Anyone make money on the side selling cuttings/seedlings?

londonTiger

Just curious if anyone has managed to recoup some of their gardening expenses by selling off surplus seedlings or cuttings from fruit trees?

Is it viable to do on a small scale perhaps advertise on ebay (collection only) or gumtree.

Thinking of setting up something on the side just for the hobby to pay for itself.

REEN

Long ago in the pre-internet days I lived in a small village. I put a wheelbarrow out on the grass verge with alpines in, just about made enough to pay for my compost.

Unusual plants should sell well, I think. Nowadays I just pot up the occasional thing for a local charity shop, they always have a glut of pot covers, a plant helps to sell them.

Davesnave

Depends where you are. In London, an honesty box is going to go walkabout in a matter of hours, but here in the sticks it's the way many of us sell things.

If you get into selling directly to customers, do it at specific times & places, like boot sales, or you will waste a lot of time/energy for little reward. That takes you into the realms of transport, fees etc so may be more than you want.

BlondeHeadOn

I have bought plants from ebay in the past, and this has always worked well for me. The plants are usually packaged up in a box (often without the pots), and posted first class. I wanted a number of heucheras (for example) and so chose sellers who were offering 3 assorted varieties for a fixed price. I've also bought hostas and hardy geraniums this way.

The plants have all survived the journey and grew on absolutely fine. So long as you choose pretty tough plants to sell it should work.

Could be worth a go if you live near a post office?

Farway

Years back, before computers, I tried selling rooted & named fuchsia cuttings at WI Markets. Not a success

People were willing to pay "you name it supermarket" £2, but not willing to pay me 50p

I think you can only try, but do not set you hopes too high

Davesnave

Farway wrote: »

Years back, before computers, I tried selling rooted & named fuchsia cuttings at WI Markets. Not a success.

Maybe you had the wrong WI market!

We started at WI Markets, went on to form a new one, outgrew that and developed into a full-time business, all run from home. If we'd had more room.....

But that isn't really what the OP wants to do. I think eBay could be more trouble than it's worth too. The WI market or similar local outlet could be just what's needed.

Datchet

We've been off-setting costs like this for a number of years - selling from a barrow at the end of drive with a jar for money. We often made most of compost / seed prices back

gluts of rhubarb (we have 5 crowns which produce more than we can possibly eat / preserve) we sell 4 big stalks for 50p

Jam used to do sell well £1.00-£2.00 for blackcurrant / raspberry. People came to the door to ask if none in barrow! Recycled jars are now a no-no

We still do "[Sons Name]'s Eco Seedlings- 100% Re-Cycled" selling runner bean seedlings in toilet roll middles - 25p for 1 or £1.00 for six.

Also Jerusalem Artichokes : big bags with a sign - "please take them: pay what you want"

Davesnave

Datchet wrote: »

Jam used to do sell well £1.00-£2.00 for blackcurrant / raspberry. People came to the door to ask if none in barrow! Recycled jars are now a no-no

May I ask why recycled jars aren't appropriate?

Our local WI uses them, and a local producer offers a bounty of 40p on their own jars.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

[QUOTE=Datchet;68006607

gluts of rhubarb (we have 5 crowns which produce more than we can possibly eat / preserve) we sell 4 big stalks for 50p


[/QUOTE]






ooo heck lol.. I split my old big crown last year, not about 15 potted up, gave some away, and was going to plant them up this weekend in our very large plot.. to see if we could see some of the stalks ..

londonTiger

Nvm Ithink iit's going to be fruitless endeavour to sell. If I want to sell I'll need to do it properly at a commercial scale otherwise it's not worth the time.

I think plants can be sold through the mail . I bought a packet of two strawberry coronas from poundland in a sealed plastic bag with some moist compost.

Trouble is royal mail would make it unviable. I think starting postage is £3.20 for small packet

SailorSam

I've given lots of plants away on Freecycle, and i think many others do the same. So unless they were unusual things you had, i don'tthink it would pay off.