Gardening for a Living?

[Chris F.]

I'm considering starting a greenhouse - just a small one for now - as a way to perhaps earn a living. Here where I live - in Eastern Canada, we have a very limited season for outdoor plants. But I'm wondering if there's any way to make a profit year-round, not just in the springtime. Are there any houseplants or other exotic things that can be sold year-round? Or is gardening strictly a season thing, requiring us to find some other source of income for the winter? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Eggs Zachtly]

How small?

Are the nurseries all closed during the winter, there? If not, what do they sell?

[Srgnt Billko]

It sounds like you should stick with an activity you are more familiar with.

[Chris F.]

I have some experience with bedding plants (petunias, gazania, etc). I used to make a living selling on Ebay but the market (for collectibles at least) has taken a nose dive, so now I'm desperate to find another source of income.

[Eggs Zachtly]

Here's a novel idea... how about applying for a real job? ;)

[KC]

1. The cost of utilities to heat a greenhouse in the winter can eat up any anticipated profit.
2. Plants naturally go dormant in the winter. It takes both heat & light to fool them. Do you know how??
3. The market for live plants in the off season is very low.
4. Better think twice about that idea.

KC

[Chris F.]

A great idea, for someone who is able to travel and be dependable for a certain # of hours work each day - which I'm not. That's why I'm looking for something I can do from home.

[Eggs Zachtly]

You still didn't answer my first reply to you.

[Eggs Zachtly]

Maybe that's why they want a small greenhouse. ;)

[Steveo]

May be time for a paper route instead..

[Eggs Zachtly]

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[Eggs Zachtly]

That depends on the size of the structure and it's materials, what is used to heat it, and the plants themselves. I kept tropicals in my 8x12 GH, keeping it 60F at night and 80F in the daytime, and it cost me about $20 a month. Were I to be selling out of the GH, that would hardly be eating up my profits.

Do you actually have a GH, or are you just making things up (or guessing) as you go along?

As a generalization, that's bullshit. Some don't even "know" winter. They just die. There are also *plenty* of plants that survive just fine as long as the temps don't go below freezing for any length of time. It's quite easy (and cheap) to keep a GH above freezing.

They apparently have a basic understanding of plants, I'd say they most likely do. Your generalization of plants would lead one to believe that you do not.

Source? I buy plants year round, as do a lot of people I know.

Nah. I'd say decide exactly what kind of plants they'd like to grow, then figure out if they can afford to build/maintain a structure that will support those plants. "Giving in" so early in the planning stages would only be succumbing to bad advice (such as yours).

Typical googlegroper...