14 Best Profitable Plants Ebook

SpeciaIIy Crops or SmaII Crowers
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TabIe oI ConIenIs
!nIroducIion ...................................................................................................... 2
Crowing 8amboo or ProIiI ............................................................................. 3
Crowing Iowers or ProIiI .............................................................................. 8
Crowing Cinseng or ProIiI ............................................................................ 12
Crowing Cround Covers or ProIiI ................................................................ 16
Crowing Herbs or ProIiI ............................................................................... 19
Crowing Landscaping Trees And Shrubs or ProIiI ..................................... 24
Crowing Mushrooms or ProIiI ..................................................................... 28
Crowing OrnamenIaI Crasses or ProIiI ....................................................... 32
Crowing CarIic or ProIiI ............................................................................... 3S
VaIue-Added PIanIs ......................................................................................... 38
Lavender arming .......................................................................................... 40
ProIiIabIe !ndoor Microgreens ....................................................................... 43
]apanese MapIes .............................................................................................. 46
ProIiIabIe Woody OrnamenIaIs ..................................................................... 49
Crower Cuides rom HeadsIarI PubIishing .................................................. S3
!nIroducIion
rowing pIanIs Ior proIiI is a greaI way Io Iurn
your gardening skiIIs inIo serious cash. WhiIe
mosI oI us immediaIeIy Ihink oI IomaIoes or saIad
greens, Ihe mosI proIiIabIe pIanIs are speciaIIy crops
IhaI are noI aIways Iound in a home vegeIabIe
garden. Many speciaIIy crops can bring as much as
$90,000 per acre, and are guiIe easy Io grow. 8esI oI
aII, mosI speciaIIy crops can be grown wiIhouI a IuII-
Iime commiImenI. !I you have a Iew exIra hours a
week, Ihen you can be a speciaIIy crop grower.
!I you can spare some space in your backyard, and
wouId Iike Io make an exIra income, consider growing proIiIabIe pIanIs. !n an
area as smaII as 20' x 20', you can make a nice proIiI growing speciaIIy crops. !I's
imporIanI Io maIch Ihe pIanIs you grow Io Ihe space you have avaiIabIe. or
exampIe, IoIks wiIh a IimiIed space shouId choose smaIIer pIanIs, Iike ground
covers or succuIenIs, whiIe Ihose wiIh a Iarger yard or acreage couId grow a
wider range oI crops, incIuding Ihe Iarger Iandscaping shrubs and Irees.
ven growers wiIh no yard can Iind a speciaIIy crop Io grow. OysIer mushrooms,
Ior exampIe, can be produced in a basemenI, garage or shed, as Ihey don'I
reguire soiI. Many AIrican vioIeI growers propagaIe and grow hundreds oI
pIanIs in Iheir basemenI or a spare room.
8y Ihe Iime you've reviewed aII 14 speciaIIy crops, you'II have a beIIer idea abouI
which crops couId be besI Ior you. You can aIso visiI Ihe web siIes,
www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com and www.proIiIabIepIanIsdigesI.com , where you'II
Iind over 100 arIicIes abouI growing Ior proIiI, and more inIormaIion abouI our
grower guides Ior speciaIIy crops.
C
Crowing 8amboo or ProIiI
andscapers and homeowners are
paying as much as $1S0 each Ior poIIed
bamboo pIanIs, and many growers are
Iinding iI hard Io keep up wiIh Ihe demand.
Why is bamboo so popuIar? !I's a versaIiIe
pIanI in Ihe Iandscape, as iI can be used Ior
hedges, screens or as sIand-aIone
"specimen" pIanIs. 8amboo is noI |usI a
IropicaI pIanI, as many coId-hardy varieIies
can handIe sub-zero winIers. Using poIs in
a bamboo business, iI's possibIe Io grow
Ihousands oI doIIars worIh oI proIiIabIe
pIanIs in a backyard nursery.
!I's imporIanI Io know IhaI growing
bamboo is noI a geI-rich-guick scheme. You cerIainIy won'I make $60,000
overnighI. So IeI's do Ihe maIh. ConIainer-grown bamboo, on average, seIIs Ior
$2S each. !n a guarIer acre, you can IiI 2400 pIanIs. SeIIing 2400 pIanIs priced aI
$2S each wiII geI you $60,000.
When you're ready Io begin, Ihe IirsI Ihing you need Io consider is your cIimaIe
and environmenI. !I winIer IemperaIures IreguenIIy drop beIow zero . Ihen you
shouId consider growing someIhing oIher Ihan bamboo. !I winIer IemperaIures
consisIenIIy sIay above zero . you shouId be abIe Io grow heaIIhy bamboo pIanIs.
Now you need Io Ihink abouI your soiI. !s iI heaIIhy enough Io grow bamboo
pIanIs? MosI bamboo pIanIs wiII preIer soiI wiIh a neuIraI pH oI around 7. AIso,
be sure you have pIenIy oI room Ior your pIanIs. Remember, a guarIer acre can
make you abouI $60,000 a year.
L
Your sIarI-up cosIs wiII mainIy be Ihe cosI oI Ihe pIanI sIarIs. Try buying 20
diIIerenI popuIar varieIies Io sIarI ouI. How can you Iind ouI whaI's popuIar?
VisiI your IocaI garden cenIer and Iind ouI whaI Iheir Iop seIIers are, whaI Ihey
keep a high number oI in sIock. TaIk Io Iandscapers and commerciaI growers,
and see whaI Ihey're IypicaIIy buying and using. Our growing guide, !"#$%&
()*+%,-. IisIs IhirIy oI Ihe mosI popuIar bamboo varieIies, and whoIesaIe
sources as weII.
Once you've Iound Ihe varieIies you'd Iike Io grow, you're ready Io purchase
your sIarIing sIock. Many nurseries don'I carry a huge seIecIion, so you shouId
buy Irom whoIesaIe growers. AIIer you've pIanIed your sIarIing sIock, be
paIienI. Add organic sIow-reIease IerIiIizer as necessary. During Ihe spring oI Ihe
second year, you shouId now be abIe Io divide your pIanIs Io IripIe or guadrupIe
your sIock oI bamboo pIanIs.
Dividing your pIanIs is how you reaIIy geI your money's worIh Irom your pIanIs.
When you noIice IhaI new cIumps are emerging Irom Ihe ground, divide and re-
pIanI. Remember Io keep Ihe rhizomes moisI beIore and aIIer pIanIing.
or Ihe bamboo pIanIs you pIan Io seII, consider propagaIing Ihem in conIainers.
ConIainer-grown pIanIs can be soId aImosI any Iime oI Ihe year. Remember Io use
conIainers (such as poIs and pIanIers) IhaI can breaIhe," as Ihis wiII heIp provide
Ior suIIicienI waIer drainage. !n |usI a guarIer acre iI's possibIe Io IiI 2400
conIainers. The currenI average price oI a bamboo pIanI is $2S a conIainer. ThaI
means iI's possibIe Io make $60,000 wiIh |usI a guarIer acre oI growing space.
One creaIive grower was abIe Io sIarI his bamboo business Ior hardIy a cenI. He
oIIered Io do Iree pruning oI bamboo, and Ihen saved and repoIIed Ihe rhizomes Io
reseII Ihe nexI year. He now is growing over S0 varieIies and makes $80,000 a year.
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!"#" %#" & '#()"* +%,- .( /%#0". 1%/1((2
1. 34#"5. 6".%47 8%7"-2 !I your Iown aIIows iI, you shouId consider seIIing
bamboo Ior Iandscaping direcIIy Io Ihe pubIic. This IeIs you geI Io know
cusIomers in your area, and buiId cusIomer IoyaIIy. PIus, unIike whoIesaIe,
you geI paid righI away. 8e sure Io puI ouI a sign-up sheeI so your cusIomers
can sIay in Ihe know abouI upcoming saIes, new pIanI varieIies and whaIever
eIse mighI be going on wiIh your bamboo nursery.
2. 9%/1(( :#(;<5.-2 Here's your chance Io geI creaIive. !nsIead oI simpIy
seIIing bamboo, seII bamboo producIs. During Ihe winIer Iime, Ihe pIanIs wiII
become dormanI. Then, bamboo poIes can be harvesIed, and Ihen Iurned inIo
a varieIy oI producIs, such as privacy screens, garden arI, waIer pipes,
Iencing, vases and parroI sIands. You couId aIso consider puIIing on a
workshop Io share your knowIedge oI bamboo pIanIs wiIh oIher peopIe.
Teach peopIe how Io Iandscape wiIh bamboo, and oIher decoraIive uses.
3. =%*;-5%'"#-2 You can make greaI proIiIs seIIing direcIIy Io Iandscapers.
Landscapers and commerciaI gardeners oIIen buy Iheir pIanIs in Iarge
guanIiIies, and when Ihey Iind a business Ihey Iike, Ihey'II conIinue Io buy
more and more pIanIs. ind ouI whaI Ihey're Iooking Ior, and iI you can grow
heaIIhy pIanIs aI a reasonabIe price, Ihen you couId see a IoI oI business. PuI
IogeIher a IIyer IisIing whaI you have Io oIIer, and sIarI passing iI ouI.
4. >%#;"* ?"*."#-2 Like Iandscapers and commerciaI gardeners, garden cenIers
have Io geI Iheir pIanIs Irom somewhere, so why noI you? VisiI your IocaI
garden cenIer and see whaI bamboo pIanIs Ihey're sIocking and seIIing. WhaI
are Iheir prices? TaIk Io Ihem and Iind ouI whaI Ihey're Iooking Ior. Again, iI
you can oIIer |usI whaI Ihey need aI reasonabIe prices, Ihen you couId see a
IoI oI repeaI business. Here's a Iip - Iry Io seII Io Ihem in Ihe oII-season when
Ihe buyers wiII have more Iime Io IisIen Io you.
S. >#(+4*@ AB?<. 9%/1((2 8orrowing a successIuI saIes meIhod Irom U-cuI
ChrisImas Iree growers, an enIerprising bamboo grower has deveIoped a
unigue parI-Iime business IhaI brings yearIy proIiIs oI over $40,000 working
|usI one day a week. He seIIs U-cuI bamboo by Ihe IooI on his one-acre
bamboo paIch.
He pIanIed severaI varieIies Io give cusIomers a choice oI coIors and sizes,
ranging Irom penciI-Ihin sIaIks Io huge 6 inch diameIer Iimber bamboo poIes.
8ecause he's a seII-described "geezer," his goaI is Io reduce his work Io coIIecIing
Ihe money and chaIIing wiIh cusIomers abouI bamboo. A Iarge phoIo aIbum IuII
oI picIures oI bamboo pro|ecIs compIeIed by cusIomers is his onIy saIes aid, and
a Iiny cIassiIied ad in Ihe IocaI paper Ior Ihree summer monIhs brings aII Ihe
cusIomers he can handIe. CusIomers cuI and Ioad Iheir own bamboo, and Ihe
poIes are priced reasonabIy Io encourage do-iI-yourseIIers.
The bamboo grows 20 Io S0 IeeI in |usI one year, and so Ihe bamboo paIch is
aImosI IoIaIIy seII-renewing, wiIh |usI one appIicaIion oI IerIiIizer per year.
CusIomers use Ihe poIes Ior Iencing, IurniIure, duck bIinds, craIIs, IIuIes, wind
chimes, waIer pipes, concreIe reinIorcing and garden arI pro|ecIs.
This couId be a perIecI business Ior anyone wiIh a spare acre or Iwo IhaI is near
a popuIaIion cenIer oI aI IeasI 2S,000 peopIe. To keep your hours Io a minimum,
open Io Ihe pubIic on SaIurdays onIy.
8amboo is noI |usI a IropicaI pIanI, as many Iypes are coId hardy Io winIer
IemperaIures beIween -10 degrees and 1S degrees. The panda bamboo, which
originaIed in Ihe HimaIayas, is coId hardy Io -2S degrees.
LocaI bamboo growers have a big advanIage over Iow-cosI producers in Asia, as
shipping cosIs can inIIaIe prices dramaIicaIIy. SeIIing direcI Io Ihe consumer wiIh
a U-cuI operaIion aIIows reIaiI cusIomers Io sIiII en|oy Iow prices by harvesIing
Iheir own poIes.
One Oregon bamboo grower has Iocused on an even smaIIer niche Ior Ihis
proIiIabIe pIanI, speciaIizing in producing six varieIies oI bamboo IhaI are |usI
Ihe righI size Ior Iencing, wiIh poIes Irom 2 inches Io 3 inches in diameIer. He
produces "vaIue-added" Iencing paneIs 6 IeeI high (Ihe maximum heighI aIIowed
by mosI buiIding codes) and 8 IeeI wide, driIIing and Ihreading Ihe poIes IogeIher
wiIh copper wire. His Iwo acre bamboo Iarm is soId ouI every year, wiIh abouI
haII Ihe cusIomers buying |usI poIes Io make Iheir own Iences and Ihe oIher haII
buying ready-Io-go Ience paneIs.
To Iearn more abouI growing bamboo Ior proIiI, visiI www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com,
where you'II Iind dozens oI arIicIes abouI Ihis remarkabIe pIanI, as weII as
inIormaIion abouI our growing guide, !"#$%& ()*+%,-/
Crowing Iowers or ProIiI
Iower producIion is one oI Ihe IasIesI
growing crop Irends in agricuIIure
Ioday, wiIh sIrong demand Ior aII Iypes oI
IIowers especiaIIy unigue or hard-Io-grow
varieIies. Iowers are a perIecI backyard
cash crop, as Ihey produce guickIy, are
easy Io grow and provide an income aII
summer Iong. SIarIup cosIs are Iow |usI
seeds and Iabor so as IiIIIe as $100 can
puI you in business.
Some growers use a "cuI your own" saIes
approach, so cusIomers can choose Iheir
own mix, whiIe oIhers preIer Io seII aI Ihe SaIurday markeI Io Iake advanIage oI
higher prices. One Virginia grower geIs up Io $S per sIem Ior her sunIIowers, and
grows mosIIy Ihe proven money makers, Iike snapdragons, Iarkspur, peonies,
sunIIowers and zinnias.
AnoIher growing approach is Io Iocus on providing sIarIer pIanIs Io reIaiIers or
direcI Io consumers. The sIrongesI demand is Ior a insIanI coIor" IIowers grown in
Iour-inch poIs ready Io IranspIanI Io Ihe garden as Iinished bIooming pIanIs. This
incIudes annuaIs, such as Ihe marigoIds, PeIunias, SaIvia and zinnias. 8egonias and
impaIiens, Ihough more cosIIy Io raise, aImosI aIways seII ouI IirsI. PopuIar
perenniaIs incIude CoIumbine, bIeeding hearI, deIphiniums and bearded iris.
!I you Iive in a ruraI area, Iocus on growing IIowers Ior resaIe Io garden cenIers
and oIher reIaiIers in nearby Iarger Iowns. ConcenIraIe on pIanIs Ihe big
growers have overIooked because Ihey Iake more care buI Ior which Ihere is

aIways a markeI. The Ihree IIoraI niches" IhaI IiI Ihis descripIion niceIy are
AIrican vioIeIs, heriIage roses and wiIdIIowers naIive Io your area.
AIrican vioIeIs are aIways in demand, easy Io propagaIe Irom cuIIings and grow
and seII Ihe besI in Ihe winIer when Ihe bIooms can bring a spoI oI coIor indoors.
They come in an aImosI endIess varieIy oI coIors and range Irom IhimbIe size
pIanIs Io gianIs. There are IraiIing vioIeIs IhaI spread and Ihe cousins" - pIanIs
in Ihe Cesneriad IamiIy such as SIrepIocarpus and ChiriIa.
Many smaII growers use a basemenI or spare room Io grow AIrican vioIeIs, as Ihey
don'I reguire a IoI oI space. !n IacI, a sguare IooI oI growing space can produce
nine 4-inch poIIed pIanIs Iour Iimes a year. ThaI's over 1400 pIanIs in a modesI 4' x
10' area, which, aI a reIaiI price oI $6, is $8400 worIh oI AIrican vioIeIs!
AnoIher niche" IIower IhaI has been popuIar Ior many years is heriIage" or
heirIoom" roses. Why Ihe renewed inIeresI in Ihese oId beauIies? There are
severaI reasons. One is Ihe exguisiIe Iragrance oI Ihe oId roses. AnoIher is Iheir
hardiness. The oId heriIage roses Iend Io be much more disease resisIanI Ihan
Ihe modern hybrids. The appeaI oI heriIage roses is IimeIess, and Ihe amounI oI
care Ihey reguire is much Iess Ihan Ihe hybrids.
The wiIdIIower business is booming, as homeowners Iurn Io naIuraI
Iandscaping" and inIeresI grows in reviving Ihe Iandscaping Irends oI Ihe IasI
cenIury, which emphasized naIive pIanIs. !n addiIion IederaI IegisIaIion and Ihe
Iaws oI many sIaIes now reguire IhaI a cerIain percenIage oI highway
Iandscaping Iunds be used Io pIanI wiIdIIowers. Pro|ecIs Iike Ihese have opened
up new markeIs Ior producers oI wiIdIIower seeds, and sIimuIaIed demand Ior
wiIdIIower pIanIs around homes.
WiIdIIower" is Ihe name Ior IIowering pIanIs naIive Io a speciIic area. WhaI's
common in AIberIa wiII noI be Ihe same as whaI's common in AIabama.
AIIhough wiIdIIowers come in many shapes sizes and coIors and grow in aII
sIaIes or provinces, mosI are very sensiIive Io Ihe microcIimaIe" in which Ihey
can be grown.
SmaII growers can grow Ihese proIiIabIe pIanIs Ior seed harvesI, cuI IIowers and
bougueIs and Ior vaIue-added producIs such as wiIdIIower seed giII cards or
wiIdIIower seed paper. To geI an idea oI Ihe many possibiIiIies visiI
www.8Ioomin.com.
YeI anoIher proIiIabIe niche markeI Ior growers is Io speciaIize in dried
IIowers. Dried IIowers (aIso known as everIasIings) are a greaI way Io
compIemenI cuI IIowers. PIus, Ihey're IairIy easy Io grow. Once Ihey're dry, you
don'I need Io rush Io seII Ihem, Iike you wouId Iresh cuI IIowers. WiIh care, Ihey
can keep in good condiIion unIiI you're abIe Io seII Ihem. ThaI's one oI Iheir
biggesI appeaIs Io growers.
So when iI comes Io dried IIowers, how can you geI ahead? irsI, be sure Io pick
Ihe righI kinds. Here are some IhaI are especiaIIy popuIar:
C#."/4-4%: This is heaviIy used as a IiIIer maIeriaI IhaI can provide a nice
backdrop Ior oIher IIowers.
9%1,D- 9#"%.E: This is aIso wideIy used as a IiIIer maIeriaI in arrangemenIs
oI IIowers.
3"7'E4*4</ =%#0-'<#: These have a wide range oI coIors Irom bIue Io
purpIe Io pure whiIe.
=%)"*;"#: Thanks Io iIs vivid smeII, Ihese can make Ior an ideaI addiIion Io
any bougueI or wreaIh. PIus Ihese need very IiIIIe aIIenIion.
One greaI Ihing abouI Ihese Iour everIasIings is IhaI Ihey can be air dried, which
makes iI very easy Ior Ihe grower. There are many oIher everIasIings IhaI can be
air dried as weII, incIuding: SIrawIIower, SIaIice, Money PIaneI and Love-!n-A-MisI.
What Aie The Best Peiennials To uiow.
AchiIIea, AIIium, ChrysanIhemum LeucanIhemum, LavanduIa and Veronica
LongiIoIia are some oI Ihe mosI highIy-recommended perenniaIs.
What Aie The Best Annuals To uiow.
Some oI Ihe besI annuaIs Io grow incIude AnIirrhinum, CeIosia, ConsoIida
Ambigua, HeIianIhus Annuus, CodeIia and SaIvia.
You'II Iind deIaiIed inIormaIion abouI growing and markeIing IIowers in our
guidebook, !*"01&2 3#"0%*, 3"* 4*"51-, aI www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com.
Crowing Cinseng or ProIiI
icknamed "green goId", Ihe
vaIue oI Ihis pIanI is in iIs sIow
growing rooIs. Asians have vaIued
ginseng Ior Ihousands oI years as a
heaIing herb and Ionic. ven Ihough
growing ginseng reguires a six year
waiI Io harvesI Ihe maIure rooIs, mosI growers aIso seII young "rooIIeIs" and seeds
Ior income whiIe waiIing Ior Ihe rooIs Io maIure. Over Ihe six year period,
growers can make as much as $100,000 on a haII-acre pIoI Irom seeds, rooIIeIs and
maIure rooIs. ThaI's why ginseng has been prized as a speciaIIy crop since Ceorge
WashingIon's day, when ginseng proIiIs heIped Iinance Ihe RevoIuIionary war
againsI Ihe 8riIish. Cinseng producIion is onIy possibIe in areas wiIh coId winIers.
S Ways To Piofit Fiom uinseng
Cinseng is one oI Ihe mosI popuIar herbs in Ihe worId. !I has dozens oI medicinaI
uses, and is Iaken daiIy by miIIions around Ihe worId. So whaI are some ways you
can proIiI wiIh a ginseng-growing business? Here are Ihree Io geI you sIarIed:
1. F%.<#" 6((.-
PaIienI growers wiII Iove Ihe proIiIs you can make Irom maIure rooIs. AIIer Ihe
sixIh year you shouId have some rooIs ready Io seII. !n a haII-acre oI Iand, you
shouId abIe Io produce abouI Iive hundred pounds oI rooIs. So how much are
Ihose seIIing Ior? CurrenIIy, Ihose are rouIineIy seIIing Ior $1S0 Io $300 a pound.
WhaI makes Ihe price vary so much? The answer is Ihe guaIiIy oI Ihe rooIs.
ThaI's why iI's in your besI inIeresI Io pIanI guaIiIy seeds or rooIIeIs and Iake
greaI care oI your ginseng as iI grows. So IeI's do Ihe maIh. LeI's say you're abIe
N
Io seII your rooIs Ior $200 a pound. !I you have Iive hundred pounds oI rooIs Io
seII, you couId make $100,000, aII |usI Irom your maIure rooIs.
2. 8"";-
AIIer Ihe Ihird year, your ginseng garden shouId be producing seed IhaI you can
sIarI seIIing. 8y IhaI Ihird year, in a haII-acre garden you'II onIy have abouI
IwenIy pounds oI seed. AIIer Ihe IourIh year IhaI number wiII |ump Io around
IiIIy pounds oI seed. AIIer Ihe IiIIh and sixIh years you can expecI around one
hundred pounds oI seed. So how much can you make Irom IhaI? CurrenIIy, seed
is seIIing Ior abouI $90 a pound. !I you have one hundred pounds oI seed Io seII,
IhaI couId mean abouI $9,000 coming your way.
3. 6((.7".-
Cinseng growers sIarI Iheir own ginseng gardens wiIh eiIher seeds or rooIIeIs.
or growers, rooIIeIs aIIow Ihem Io speed up Ihe process by Iwo years. RooIIeIs
can heIp ginseng grow a IiIIIe guicker. !I you're Iooking Io make a IiIIIe exIra
income, consider growing rooIIeIs Ior resaIe. This is a good way Io make money
whiIe you're waiIing Ior your rooIs Io maIure.
Questions About uiowing uinseng foi Piofit
3( G !%)" HE" 64@E. ?74/%." H( >#(+ >4*-"*@I
Cinseng can do weII in mosI cIimaIes. You need Io grow in an area IhaI is
exposed Io some sub-Ireezing weaIher. CoId wiII heIp break your ginseng's
dormancy, and wiII Iead Io iI sprouIing in Ihe spring.
JE45E >#(+4*@ F".E(; 8E(<7; G A-"I
The arIiIiciaI shade meIhod can be a good one, buI iI cosIs severaI Ihousand
doIIars an acre Io geI sIarIed. !I you have a Iew acres oI hardwood Irees, Ihen Ihe
wiId-simuIaIed meIhod can work greaI Ior you. Chances are Ihe woods-cuIIivaIed
meIhod wiII be Ihe one you'II use. You simpIy use Ihe naIuraI shade oI a IoresI
canopy oI hardwood Irees, such as mapIe, oak and sycamore.
!(+ ?%* G H"77 JE"* F, 3#4"; 6((.- C#" 3#,I
ProperIy dried rooIs shouId make a crisp snap!" sound when broken. You can
dry your rooIs naIuraIIy by pIacing Ihem in a covered area, spread ouI on a
screened rack. !I Ihere isn'I good air circuIaIion, use a Ian and keep iI running
Ior Iwo Io Iour weeks. AI IhaI Iime your rooIs shouId be dried.
!(+ ?%* G 8"77 >4*-"*@ 6((.-I
There are Ihree main ways Io seII ginseng rooIs. irsI is Io seII direcIIy Io
whoIesaIe buyers. This geIs you paid righI away, and you can seII righI ouI oI
your backyard nursery. Second is Io seII Io ouI-oI-sIaIe buyers. Take good care in
shipping your ginseng. TreaI iI Iike a IragiIe iIem. inaIIy, you can seII Io ginseng
brokers, who buy ginseng in buIk and Ihen reseII iI Io oIher peopIe.
!(+ F<5E 3("- G. ?(-. H( 8.%#. C >4*-"*@ 9<-4*"--I
You can sIarI your own ginseng business Ior a IairIy Iow amounI. Using Ihe woods-
cuIIivaIed or wiId-simuIaIed meIhods, you shouId be abIe Io sIarI a guarIer-acre
ginseng garden Ior Iess Ihan $1,000. Over a six year growing cycIe, IhaI guarIer-
acre couId produce as much as $S0,000 worIh oI rooIs, seeds and rooIIeIs.
A-4*@ HE" J((;-B?<7.4)%."; F".E(;K !(+ 3( G 8.%#. F, >#(+4*@ 9";-I
irsI cIear away any underbrush in Ihe area. NexI use a waIk-behind IiIIer Io
work Ihe soiI over severaI Iimes unIiI iI is Ioose Io aI IeasI a depIh oI six inches. !I
you're pIanIing seeds, pIanI Ihem one-haII Io one inch deep and Ihree inches
aparI. 8e sure Io keep Ihe rows abouI eighI inches aparI.
www.ProIiIabIePIanIsDigesI.com Page 1S of S3
JE"* J477 F, F%.<#" 6((.- 9" 6"%;, H( 8"77I
!n mosI cases, your maIure rooIs wiII be ready Io seII aIIer Iive or six years.
?%* G 8"77 C*,.E4*@ L#(/ F, >4*-"*@ >%#;"* G* HE" F"%*.4/"I
Seeds and rooIIeIs can be ready Ior saIe as soon as 2 years aIIer you sIarIed your
ginseng garden.
To Iearn more abouI growing ginseng Ior proIiI, read !"#$%& ()*+%,-. avaiIabIe
aI our web siIe, www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com.
Crowing Cround Covers or ProIiI
ue Io high Iabor cosIs and waIer
shorIages, ground covers are becoming
Ihe sensibIe, Iow-mainIenance way Io
Iandscape. Crowers Iike ground covers Ioo,
as Ihey are easy Io propagaIe, grow and seII.
8ringing proIiIs oI up Io $20 per sguare IooI,
ground covers are an ideaI cash crop Ior Ihe
smaIIer backyard pIanI nursery.
Cround covers are |usI IhaI, basicaIIy any
pIanI IhaI covers Ihe ground. The sIarI-up
cosIs are reasonabIe, and you sIand Io
make one oI Ihe highesI per-sguare-IooI
incomes Ior a backyard nursery. So whaI
do ground covers do? They heIp conIroI Ihe IhreaI oI erosion and weeds, and
Ihey reduce Ihe amounI oI waIer needed Io keep Ihe Iand heaIIhy.
There are currenIIy hundreds oI pIanIs IhaI can be used as ground covers. Don'I
worry, you don'I have Io grow aII oI Ihem Io succeed as a pIanI grower. !nsIead,
Iocus on a Iew. The 8ig our" incIude: ngIish !vy, Pachysandra, Vinca and
WinIer Creeper. !I you're sIarIing ouI and are unsure |usI whaI Io grow, consider
visiIing your IocaI reIaiI nursery and see whaI Ihey're sIocking. Ask around.
WhaI are peopIe Iooking Ior? WhaI grows weII in your area? Are Ihere any
speciaIIy ground covers IhaI seem Iike Ihe perIecI IiI Ior you? !I mighI Iake some
experimenIaIion, buI you'II Iind whaI works besI soon enough.
D
!"#" %#" -(/" E4@E7,B#"5(//"*;"; %*; '#(M4.%17" @#(<*; 5()"#- .E%. ,(<
/4@E. +%*. .( .#,2
C-.471": A perenniaI IhaI provides deIicaIe IIowers in Ihe spring.
N#45% O!"%.EP: A Iow-growing ground cover IhaI reguires hardIy any
mainIenance.
!";"#% OG),P: A hardy vergreen ground cover IhaI spreads rapidIy.
ThorndaIe" and 8aIIic are Iwo oI Ihe mosI popuIar ngIish !vy varieIies.
G1"#4- O?%*;,.<M.P: A very popuIar ground cover Ior rock gardeners.
?E%/%"/"7</ Q(147" O?E%/(/47"P: An evergreen ground cover IhaI is
wideIy used in urope. The IIowers make Ior a sooIhing Iea.
HE,/<- 8"#',77</: This can make a IragranI carpeI IhaI smeII greaI when
you waIk on iI. There are dozens oI Iow-growing varieIies, such as Iemon
Ihyme and wooIIy Ihyme.
AIIer your pIanIs are ready Io be soId, now whaI? LeI's geI seIIing! AIIer aII,
having a backyard nursery is aII abouI growing Ior proIiI, isn'I iI? The mosI
proIiIabIe way is Io seII direcIIy Io Ihe pubIic. ReIaiI saIes geI you paid now,
insIead oI waiIing monIhs, which can be Ihe case wiIh whoIesaIing. You can aIso
have a whoIesaIe day," where you seII your ground covers aI a discounIed price.
Having a big saIe couId bring some big crowds. Make sure you have pIanI IabeIs
and IhaI aII your pIanIs are IabeIed wiIh Ihe correcI Iype and price. You need Io
be ready Ior Ihose big crowds, so make Ihings easier on yourseII by having aII
your pIanIs IabeIed and grouped.
Looking Ior anoIher proIiIabIe way Io seII your speciaIIy crops? Try maiI-order
saIes. Since ground covers are a niche markeI, many peopIe are Iooking Ior a
wider seIecIion Ihan whaI is avaiIabIe aI Iheir IocaI garden cenIer. ThaI's why
Ihey Iurn Io maiI-order Io Iind whaI Ihey wanI. PuI IogeIher a web siIe, IIyer or
Iree caIaIog, and Iry Io geI iI in as many poIenIiaI cusIomers' hands as possibIe.
Soon you couId be sending your ground covers Ihrough Ihe maiI and geIIing big
proIiIs in reIurn.
You can be making money wiIh ground covers in no Iime. Crow whaI peopIe
wanI, and Ihen be sure Io IeI everyone know whaI you have Ior saIe. So geI
growing! To Iearn more, read ("0 -" 6-)*- ) 4*"51-)7#% 8)9:;)*$ 4#)&-
<=*,%*;, avaiIabIe aI our web siIe, www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com.

Crowing Herbs or ProIiI
rowing Ihe mosI popuIar cuIinary and
medicinaI herbs is a greaI way Io sIarI a
proIiIabIe herb business. The mosI popuIar
cuIinary herbs incIude basiI, chives, ciIanIro
and oregano. MedicinaI herbs have been
wideIy used Ior Ihousands oI years, and Iheir
popuIariIy conIinues Io grow as peopIe seek
naIuraI remedies Ior Iheir heaIIh concerns.
SIarIing an herb growing business is reaIIy
guiIe easy, noI Io menIion Iun and besI oI aII,
proIiIabIe. !n IacI you can be on your way Io
success in Ihe herbaI business in six easy sIeps. oIIow Ihese and you'II see more
and more cusIomers coming your way.
1. >%.E"# F%."#4%7-
irsI oI aII, you're going Io need raised beds Io grow your pIanIs. !I is
recommended IhaI Ihey be 3-4 IeeI wide. The IengIh is up Io you. Herbs need IoIs
oI sun IighI, so don'I puI Ihem in a shady pIace, such as near a Iree. A
wheeIbarrow and hand IooIs are a necessiIy Ior mixing your soiI bIend.
A 40 inch by 30 IeeI bed wiIh six-inch poIs (in generaI, use Iarge poIs, such as a
six-inch poI, over smaIIer ones), makes iI possibIe Ior abouI 400 pIanIs.
2. 3"54;" JE45E !"#1- H( >#(+
Now IhaI you have aII your basic suppIies, iI's Iime Io decide which herbs Io grow.
!n generaI iI's a good idea Io Iocus on a seIecI Iew raIher Ihan oIIering a huge
C
seIecIion. Are you more inIeresIed in growing cuIinary herbs or medicinaI herbs?
Or whaI abouI herbs Ior herbaI Iea? Once you decide which herbs you'd Iike Io
grow, you can buy herb seeds. There are severaI onIine companies IhaI speciaIize
in seeds Ior commerciaI herb growers, such as ]ohnny's Seeds and RichIer's.
3. :7%*. R(<# !"#1 :7%*.-
Your seeds came in Ihe maiI. Now Ihe Iun begins! PIanI your seeds. Consider
using pIug Irays as a way Io sIarI growing pIanIs indoor, and Ihen you can roIaIe
Ihem ouI inIo Ihe ouIdoor growing area.
4. H%0" ?%#" SM R(<# :7%*.-
OnIy use organic IerIiIizers, as Ihey heIp pIanIs grow heaIIhier and aI a Iess-
sIressed raIe. !I's aIso a good idea Io appIy Iiguid seaweed or Iiguid Iish emuIsion
as IoIiar spray every week during growing season. This can provide Ihe righI
amounI oI nuIrienIs needed Io keep your pIanIs heaIIhy. AIso, waIer your pIanIs
onIy when Ihey need iI. Try once a day, preIerabIy in Ihe morning.
S. 8.%#. 8"774*@ HE"/
When your herbs are grown, you're ready Io sIarI seIIing Ihem. 8ased on your
IocaI Iaws, maybe you can seII Ihem righI ouI oI your own garden. Or perhaps
you can seI up a roadside sIand. A chariIy Iundraiser can be a greaI pIace Io seII
poIIed herbs and peopIe are oIIen wiIIing Io pay more Ior Ihem iI Ihey know
some oI Ihe proIiIs are going Io a good cause. One grower in our area seIIs her
herbs aI 6 chariIy Iundraisers every summer, and grossed over $32,000 aI Ihose
six. She donaIes 2S% Io Ihe chariIy. Win-win!
The Iarmer's markeI is anoIher greaI pIace Io geI cusIomers. The Iarger 6" poIIed
herbs seem Io do beIIer aI Iarmer's markeIs Ihan Ihe smaIIer 3 & 4 inch sizes, as
IoIks are in a spending mood, and Iike buying a pIanI IhaI's aImosI ready Io harvesI.
6. C;)"#.4-" C*; >". ?#"%.4)"
You wanI Io geI cusIomers and Ihen keep Ihem coming back. Make IIyers and puI
Ihem up aI buIIeIin boards around Iown. PrinI business cards and puI someIhing
Iun on iI, Iike a pesIo recipe on Ihe back! CeI creaIive. PuIIing someIhing on a
business card IhaI makes your cusIomer wanI Io keep Ihe card wiII keep Ihe
business coming back Io you.
Culinaiy Beibs To uiow
Crowing herbs can be highIy proIiIabIe and Iun. !I's reaIIy guiIe easy Ioo. You'd
be surprised how many cuIinary herbs Ihere are avaiIabIe and how many oI
Ihem are huge seIIers. Some pracIicaIIy seII IhemseIves. Here are Iive oI Ihe mosI
popuIar and proIiIabIe.
1. 9%-472 Tops Ihe IisI as Ihe mosI popuIar cuIinary herb. 8asiI is a very Iender
pIanI and shouId be kepI indoors unIiI Ihere is no danger oI IrosI. Crowing
basiI sIarIs in pIug Irays can work greaI Ior basiI. xpecI Io be seIIing IoIs oI
Ihese, so keep Ihe Iresh pIanIs coming.
2. ?E4)"-2 SIandard chives are a sIeady seIIer. These wiII sIarI Io germinaIe aIIer a
week or so. And unIike basiI, Ihese can acIuaIIy do guiIe weII in cooIer weaIher.
3. ?47%*.#(: !s anoIher popuIar cuIinary herb. !n addiIion Io iIs cooking vaIues,
iI aIso has many oIher ones. !I is parIicuIarIy good Ior digesIion and oIher
medicinaI vaIues. xpecI Io seII IoIs oI Ihis aI Ihe SaIurday Iarmer's markeI.
4. S#"@%*(: !s one oI Ihe mosI popuIar herbs IhaI you'II Iind in !IaIian cooking.
UnIorgeIIabIe IasIe and aroma give Ihis herb iIs main appeaI. Oregano is a
commonIy used garnish Ior sIews, soups, and gravies.
S. :%#-7",: !s so popuIar iI even has hisIoricaI signiIicance. The ancienI Creeks
used iI aI Ihe aIhIeIic games, weaving iI inIo vicIory crowns. They aIso Ied iI Io
Iheir horses Io make Ihem run IasIer.
Neuicinal Beibs To uiow
MedicinaI herbs are sIeadiIy gaining popuIariIy. As peopIe adopI a more naIuraI
and heaIIhy IiIesIyIe, medicinaI herbs are used more and more, and Ihe demand
Ior Ihem is growing. Here are seven oI Ihe more popuIar medicinaI herbs IhaI
couId be a proIiIabIe addiIion Io an herb growing business.
1. ?%7"*;<7%2 PopuIariIy daIes back Io King Henry V!! oI ngIand who Ioved
coIored Iood. CaIenduIa was used Io season his meaIs. !I aIso has many oIher
beneIiIs. !n parIicuIar iI is good Ior digesIive heaIIh as weII as Ior skin
preparaIions. !I can be made inIo a IooI soak or baIh herb. To geI Ihe mosI
medicinaI poIency ouI oI iI, grow a varieIy wiIh high resin conIenI, such as
Resina" Iound aI ]ohnny's Seeds, a popuIar onIine source Ior medicinaI
herbs. CaIenduIa is one oI Ihe easiesI medicinaI herbs Io grow.
2. =%)"*;"#: Has so many uses iI's been caIIed Ihe Swiss army kniIe" oI herbs.
!n addiIion Io Ihe powerIuI Iragrance (Ihe essenIiaI oiI in Iavender is one oI
Ihe Iop-Ien mosI used in Ihe Iragrance indusIry), iI has many medicinaI vaIues
as weII. These incIude women and chiIdren's heaIIh, skin care, nervous
sysIem condiIions, and pain reIieI.
3. F%#-E F%77(+2 This versaIiIe herb is useIuI Ior coughs or bronchiIis. !I can
aIso heIp Ihe digesIive IracI and various skin condiIions. Turn iI inIo a marsh
maIIow Iea and you have someIhing IasIy and heaIIhy Ior coId and IIu season.
4. ?%.*4'2 You've probabIy heard oI Ihis one. !I's primariIy used as a sIimuIanI
on caIs, buI iI can aIso be a sooIhing sedaIive Ior humans. !I can aIso bring
abouI pain and sIress reIieI as weII as heIping wiIh coId and IIu sympIoms.
SomeIhing you mighI wanI Io consider is making caI-er-piIIows." !I's |usI Iike
iI sounds: a piIIow IiIIed wiIh caInip. These popuIar iIems are very easy Io puI
IogeIher. !I's simpIy a mini-piIIow made Irom Iabric scraps. You Ihrow in
dried caInip, sew iI shuI, and you're done. These can be soId aI sIreeI Iairs,
sIores, church Iundraisers, and more, and are proven seIIers.
S. ="/(* T"#1"*%: Makes a deIicious Iea. !I is used Ior digesIive beneIiIs as
weII as a caIming and sIeep aid. To geI Ihe mosI beneIiI, harvesI Ihe Ieaves
righI beIore you use Ihem.
6. 8. U(E*D- J(#.2 You've probabIy heard oI Ihis one and mighI even know
someone who swears by iI. !n addiIion Io iIs popuIar usage as a mood-aIIering
herb, iI can serve as skin IreaImenI, provide immune supporI, and provide
prevenIion during coId and IIu season. 8e sure Io waiI unIiI iI's IuIIy maIured
beIore harvesI so you can geI Ihe maximum beneIiIs oI Ihis popuIar herb.
7. ?E%/(/47"2 Mmm, chamomiIe can make Ior a sooIhing Iea. Like many oIher
medicinaI herbs, iI has greaI digesIive beneIiIs. !I can aIso be a caIming and
sIeep aid. You'II wanI Io grow Ihe Cerman varieIy as Ihis wiII produce
harvesIabIe IIowers in |usI over Iwo monIhs. The besI Iime Io grow Ihem is
earIy in Ihe season as iI Iends Io boII in Ihe hoI summer.
Crow and seII Ihese IavoriIes and you'II be on your way Io growing proIiIs in Ihe
herbs business. To Iearn more abouI Ihe business oI herb growing read !*"01&2
(%*7, 5"* 4*"51-. avaiIabIe aI our web siIe, www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com.
Crowing Landscaping Trees
And Shrubs or ProIiI
iIh individuaI pIanIs bringing as
much as $100 in a S-gaIIon poI,
many smaII backyard pIanI nurseries are
en|oying success on a smaII scaIe. Those
IhaI speciaIize in unigue or hard-Io-Iind
Iree and shrub varieIies can charge
premium prices and sIiII seII ouI each year.
The secreI Io success is Iinding a "niche"
IhaI you en|oy, and Ihen growing Ihe
varieIies IhaI simpIy cannoI be Iound aI your average pIanI nursery.
One good exampIe oI a proIiIabIe niche is growing naIive pIanIs. or severaI
decades, Iandscapers and homeowners have been swiIching Irom more exoIic
pIanIs and acres oI Iawn Io naIive grasses, wiIdIIowers, Irees and shrubs naIive
Io Iheir region. This is a parI oI Ihe "susIainabIe Iandscaping" movemenI you
may have heard abouI.
As Ihe popuIariIy oI naIive pIanIs conIinues Io grow, Ihere wiII be more and more
demand Ior naIive Irees and shrubs in aII areas. PoIenIiaI cusIomers incIude
Iandscapers, who Iend Io be keenIy aware oI new Irends and en|oy educaIing Iheir
cusIomers abouI Ihem and individuaI homeowners and properIy owners, who
wanI Io pIanI Iow-mainIenance naIive pIanIs. !n addiIion, naIive Irees and shrubs
are oIIen reguired Ior many conservaIion and recIamaIion pro|ecIs.
AnoIher proIiIabIe markeI is naIive IruiI and nuI Irees Ior orchardisIs who wanI
Io grow Ihe IradiIionaI pIanIs, such as sheIIbark hickory, chinguapin or
chokeberry. To geI a beIIer idea oI whaI's possibIe, visiI www.gonaIiveIrees.com.
W
A IocaI grower in my area speciaIizes in Iarge "specimen" Irees and shrubs,
cosIing up Io $1,000 each. 8uyers are homeowners and Iandscapers who need an
"insIanI" Iree Iarge enough Io Iook Iike iI's been Ihere Ior years, repIacemenI
Irees Ior Ihose damaged by disease, vandaIs or car accidenIs, even new
consIrucIion pro|ecIs where money is no ob|ecI, buI size is.
Common Questions
Looking Ior some answers? This IisI oI Ihe mosI common guesIions asked by
Ihose who wanI Io sIarI Iheir own backyard nursery wiII guide you Ihrough Ihe
sIeps Io sIarIing up and succeeding.
G- G. NV'"*-4)" H( 8.%#. C 9%50,%#; H#"" C*; 8E#<1 Q<#-"#,I
!I wiII reguire some money, buI you shouId be abIe Io geI aII your suppIies Ior
under a Iew hundred doIIars. You don'I have Io have Ihousands oI doIIars Io be abIe
Io be a success. Remember, sIarI smaII wiIh your business and grow naIuraIIy.
3("- G. 6"W<4#" C L<77BH4/" ?(//4./"*.I
No. You can work as IiIIIe or as much as you Iike. PIanIs do need some aIIenIion,
buI you can sIiII have a day |ob or oIher commiImenIs.
!(+ F<5E 8'%5" 3( G Q""; L(# F, Q<#-"#,I
There's noI a speciIic number, buI you need enough space Io make your nursery
proIiIabIe. Think abouI Ihe size oI Ihe pIanIs you wanI Io grow. !I you wanI Io
grow pIanIs in one-gaIIon conIainers, you can IiI 3,000 in a nursery measuring
1,000 sguare IeeI. !n IhaI same space, you can IiI 400 IiIIeen-gaIIon conIainers.
Remember, bigger conIainer sizes can bring bigger money Ioo, buI Iake Ionger Io
grow. ]usI do some research and Iind ouI whaI wiII work besI Ior you.
3( G Q""; C*, =45"*-"- S# :"#/4.-I
Yes, you wiII need a business Iicense. !n addiIion, some Iowns reguire a speciaI
permiI Io have a backyard nursery. Check wiIh Ihem and Iind ouI. AIso, iI your
sIaIe reguires saIes Iax, you'II need a resaIe Iicense
JE%. :7%*.- 8E(<7; G >#(+I
VisiI a gardening cenIer and see |usI whaI Ihey're seIIing. Pay aIIenIions Io Ihe
iIems IhaI Ihey sIock in Iarge guanIiIies. AIso, ask Iandscapers and oIher peopIe
|usI whaI Ihey're Iooking Ior. WhaI are Ihey buying? Do a web search Io research
Ihe Irees and shrubs you're inIeresIed in, and Iearn whaI oIhers are growing.
JE%. H,'" SM L"#.474X"#- 8E(<7; G A-"I
Use Iime-reIease IerIiIizers (aIso known as sIow-reIease IerIiIizers) as Ihese give
ouI nuIrienIs over a Iong period oI Iime, which greaIIy eases Ihe amounI oI work
on you. PIus, Ihey're saIe Ior your pIanIs and soiI.
JE%.D- C >((; 8(47 F4VI
You can buy pre-mixed soiI or make your own. !I you make your own, Iry
IoIIowing Ihis IormuIa:
Six parIs IopsoiI or composI
Three parIs peaI
Two parIs sand
!(+ ?%* F, 9<-4*"-- 9" 8<55"--M<7 G* HE" =(*@BH"#/I
Crow sIowIy and naIuraIIy. Don'I Iake on Ioo much aI IirsI. AIso, keep wiIh iI.
]usI keep Irying Io geI beIIer. As wiIh any business, your pIanI-growing business
wiII beneIiI Irom a pIan Ior Ihe IuIure. Where do you wanI your business Io go,
and how can you geI Ihere? Learn Irom misIakes and Iry Io geI beIIer. You'II geI
Ihere soon enough!
To Iearn more, read ("0 -" 6-)*- ) 4*"51-)7#% 8)9:;)*$ 4#)&- <=*,%*;.
avaiIabIe aI our web siIe: www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com. Our deIaiIed book abouI
growing unigue, high-vaIue Irees Ior proIiI can be Iound aI
www.proIiIabIepIanIsdigesI.com.
Crowing Mushrooms or ProIiI
or Ihose wiIhouI space Io garden,
growing mushrooms Ior proIiI can
produce a greaI reIurn in a smaII space.
xoIic mushrooms, such as oysIer and
shiiIake, make sense, as Ihey can be grown
indoors wiIhouI soiI. OysIer mushrooms,
Ior exampIe, produce around 2S pounds
per sguare IooI oI growing space in a
year's Iime. AI Ihe currenI price oI $6 a
pound, IhaI's $1S,000 worIh oI mushrooms
Irom a 10'x10' space! xoIic mushrooms do
noI IraveI weII, so smaII IocaI growers wiII aIways have an edge over disIanI
producers. AI our IocaI SaIurday markeI, Ihe oysIer mushrooms are aIso Ihe IirsI
iIems Io seII ouI.
HE" 84V 8."'-
1. >". R(<# 8'%+* C*; 8<1-.#%.": You'II need a spawn Io sIarI Ihe cuIIure. You
can produce your own spawn using a sIeriIe cuIIure, or you can buy ready-Io-
inocuIaIe spawn, which are carried by suppIiers. You'II aIso need Io buy Ihe
subsIraIe, which is usuaIIy sIraw or sawdusI.
2. :#"'%#" HE" 8<1-.#%.": 8y heaIing iI Io sIeriIize iI and Ihen spread ouI Io
cooI beIore using.
3. :%50 HE" :7%-.45 9%@-2 Now iI's Iime Io pack pIasIic bags wiIh Ihe sIraw and
spawn. Pack Iwo or Ihree inches oI sIraw inIo Ihe pIasIic bag and Ihen IighIIy
sprinkIe Ihe spawn on Iop. RepeaI Ihis unIiI you've IiIIed Ihe bag.

4. G*5<1%.4(*: Now iI's Iime Ior incubaIion. Keep Ihe growing area dark and
around 78 degrees . PIaces Ihe bags on a sheIving uniI. When you sIarI Io
noIice Iiny pinhead mushrooms near Ihe air hoIes in your bag, Ihen you're
ready Io move on Io Ihe nexI sIep.
S. L#<4.4*@2 or your IruiIing room, you need a high IeveI oI humidiIy. The
IemperaIure wiII need Io be 6S Io 70 degrees . UnIike Ihe incubaIion room,
you'II acIuaIIy need a IoI oI naIuraI IighI aI IeasI 12 hours a day.
6. !%#)"-.2 ]usI beIore your mushroom caps are IuIIy uncurIed, IhaI's when iI's
Iime Io harvesI. To do so, IwisI Ihe sIem oII as near Io Ihe growing bIock as
you are abIe Io. You've now harvesIed your mushrooms.
AIIer your oysIer mushrooms are grown, Ihey're ready Io be soId. Mushrooms
generaIIy do besI when Ihey're soId Iresh. !I you can'I seII your enIire suppIy
soon, Ireeze or dry Ihe remaining mushrooms and you can seII Ihem someIime in
Ihe IuIure. or Ihe crop you're ready Io seII now, you have severaI ways Io do iI:
1. 6"-.%<#%*.-2 Many resIauranIs Iove Io use Iresh mushrooms. TaIk Io IocaI
resIauranIs and see iI Ihey are inIeresIed in whaI you're growing. NexI, give
Ihem some Iree sampIes. !I Ihe cheIs Iike Ihe IasIe oI your mushrooms, Ihen
you couId see a IoI oI repeaI business Ihe besI kind Ior a mushroom grower,
as you'II have Iresh mushrooms Io seII every week.
2. >#(5"#, 8.(#"-2 Many peopIe Iurn Io grocery sIores Io Iind Ihe mushrooms
Ihey're Iooking Ior. !n parIicuIar, iI's a good idea Io IargeI grocery sIores IhaI
carry exoIic mushrooms and produce. These are oIIen upscaIe" grocers,
which IreguenIIy caIer Io cusIomers inIeresIed in buying premium
mushrooms. OysIer mushrooms have a IairIy shorI sheII IiIe, which is an
advanIage Ior IocaI growers who can pick and deIiver Ihe same day.

3. L%#/"#-D F%#0".-: armers' markeIs rouIineIy draw big crowds eager Io buy
Irom Ihe besI IocaI growers. !n parIicuIar, many peopIe Iurn Io Iarmers' markeIs
Io Iind mushrooms Ihey can'I Iind aI Iheir IocaI grocery sIore. SeI up a sIand or
booIh and geI seIIing. !I Ihe spoIs aI your IocaI Iarmers' markeI are aII soId ouI,
Ihen consider asking anoIher grower iI you can share Iheir sIand or booIh.
4. 3#4"; F<-E#((/-: or Iess-Ihan-perIecI mushrooms IhaI you don'I wanI Io
seII, consider drying Ihem. This can Iurn inIo a greaI markeI Ior you and your
mushroom-growing business. !I's IairIy easy Ioo. MosI Iood
dryers/dehydraIors shouId do a good |ob oI drying.
Questions About uiowing 0ystei Nushiooms
JE, S,-."# F<-E#((/-I
xoIic mushrooms are en|oying a high IeveI oI demand. LasI year aIone,
Americans grew more Ihan a miIIion and a haII pounds oI exoIic mushrooms.
OysIer mushrooms, a Iype oI exoIic mushroom, are one oI Ihe easiesI exoIic
mushrooms Io grow. They can grow in abouI six weeks' Iime, and are currenIIy
seIIing Ior abouI $6 -$8 a pound. They're IairIy easy Io grow, Ihey grow guickIy,
and Ihey can make you good money aII reasons why you shouId choose oysIer
mushrooms Io grow Ior proIiI.
!(+ 8E(<7; G >". F, 8'%+*I
There are Iwo ways you can geI your spawn. You can make your own using a
sIeriIe cuIIure or buy ready-Io-inocuIaIe spawn Irom a suppIier.
!(+ ?%* G G*5#"%-" F, 8%7"-I
Cive ouI Iree sampIes oI your oysIer mushrooms. This is how you'II be abIe Io seII
Io grocery sIores and resIauranIs. They'II wanI Io IasIe your mushrooms beIore
buying Ihem. !I a grocery sIore aIIows, puI on demonsIraIions. Handing ouI Iree
sampIes oI your oysIer mushrooms (IighIIy sauIeed in buIIer IasIes greaI!) is a
greaI way Io increase business.
!(+ F<5E >#(+4*@ C#"% 3( G Q"";I
8ecause oysIer mushrooms are so producIive, you don'I need much growing area
Io be a success. Here are some numbers Io geI you Ihinking abouI whaI you mighI
wanI. !n a growing area IhaI measures abouI 100 sguare IeeI, you can produce
around 2,S00 pounds oI mushrooms a year. SeIIing aI $6 a pound IhaI means even
a Iiny 100 sguare IooI growing area can be worIh abouI $1S,000 a year.
JE%. 8E(<7; G A-" L(# C 8<1-.#%."I
A subsIraIe is your growing medium. Crowers usuaIIy use sIraw Ior oysIer
mushrooms and hardwood sawdusI Ior shiiIake mushrooms.
JE%. GM G ?%*D. 8"77 F, F<-E#((/- 64@E. C+%,I
Your oysIer mushrooms wiII be aI Iheir besI when Ihey are Iresh. ThaI's when
you wanI Io seII Ihem. !I you can'I seII Ihem righI away, Ireeze or dry Ihem Io seII
IaIer. reezing or drying enabIes you Io seII your oysIer mushrooms days or
monIhs in Ihe IuIure.
To Iearn more abouI growing oysIer mushrooms Ior proIiI, read !"#$%&
()*+%,-. avaiIabIe aI: www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com.

Crowing OrnamenIaI
Crasses or ProIiI
ecause ornamenIaI grasses are
droughI-IoIeranI and Iow
mainIenance, Iandscapers are using more
and more oI Ihem, as are homeowners.
8ecause Ihere are hundreds oI shapes and
sizes, Ihey can be used Ior everyIhing Irom
ground covers Io privacy screens. !I's easy
Io geI sIarIed growing ornamenIaI grasses,
as you simpIy buy Ihe "moIher" pIanIs and
divide Ihe rooI cIump inIo new pIanIs as iI grows. Using poIs, iI's possibIe Io grow
Ihousands oI pIanIs in a smaII backyard nursery.
Five Piofitable 0inamental
uiasses Foi Youi Backyaiu Nuiseiy
So you'd Iike Io Iurn your backyard nursery inIo a garden oI proIiIabIe pIanIs.
One oI Ihe besI possibiIiIies is ornamenIaI grasses.
OrnamenIaI grasses are IairIy easy Io grow and are high in demand. WhaI
separaIes Ihem Irom reguIar grasses is Iheir disIincIive Iorm or coIor. They aIso
vary in size, Irom six-inch IuIIs, aII Ihe way Io IwenIy-IooI gianIs. PIus, Ihey have
a IoI oI uses.
Landscapers Iove Ihem, because Ihey can be used as a ground cover, specimen
pIanIs, near ponds and more. DecoraIors and IIoraI arrangers en|oy using Ihem
8
as cuI IIowers and everIasIings. CiIies Iove Ihem Ior urban Iandscaping, because
oI Iheir IoIerance Io poor soiI and air poIIuIion.
OrnamenIaI grasses oIIer a huge range oI choices Ior growers. ThaI's why Ihey're
perIecI Ior you Io grow. When deciding on whaI ornamenIaI grasses Io grow, be
sure Io ask around and Iind ouI whaI Iandscapers are Iooking Ior. !I you can grow
guaIiIy pIanIs aI reasonabIe prices, you couId see a IoI oI business. 8e sure Io keep
in mind your cIimaIe and environmenI when deciding speciIic varieIies Io grow.
To geI you sIarIed, here are some proIiIabIe ornamenIaI grasses you couId grow
righI in your backyard pIanI nursery:
97<" =,/" >#%--: This is IruIy Ihe bIuesI oI Ihe bIue ornamenIaI grasses. !I's
Iough and can spread guickIy. ThaI's why iI's a Iop ornamenIaI grass Ior
erosion conIroI. AI Iop heighI, iI'II be abouI 30 inches IaII.
L(<*.%4* >#%--: This is one oI Ihe mosI popuIar ornamenIaI grasses wiIh
growers. !I can produce mounds oI six-inch IIower heads. PIus, wiIh Ihe righI
care iI can grow up Io Iive IeeI IaII.
6411(* >#%--: This someIimes goes by Ihe nickname, gardener's garIers." !I
spreads Iike bamboo, and can guickIy grow Io Ihree IeeI in heighI. 8esI oI aII,
iI can IoIeraIe a varieIy oI soiI and moisIure condiIions.
8+4.5E >#%--: This has been used Ior years by Ihe SoiI ConservaIion Service
as iI can provide soiI conIroI and cover Ior wiIdIiIe. !I IreguenIIy grows Iour
Io six IeeI IaII.
:<#'7" F((# >#%--: A breeze can seI Ihem in moIion, earning Ihem Ihe
nickname oI dancing grass." The IaII Iorm oI purpIe moor grass is known as
WindspieI," and can grow up Io six IeeI IaII, wiIh purpIe IIowers arriving in Ihe
summer. VariegaIa" is Ihe smaII Iorm, which grows Io a heighI oI Ihree IeeI.
97<" S%. >#%--2 When iI is IuIIy grown, iI Iooks Iike a bIue hedgehog! !I
preIers a weII-drained soiI and pIenIy oI sun.
L"%.E"# 6""; >#%--: This is one oI Ihe besI Io grow. NoI onIy is iI easy Io
grow, buI iI can IoIeraIe mosI soiIs and droughI.
>4%*. 6"";: This ornamenIaI grass can Iop ouI aI 20 IeeI in heighI and has
bamboo-Iike sIaIks.
Q(#.E"#* 8"% S%.-: AI IirsI gIance, Ihese Iook Iike a 3-IooI IaII bamboo pIanI.
The Ieaves Iurn a brighI bronze coIor in Ihe IaII.
OrnamenIaI grasses can aIso be grown Ior drying and dyeing. SwiIch grass,
pIume grass, rabbiI IaiI grass and euIaIia grass are popuIar Iypes IhaI are
IreguenIIy grown Ior drying. !I you'd Iike Io dye your grasses, you couId Iind
even more inIeresI in Ihem. !I's guiIe simpIe and can Iead Io big saIes aI giII
shops and craII shops. Try growing Ihese ornamenIaI grasses in your backyard
pIanI nursery. SeII Ihem as is, or you couId consider drying or dyeing Ihem.
Many growers Iind drying and dyeing are an exceIIenI "vaIue-added" way Io Iurn
Ihe season's surpIus inIo proIiIs.
To Iearn more abouI growing Ihese IascinaIing and proIiIabIe grasses, read: ("0
-" 6-)*- ) 4*"51-)7#% 8)9:;)*$ 4#)&- <=*,%*;. avaiIabIe aI our web siIe:
www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com.
Crowing CarIic or ProIiI
arIic is a member oI Ihe same IamiIy
as onions, shaIIoIs, Ieeks and chives.
or Ihousands oI years, garIic has been
used Ior cooking and medicinaI purposes.
RecenI scienIiIic research has proven
many oI Ihe hisIoricaI cIaims Ior garIic's
heaIIh-giving and medicinaI powers. !Is
chemicaI ingredienIs can IighI bacIeria,
Iower choIesIeroI IeveIs and acI as an
organic insecIicide.

CarIic is an ideaI crop Ior Ihe smaII grower, as iIs Iabor inIensive and aImosI
IooIprooI. 8ecause iI IoIeraIes a wide varieIy oI soiIs and weaIher, iI's very hard
Io Iose a crop. or decades, growers have nicknamed garIic Ihe morIgage IiIIer"
Ior IhaI very reason.
MosI smaII growers use vaIue-added" Iechnigues Io geI a higher price Ior Iheir
garIic, such as garIic braids, and garIic powder. One PennsyIvania grower, has
Iound even more ways Io add vaIue Io his garIic crop. !n addiIion Io seIIing buIbs
and braids, he seIIs garIic gardens" sized Io grow on a windowsiII. He aIso
discovered IhaI Ihe Chinese have Iong harvesIed Ihe garIic greens Ior seasoning,
C
>99"*$1&2 -" ) ?%2%-)7#% @*"A, 6A%91)#1,- )- @"*&%## B&1+%*,1-;. CDE%*%F,
) 7""G1&2 G)*:%- "=- -E%*% 5"* 5*%,E #"9)# 2)*#19/ DE",% 2*"01&2 1- 9)&
,%## %+%*; 9#"+% -E%; A*"$=9%/ H#%AE)&- 2)*#19. 5"* %I)GA#%. *%-)1#, 5"* JK
-" JL ) A"=&$ )&$ A*"$=9%, =A -" MN.OOO A"=&$, A%* )9*%/P
much Iike chives, so he now seIIs greens and a recipe Ior garIic greens pesIo
sauce Ior $1S a pound in season!
There are Iwo Iypes oI garIic, soII neck and hard neck. SoII neck garIic is whaI
you'II Iind in aImosI aII grocery sIores. SmaII growers can do beIIer wiIh gourmeI
hard neck varieIies, as Ihey are more IIavorIuI, do beIIer in coIder cIimaIes and
produce Iarger cIoves. PopuIar hard neck varieIies incIude PorceIain, RocamboIe
and PurpIe SIripe. AnoIher popuIar gourmeI garIic is IephanI garIic, so named
because Ihe buIbs are huge. IephanI garIic has a miIder IIavor Ihan mosI garIics,
which may accounI Ior iIs popuIariIy.
The gourmeI garIic varieIies bring higher prices over $6 a pound is common -
Irom Iood Iovers who appreciaIe Ihe disIincI IIavors. These higher prices IransIaIe
inIo a very proIiIabIe crop. AnoIher imporIanI consideraIion cusIomers who Iove
gourmeI garIic expecI Io be abIe Io buy organic. So you shouId use organic
pracIices, IerIiIizers and pesI conIroIs Io insure IhaI your garIic wiII meeI organic
sIandards. TypicaIIy, organic garIic brings higher prices as weII.
NexI, make sure your garIic is growing up heaIIhy and sIrong. Check Io see iI
your soiI has a Ph beIween 6.2 and 6.8. ThaI's whaI garIic preIers. Look Ior
weeds, pesIs and any disease probIems. You aIso need Io make sure your soiI is
weII-drained. WaIerIogged soiI can Iead Io a IoI oI probIems. Consider growing
your garIic in a raised bed, which wiII heIp wiIh drainage. A bed IhaI is aI IeasI
six inches high shouId do Ihe Irick.
SIarI pIanIing your buIbs and seed cIoves abouI six weeks beIore Ihe IirsI IrosI oI
IaII. When pIanIing your buIbs and cIoves, Iry Io pIanI Ihem Iour Io six inches
aparI. When you have years oI experience you can sIarI pIanIing Ihem even
cIoser IogeIher.
CarIic growers wiII keep more proIiIs iI Ihey seII direcI Io Ihe pubIic. One oI Ihe
besI is Ihe SaIurday markeI, or armer's markeIs. armers' markeIs conIinue Io
be popuIar evenIs IhaI draw big crowds eager Io Iind Ihe besI IocaI produce Irom
Ihe besI IocaI growers. ThaI couId be you.
SeI up a sIand or sIaII, and puI your garIic on dispIay. Consider puIIing ouI a sign-
up sheeI Ior a maiIing IisI, so you can keep in conIacI wiIh your cusIomers.
armers' markeIs can IiII up IasI, so iI you're noI abIe Io renI a sIand or a sIaII,
consider asking anoIher grower iI you can share one wiIh Ihem.
Making vaIue-added producIs is your chance Io geI creaIive wiIh garIic. You can
make severaI producIs wiIh garIic. or one, you can make a saIe garIic-based
insecIicide. You can aIso make a deer repeIIanI. Or whaI abouI Iaking your cuII"
garIic buIbs (ones wiIh bIemishes or an odd shape) and IiIIing a haII-pound mesh
bag IhaI you Iie oII aI Ihe Iop. This can make Ior an exceIIenI naIuraI IIea
repeIIanI. CarIic greens are popuIar Spring seIIers aI any armer's markeIs.
WiIh a sIeady demand and high prices, gourmeI garIic couId be |usI Ihe backyard
cash crop Io boosI your bank accounI. To Iearn more, read: !"#$%& ()*+%,-.
avaiIabIe aI: www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com.

VaIue-Added PIanIs
Bonsai
8onsai is Ihe popuIar ]apanese meIhod, which
invoIves sIunIing Irees and shrubs wiIhouI
aIIering Ihe naIuraI appearance. MosI
commerciaI growers seII bonsai pIanIs in Ihree
Iypes: sIarIer pIanIs, Irained pIanIs and
specimen pIanIs. Prices vary based on size,
whaI Iype oI bonsai and Ihe overaII
appearance. AIIhough coIIecIors pay Ihousands
Ior prime specimens, popuIar seIIers are
usuaIIy younger Irees priced under $100.
Bypeitufa
HyperIuIa is a IighI weighI arIiIiciaI sIone IhaI's guiIe simpIe Io make. Mix Ihree
parIs PorIIand cemenI, Iour parIs peaI and Iive parIs perIiIe. You can use
everyday pIasIic conIainers Ior mouIds. The Iinished conIainer can be IiIIed wiIh
one or more pIanIs, and you're on your way Io a big seIIer. !I's a greaI way Io seII
a $3 pIanI Ior $20. One IocaI grower embeds a smaII piece oI Iused gIass in each
hyperIuIa conIainer, IiIIs Ihem wiIh succuIenIs, and seIIs Ihousands oI doIIars
worIh oI Ihem aI Ihe SaIurday markeI.
Table-Top Chiistmas Tiees
More and more peopIe are Iiving in aparImenIs and condos and don'I have
room Ior a IuII-sized ChrisImas Iree. ThaI's why you couId make some nice
money growing IabIe-Iop ChrisImas Irees. Two varieIies, in parIicuIar, are
wideIy used: Iwood cedar and !IaIian sIone pine. Living varieIies, in an poI,
are Ihe mosI popuIar, as Ihey can be moved Io a paIio aIIer Ihe hoIiday season
and be en|oyed year-round.
Tielliseu Plants
You can add vaIue Io a pIanI by Iraining iI on a simpIe IreIIis, as opposed Io a
sIake. How does making doubIe Ihe originaI amounI sound? You can make a
IreIIis by Iaking cedar Iencing boards, ripping Ihem inIo narrow sIrips and using
an eIecIric sIapIer or brad naiIer. TreIIising works besI Ior bigger poI sizes, such
as Ihe 3-S gaIIon conIainers, as a IreIIis can provide sIabiIiIy.
To Iearn more abouI vaIue-added pIanIs, read: ("0 -" 6-)*- ) 4*"51-)7#%
8)9:;)*$ 4#)&- <=*,%*;. avaiIabIe aI our web siIe, www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com.
Our book !*"01&2 D*%%, 3"* 4*"51- conIains even more inIormaIion abouI
bonsai Irees and ChrisImas Irees. Read more abouI Ihose aI
Lavender arming
avender Iarming can produce a
subsIanIiaI income Ior smaII
growers. The Iresh IIowers are soId in
bundIes or used Io make Iavender oiI,
and Ihe dried IIower bunches are soId
Io IIorisIs and hobbyisIs Ior dried
arrangemenIs and wreaIhs. The
harvesIed Iavender is aIso used Io
make dozens oI vaIue-added producIs,
Irom dried buds Io aromaIherapy
producIs, skin-care producIs, sacheIs and herbaI piIIows. AII are easy Io make
and in demand Irom consumers who Iove Ihe scenI oI Iavender. ThaI's Ihe
beauIy oI Iavender unIike oIher perishabIe crops, noIhing goes Io wasIe, and
proIiIs are year-round.
When Mike & ]adyne Reichner decided Io Iry growing Iavender, Ihey sIarIed wiIh
|usI 19 pIanIs and earned a IirsI-year proIiI oI $88. !n Ihe Iew years since Ihen,
Ihey have expanded Iheir growing area Io 7 acres, wiIh Ihousands oI pIanIs,
dozens oI vaIue-added producIs Iike Iavender soaps and poIIed Iavender pIanIs,
and now gross over one miIIion doIIars a year!
8ecause demand Ior Iavender and Iavender producIs is booming, Ihere is an
opporIuniIy Ior oIhers Io sIarI growing Iavender on a smaII scaIe as weII, and
cash in on Ihe growIh oI Ihe Iavender business. Lavender Iarming can be a smaII
as a backyard paIch oI a Iew dozen pIanIs Io acres oI pIanIs. or exampIe,
Rosemary LiIz grows |usI 80 pIanIs in her CoIorado backyard, using Ihe
harvesIed Iavender Io creaIe hand-craIIed producIs she makes wiIh her sewing
machine such as decoraIive sacheIs and herbaI piIIows. As you can see, Ihere is
L
room in Ihe Iavender worId Ior growers oI aII sizes. !I's an ideaI parI-Iime
business IhaI can produce a Iidy income year-round.
Lavender is a Iong-IasIing herb wiIh a IiIespan oI 12-1S years in Ihe ground. New
pIanIs are usuaIIy produced Irom cuIIings, so iI's easy Io repIace oIder pIanIs,
expand your growing area or produce Iavender pIanIs Ior saIe aI aImosI no cosI.
!n addiIion, because Iavender is so easy Io dry, iI can be used Io make vaIue-
added producIs year-round insIead oI |usI during Ihe growing season.
You can sIarI a Iavender growing business wiIh |usI a smaII amounI oI money
as IiIIIe as a Iew hundred doIIars Ior pIanI sIarIs and hand IooIs. Lavender is an
easy pIanI Io grow, and is guiIe disease-Iree as Iong as you give Ihe pIanIs weII-
drained soiI, as iI haIes weI IeeI.
MosI Iavender growers agree Ihe besI way Ior new growers Io ensure Iheir success
is Io add vaIue" by seIIing Iavender producIs in addiIion Io |usI Iresh cuI Iavender
IIowers. Here are |usI a Iew exampIes oI vaIue-added producIs you can seII:
3#4"; =%)"*;"# 9<*;7"-2 CraIIers and IIorisIs use dried Iavender bunches Io
creaIe IIoraI arrangemenIs, wreaIhs and oIher craII producIs. Drying Ihe
bunches is simpIe |usI hang upside-down in a weII-venIiIaIed space.
8%5E".-2 There are dozens oI uses Ior Iavender sacheIs, so Ihey are sIeady
seIIers aI SaIurday markeIs, reIaiI sIores and Io repeaI cusIomers. SacheIs are
used in baIh bags, in cIoseIs and drawers as an air Ireshener, in Ihe dryer Io
give cIoIhes a deIicaIe Iavender Iresh scenI, and even in piIIows Io promoIe
resIIuI sIeep. One enIerprising grower whoIesaIes Ihousands oI decoraIive
sacheI bags Io IocaI reIaiIers every year.
C#(/%.E"#%', S472 Lavender oiI is one oI Ihe mosI used essenIiaI oiIs,
vaIued Ior iIs caIming, sooIhing eIIecI. Many growers seII Ihe oiI in smaII
personaI sized boIIIes as weII as in personaI care producIs Iike IoIions, creams
and shampoo.
=%)"*;"# 8(%'2 This popuIar vaIue-added producI is aIways a big repeaI
seIIer and giII iIem. The aIIordabIe basic Iavender bars are besI-seIIers.
=%)"*;"# =(.4(*-2 WiIh markups oI S00% Io 1,000%, iIs no wonder so many
cosmeIics enIrepreneurs have become miIIionaires! UnIike mass-markeI
IacIory-made producIs, smaII growers can use Iheir Iavender oiI Io make
IoIions, creams, oinImenIs and shampoos wiIh aII-naIuraI ingredienIs.
!I you wouId Iike Io Iearn more abouI Ihis aromaIic speciaIIy crop, visiI:
www.proIiIabIepIanIsdigesI.com, where you'II Iind severaI arIicIes abouI
growing Iavender Ior proIiI, and deIaiIs abouI our growing guide, Q>?H<RHS
3>STU<! (VW DV 6D>SD > Q>?H<RHS 8B6U<H66/

ProIiIabIe !ndoor Microgreens
Big Piofits Fiom Small Plants
or many years, microgreens were
grown primariIy Ior saIe Io upscaIe
resIauranIs. These Iiny pIanIs are used as
a garnish Ior main dishes Iike Iish or
pork Io add coIor and IasIe, served as a
mini-saIad, or added Io a saIad oI Iarger
Ieaves such as spinach or aruguIa.
Today, IhaI has aII changed, and
microgreens have become wideIy known and used, noI |usI by Irendy cheIs and
Ioodies," buI by anyone who appreciaIes Iresh, IasIy Iood. One Iood wriIer
caIIed iI Ihe microgreening oI America." NaIionaI PubIic Radio recenIIy named
microgreens one oI Ihe new cuIinary buzzwords," and Ihe NaIionaI ResIauranI
AssociaIion caIIs microgreens one oI Ihe Iop Iive Iood Irends.
When a Iood goes Irom unknown Io a hoI Iood Irend, Ihere is money Io be made.
UnIike mosI oIher speciaIIy Iood crops, microgreens are easy Io grow, and can
be ready Io seII in |usI Ien Io IwenIy days. They can be grown indoors or
ouIdoors, so microgreens are a perIecI crop Ior urban Iarmers who may noI have
access Io a paIch oI dirI. !n IacI, many smaII growers preIer indoor growing, as iI
aIIows more conIroI over IighI and IemperaIure, so crops can be grown more
guickIy, and harvesIs are more predicIabIe
8ecause microgreens are expensive, seIIing Ior $20 Io $S0 a pound, growers can
produce a soIid income in a very smaII space compared Io IradiIionaI Iarming. or
exampIe, growing microgreens on a rack or sheIving sysIem IhaI uses verIicaI
space more eIIicienIIy can produce severaI pounds per sguare IooI per monIh.
What Aie Niciogieens.
Microgreens are Iiny, edibIe greens IhaI are oIder Ihan a sprouI and younger
Ihan a IuII-grown pIanI. Microgreens are harvesIed aIIer Iheir IirsI Irue Ieaves
have deveIoped, beIore Ihey deveIop inIo Iarger pIanIs. They are Ihe smaIIesI oI
Ihe saIad greens and herbs, smaIIer Ihan Ihe baby greens," and can be grown
Irom aImosI any pIanI varieIy IhaI wouId produce a maIure pIanI, such as
aruguIa, spinach, radish or basiI.
What's The Biffeience
Between Niciogieens anu Spiouts.
Microgreens are noI sprouIs. SprouIs are |usI germinaIed seeds, grown in waIer,
IhaI are eaIen whoIe, wiIh Ihe seed, rooI and sIem sIiII aIIached. Microgreens are
noI grown in waIer. They are produced in soiI or a sIeriIe medium such as a Iiber
maI. They reguire pIenIy oI IighI, Iow humidiIy and good air circuIaIion. The seed
densiIy is Iow compared Io sprouIing, which aIIows pIenIy oI room Ior each Iiny
pIanI Io grow and deveIop. AI harvesI, Ihey are cuI and packed wiIhouI any rooIs.
When microgreens are harvesIed, Iheir IIavor is oIIen more inIense Ihan Ihe
maIure pIanI, Iike Ihe spicy micro-radish or micro-mizuna. This inIense IIavor is
parI oI Iheir cuIinary appeaI. The mosI common microgreens come Irom Ihe
cruciIer, or cabbage, IamiIy oI pIanIs, and are packed wiIh viIamins, mineraIs
and phyIonuIrienIs. So noI onIy do microgreens suppIy IIavor, IexIure and coIor
Io a saIad or main dish, Ihey're aIso nuIriIious! Some oI Ihe mosI common
microgreens are amaranIh, aruguIa, beeIs, basiI, cabbage, ceIery, chard, ciIanIro,
cress, kaIe, musIard, parsIey, radish and sorreI. MosI commerciaI growers aIso
oIIer microgreen mixes Ior a bIend oI IasIes and coIors.

You can sIarI a microgreen business wiIh |usI a smaII amounI oI money - as IiIIIe
as a Iew hundred doIIars Ior seeds and suppIies. Microgreens maIure guickIy, so
iI is noI uncommon Ior growers Io earn back Iheir invesImenI guickIy, or use
Iheir proIiIs Io expand Iheir growing business. !I doesn'I maIIer how much
growing space you have, or gardening experience. !I you can spare as IiIIIe as an
hour a day, you can sIarI growing micro greens Ior proIiI.
One successIuI grower, KaIe 8run, wenI Irom growing in Ihe sunroom oI her
home Io a 400 sguare IooI greenhouse, Ihen a 1,600 sguare IooI greenhouse in
abouI a year. KaIe grows severaI varieIies oI organic microgreens, Irom broccoIi
and aruguIa Io sunIIower and popcorn. !n addiIion Io her reguIar resIauranI and
grocery cusIomers, she seIIs her greens aI severaI IocaI Iarmers' markeIs.

Our growing guide, !*"01&2 T19*"2*%%&, 3"* 4*"51-, gives new growers aII Ihe
inIormaIion Ihey need Io geI sIarIed growing Ihis speciaIIy crop. You'II Iind more
inIormaIion abouI Ihe book, as weII as dozens oI Iree arIicIes abouI growing
Ihese Iiny and IasIy greens, aI: www.proIiIabIepIanIsdigesI.com.

8E" -%,-K C>, 5)* ), ) 9E%5 1, 9"&9%*&%$. G19*"2*%%&, )*% #1:% ) 7"0 "&
) A*%,%&-/ X"= 9)& 0*)A 1- 1& A)A%*. )&$ 1-F## ,-1## 7% 2""$. 7=- 15 ;"= A=-
) 5)&9; 7"0 "& -"A. 1- 7%9"G%, 2"*2%"=,/P S*" (M E"# 5E"M- 7()"- E"#
/45#(@#""*- 1"5%<-"K CU 9)& =-1#1Y% %+%*; A"=&$ "* "=&9% U 7=;/ U-
G):%, 5"* ) 0); A*%--1%* A#)-%. )&$ G):%, %+%*;-E1&2 ) #1--#% G"*%
A"#1,E%$ )&$ *%51&%$/P
]apanese MapIes
Bow to Nake $4S,uuu
uiowing }apanese Naples Foi Piofit
or hundreds oI years, ]apanese
mapIes (Acer paImaIum) have been
grown and admired by gardeners, who
view Ihem as a "coIIecIor's Iree" because
oI Iheir unigue beauIy. These IoveIy Irees
make a unigue addiIion Io any garden,
wiIh IoIiage ranging Irom deIicaIe Iacy
Ieaves Io variegaIed Ieaves in a rainbow
oI coIors Irom red and green Io pinks
and whiIe highIighIs. Landscape designers Iove ]apanese mapIes because Ihey
can be used in so many ways in Ihe Iandscape.
MosI reIaiI garden cenIers and nurseries simpIy don'I have Ihe space Io dispIay
more Ihan a Iew oI Ihe hundreds oI varieIies, so iI can be hard Ior a reIaiI
cusIomer Io Iind exacIIy Ihe righI ]apanese mapIe Ior needs. ThaI is why a smaII
speciaIIy Iree nursery business wiIh a good seIecIion oI varieIies can do so weII,
boIh in proIiIabiIiIy and in aIIracIing cusIomers who are Iooking Ior IhaI
"perIecI" Iree, such as a Iandscape designer or homeowner.
8ecause ]apanese mapIes are smaIIer Irees, Ihey can aIso be easiIy grown in
conIainers Io aIIow more pIanIs in Ihe same space ideaI Ior Ihose growers wiIh
IimiIed space. A backyard nursery can hoId hundreds oI Ihese soughI-aIIer Irees,
and aI Ihe high prices Ior mosI varieIies, even a smaII growing area can produce
Ihousands oI doIIars oI proIiI each year.

There are hundreds oI cuIIivars oI Ihis beauIiIuI Iree, wiIh endIess variaIions oI
coIor, Iorm, IeaI Iype and size. !I can be downrighI conIusing Ior a beginner, so
|usI remember IhaI mosI ]apanese mapIes IaII inIo Iwo broad Iypes, broad IeaI and
cuI IeaI, and Iwo primary coIors, red and green. The cuI IeaI aIso caIIed Iace IeaI -
varieIies are reIerred Io as "dissecIum," Ior exampIe, Acer paImaIum "dissecIum."
Common exampIes oI each varieIy are:
U%'%*"-" 6"; F%'7": This is a specIacuIar Iree Ior IaII coIor, wiIh red Ieaves
in summer IhaI Iurn even brighIer red in IaII. AIso popuIar are Ihe aIIracIive
dissecIum varieIies, wiIh deepIy cuI IeaIhery Ieaves and a weeping shape.
?#4/-(* Y<""* U%'%*"-" F%'7": This dwarI varieIy onIy reaches Ien IeeI in
heighI aI maIuriIy. WiIh iIs IriIIy Ieaves and weeping branches, iI makes an
ouIsIanding specimen Iree.
?<.7"%M >#""* U%'%*"-" F%'7"2 This is Ihe "sIandard" cuIIivar Ior Ihe green
dissecIums. A dwarI varieIy, iI reaches onIy six IeeI aI maIuriIy, wiIh green
dissecIed Ieaves in summer, Iurning goIden in Ihe IaII.
Crowing ]apanese mapIes can be a very proIiIabIe "niche" Iree nursery business
iI you can suppIy Ihe essenIiaI ingredienIs Ior success:
MosI varieIies are hardy in zones S Io 9, so be sure your regionaI cIimaIe IaIIs
inIo Ihis range.
Many varieIies reguire parIiaI shade Ior proIecIion Irom Ihe hoI summer sun.
A simpIe and inexpensive shade cIoIh canopy over a growing area can
provide Ihis.
New growers musI be paIienI, as iI can Iake severaI years Io grow ouI Ihe
Iarger specimen Irees IhaI bring high prices. or more immediaIe income,
grow Ihe common varieIies Irom seed or seedIing in one-gaIIon poIs, which
can be soId in a year or so.

!I you're Iooking Ior a proIiIabIe niche in Ihe worId oI Iandscaping Irees,
]apanese mapIes couId be |usI righI Ior you. The rewards go beyond |usI proIiIs,
as Ihe saIisIacIion oI creaIing Ihese beauIiIuI Irees goes beyond money. A side
beneIiI is having a smaII coIIecIion oI Ihese specimens in your yard Ior graIIing
Io produce even more unigue Irees.
Our growing guide, !*"01&2 D*%%, 3"* 4*"51-. incIudes a secIion on how Io sIarI
a Iree nursery speciaIizing in ]apanese mapIes, and covers Ihe Ien besI seIIing
varieIies, growing Iips and Iechnigues, and a resource secIion IhaI wiII IeII you
where Io Iind Ihe besI books and videos on Ihese IoveIy Irees, as weII as
whoIesaIe sources Ior seeds, seedIings and oIher essenIiaI suppIies.
The book aIso covers severaI oIher speciaIized Iree niches," such as bonsai
Irees, heirIoom IruiI and nuI Irees, high-vaIue Iree producIs Iike Ihe Iigured
wood used Io make musicaI insIrumenIs and even IhaI proven money-maker,
ChrisImas Irees. To Iearn more abouI Ihese proIiIabIe Irees, visiI

>#-E"=2E 1- -):%, -1G% -" 7=1#$ )& 1&+%&-"*; "5 E12E Z=)#1-; [)A)&%,%
G)A#%,. 1- 9)& 7% 0"*-E -E% 0)1-/ @=**%&- A*19%, "5 9"GG"& +)*1%-1%,
#1:% 8#""$2""$ )- *%-)1# &=*,%*1%, )*% JLO -" JM\O 5"* ,1I 5""- -)## A"--%$
-*%%,. )&$ JM\N -" J\OO 5"* \] 9)#1A%* ^-*=&: $1)G%-%*_ -*%%,/ S)*%
+)*1%-1%, 9)& 7*1&2 -019% ), G=9E/
ProIiIabIe Woody OrnamenIaIs
uiow "Woouies" Anu Baivest Piofits Foi 2u-Su Yeais!
oody ornamenIaIs, aIso known as
woody cuIs, or simpIy "woodies," are
Irees and shrubs whose branches are
harvesIed and soId Io IIorisIs and individuaIs
Ior IIoraI arrangemenIs and craII producIs
such as wreaIhs. MosI woodies have coIorIuI
sIems, Iike Red Twig dogwood, unusuaI sIems
Iike curIy wiIIow, or sIems wiIh aIIracIive
berries, buds or IIowers. Some oI Ihe weII-
known woodies incIude hoIIy in winIer, pussy
wiIIows in spring and smoke Iree, IorsyIhia
and hydrangea in spring and summer.
UnIike annuaI pIanIs Iike IIowers and
vegeIabIes, woodies can be harvesIed over and over again Ior many years. There
is no annuaI IiIIing, pIanIing or soiI preparaIion. Woodies can aIso provide a year-
round harvesI income, as diIIerenI species are ready Io harvesI during aII Iour
seasons. or exampIe, wiIch hazeI can be harvesIed and soId in earIy spring, Ihen
ninebark in spring and summer, IiIberIs and smoke Iree in summer, boxwood and
beauIyberry in Ihe IaII and nandina, wax myrIIe and hoIIy in Ihe winIer.
OuIside WashingIon, D.C, in Ihe ruraI suburbs oI MaryIand, Leon and CaroI
Carrier have Iurned Iheir Iwo-acre IoI inIo a money making woody ornamenIaI
nursery. You'II Iind oId crabappIe and dogwood Irees IhaI yieId proIiIabIe
branches every year, as weII as more unusuaI pIanIs, Iike MagnoIia grandiIIora
IhaI couId easiIy be caIIed Iheir money Iree." The Iree's Iong IasIing IeaIy sIem
W
www.ProIiIabIePIanIsDigesI.com Page S0 of S3
bunches bring abouI $6 each aI Ihe Iarmer's markeI, and one Iree produces over
120 bunches!
A growing bed IuII oI besI-seIIing winIerberry is a popuIar iIem during Ihe
winIer hoIiday season, producing hundreds oI singIe sIems IhaI bring $3 each aI
Ihe markeI. The row oI winIerberry pIanIs was esIabIished 14 years ago, and wiII
be producing sIeady income Ior years Io come. AnoIher bed hoIds IIowering
guince, which can produce as much as $800 worIh oI sIems per pIanI, per year.
KaIherine Lewis, a baskeI maker, weaves wiIIow baskeIs and she and her
husband, SIeve LospaIIuIo, grow a varieIy oI coIored sIem wiIIows on Iheir
WashingIon sIaIe Iarm, Dunbar Cardens. The wiIIow sIems are harvesIed,
bundIed and soId Io oIher baskeI makers in Ihe area, who vaIue Ihe wide range
oI coIored wiIIow sIems IhaI bring IiIe Io Iheir woven creaIions.
!n addiIion, Ihey seII wiIIow cuIIings Io craIIers and anyone who wanIs Io grow
wiIIow Io harvesI. The wiIIow pIanIs aI Ihe Iarm are IighIIy spaced, as cIose as 9
inches aparI in rows onIy 32 inches aparI, Io keep Ihe sIems Irom geIIing Ioo Iarge
Ior baskeIry. Some oI Ihe sIem harvesI Ior saIe is bundIes oI 8-12 inch cuIIings Io
sIarI new pIanIs. This aIIows weavers Io creaIe amazingIy coIorIuI baskeIs and
oIher craII iIems such as wreaIhs and garden ornamenIs, even IurniIure.

8ecause demand Ior woody ornamenIaIs is increasing, Ihere is an opporIuniIy
Ior new growers Io sIarI producing woody sIems on a smaII scaIe and cash in on
IhaI demand. Shipping woodies is expensive, and can oIIen damage deIicaIe buds
S%,%)*9E%*, )- -E% B&1+%*,1-; "5 `%&-=9:; @"##%2% "5 >2*19=#-=*%
*%9%&-#; $1$ ) $%-)1#%$ ,-=$; "5 -E% A*"51- A"-%&-1)# 5"* a=,- "&% 0""$;
,A%91%,. 01##"0. )&$ 9"&9#=$%$ -E)- ,G)##%* A#"-, "5 Mbc -" M )9*% 9"=#$
A*"$=9% ) *%-=*& "5 =A -" JNK.OOO A%* )9*%d

and IIowers, in addiIion Io reducing vase IiIe. ThaI's why IIorisIs and oIher
woody users preIer Io buy IocaI Io insure Ireshness and higher guaIiIy.
Many woodies can be dried and soId year-round. or exampIe, Ihere is a huge
demand Ior dried hydrangeas Irom craIIers and IIorisIs. AIso, many woodies can
be used Io creaIe wreaIhs and oIher craII producIs such as woven wiIIow
baskeIs, even rusIic woven wiIIow IurniIure. One grower produces wiIIow
rocking chairs and seIIs ouI each year! AIso, Ihe IruiI oI Iwo woodies, IIowering
guince and rose hips, is used Ior making vaIue-added |ams, |eIIies and chuIney.
AIIhough Ihere are growers IhaI produce woodies on up Io 160 acres, mosI are
much smaIIer growers, wiIh as IiIIIe as a guarIer or haII acre. There is room in
Ihe woody growing worId Ior growers oI aII sizes. !I's an ideaI parI-Iime business
IhaI can produce a subsIanIiaI income year-round.
MosI woodies are Iong-IasIing perenniaI pIanIs wiIh a IiIespan oI 20-60 years. !n
IacI, uropeans harvesI woody sIems Irom pIanIs IhaI are hundreds oI years oId!
New pIanIs are usuaIIy produced Irom cuIIings, so iI's easy Io repIace oIder
pIanIs, expand your growing area, or produce poIIed woodies Ior saIe Io IocaI
buyers or Ihe IocaI garden cenIer.
You can sIarI a woody ornamenIaI business wiIh |usI a smaII amounI oI money -
as IiIIIe as a Iew hundred doIIars Ior pIanI sIarIs and oIher suppIies. Woodies are
easy pIanIs Io grow, and mosI are guiIe disease and pesI Iree. Crowing woodies is
aIso an ideaI parI-Iime business Ior new growers who have IuII-Iime |obs, as
much oI Ihe work can be done when Iime is avaiIabIe.
VisiI our web siIe, www.proIiIabIepIanIsdigesI.com Io Iearn more abouI growing
Ihese very proIiIabIe pIanIs. You'II aIso Iind deIaiIs abouI our growing guide:
!*"01&2 W""$; V*&)G%&-)#, 3"* 4*"51-/
! hope you've en|oyed Iearning more abouI Ihe worId oI growing speciaIIy pIanIs
Ior proIiI. !I's a business IhaI can be sIarIed Ior |usI a Iew doIIars ! know a Iew
growers who've sIarIed wiIh $S0 worIh oI seeds and some hand IooIs - or wiIh a
bigger budgeI IhaI aIIords a smaII greenhouse or hoophouse Io exIend Ihe
growing season. Many growers are parI-Iimers, who see growing Ior proIiI in
Iheir backyard nursery a weIcome reIieI Irom Ihe sIress oI Iheir day |ob. OIhers
preIer Io spend aII Iheir Iime working wiIh pIanIs.
These are my IavoriIe speciaIIy crops, as Ihey are proven sIeady seIIers year
aIIer year, yeI can be grown by anyone who has, or can Iearn, Ihe basic
gardening skiIIs Io grow Ihem. One or more oI Ihem couId be Ihe IoundaIion Ior
your new gardening business, and Ihe source oI a nice income Ior years Io
come. So geI growing!
!I you're ready Io sIarI your own backyard pIanI growing business, be sure Io
bookmark www.proIiIabIepIanIs.com and www.proIiIabIepIanIsdigesI.com, as !
wiII be adding new arIicIes and books reguIarIy. !I you have any guesIions or
commenIs abouI whaI you've read in Ihis e8ook, !'d Iove Io hear Irom you. ]usI
visiI eiIher web siIe, and use Ihe conIacI Iorm Io geI in Iouch..
!"#$% '#(($)

Shaie This Book!
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