I went to the car boot and I sold ...

katiel

People were asking what to grow to sell a while ago. Here are my results ...

Most popular tomatoes (I had a lot of tomatoes)
1. Sweet Million bite size
2. Moneymaker
3. Green Zebra for something different
4. Gardener's Delight

The top five most requested
1. Cucumbers
2. Courgettes
3. Cherry tomatoes
4. Chilli peppers
5. Trailing tomatoes

The plants that didn't really interest anyone
1. Bedding plants
2. Pumpkins
3. Black kale

Had a few of lots of other veg too which all sold. Every plant was 50p and I took £65, which covers the cost of my pitch and growing my veg in the first place. So eating is free this summer! (sort of)

Davesnave

Yes, I went to a Plant Fair (a kind of posh car boot!) two weeks ago and cleared about 70 toms, mainly Gardeners' Delight and Golden Sunrise, but a few Pomadoros. Still clearing the remainder using farm gate sales.

It is pretty easy to outgrow and undercut the garden centres with toms, but larger plants are better transported with support. It is a finicky job tying them into sticks, but worth it, as more customers risk taking them, I think.

Orange_King

I'm hoping to hit the car boot sales in the next week or so to sell my plants. Already had 8 shifted off Amazon too so well chuffed with that result.

Have made up a dozen planters with petunias so hope they will go and those alone will recover my outlay this year.

cooking-mama

I bought 2 Tumbling tom plants at a carboot sale a couple of weeks ago,only 50p each and they are thriving,I also bought 9 broccoli plants and 12 parsley plants for £1 a tray..these are doing well too.

Orange_King

My OH works in a school and she took one of the planters in for her colleagues to look at today - 10 orders already so looks like I'll need to make up some more planters tonight! A tidy £3 profit or so per sale!!!

NoelleV

Silly question.... whats a planter? Is it a tray of little plants or basket?

Orange_King

Just a plastic tub really that you fill with whatever you want!

Sally_A

Being totally nosey, you must have taken 130 plants to clear £65 - well done you. How big/advanced were the plants you sold on?

A lot of people shy away from growing from seed, either they don't have the conditions, or don't want to buy a packet of 100 seeds for 50p, when they will happily buy 6 plants at 50p each.

Cucumbers seem to be the next big thing - which variety did you grow? I always rate Marketmore, an old variety that is stubby and spiny, but good for indoors and out, at their prime when 6 inches long, so equivalent to buying a half cuce in the shops.

katiel

Hi SallyA, I was thinking about size of plants when Davesnave was talking above about supporting taller plants. Mine were all reasonably small but healthy, so I could put them in crates and stack the crates on top of one another.

I probably sold more than 130 as we were doing 4 for £1 for the last half hour. The thing is, I am addicted to buying seeds, so I always sow far more than I can fit in my back garden vegetable patch.

No one was bothered what sort of cucumbers were available. I had Marketmore and Burpless, but I don't know how they do as I'm competing for title of the world's worst cucumber grower and have yet to eat one I've grown.

Hope that helps.

Sally_A

Marketmore cuces are hardy beasts - quite spiny , and despite what the packet says, I find they are best picked at 4 - 6 inches. Good for under glass and outdoor, just remember to support them with 5ft (min) canes. They are just the right size for me to grow, as I like them, daughter will tolerate them, but hubby is not keen at all, and are an excellent addition to a potato salad, along with a few young broad beans, garlic, onions, and the must have ingredient - celery salt.

Due to their pricklyness, it is best to peel them though.