into consideration, too, the customers you will serve. If you are offering a general, popular selection of plants and you aim to capture the trade of the home town folks, you may have to meet local competitive prices. Also, because your venture is new (as is your reputation), your merchandise will have to be as good as and preferably better than plant items available elsewhere in town.
What's more, you'll have to maintain high standards to keep your customers coming back for more. If you intend to sell through the mail, you should check with catalogs and other listings to arrive at a fair price for your plants.
