re-pay cost of greenhouse

[helly]

Hi everyone, I'm looking to re-pay the cost of my new greenhouse. So I thought about selling some of my veg plants that I will be growning next year. If you where to go out and buy veg plants instead of growing them from seed "what veg plants would you buy"?
thanks for your help
helen

[nick the grief]

Tricky one this. I guess bedding plants are the obvious ones along with things like Fuchsia, and "Geraniums" but what you pay for them in the garden centres is probably less than you can grow them for when you take averything in to consideration as they are done on a massive scale. I used to do a few hanging baskets for friends but to be honest whilst that was quite good ( if you work on £1per inch - so a 12" diameter basket was £12 which is about half the cost of a GC) but it meant that I was growing stuff for everyone else and not for me!! So I packed it in.

But if you do decide to give it a go all the best.

It must be the Scot in you

[NOG]

If you where to go out and buy veg plants instead of growing them from seed "what veg plants would you buy"?
helen

The unusual ones and early healthy looking ones.

I would buy a few packets of yellow or Beef Toms, Pepper and Chilli.

Cucumber look good but the seeds are expensive.

You need to plan now and get up the garden center and get some seeds in the sales.

How much are you going to sell for?

You need Pot, compost, a seed and a marker...to make a profit you have to be looking at £1.50 a plant.

[Digger-07]

Why not try brassica plant types that are not available in the garden centres.

Many people don't want to buy a packet of seed for only a few plants of something they have not tried before but would buy ready to plant ones.

[Snadger]

Leeks are dead easy and everyone forgets to plant them. A lot of growers buy in tomato plants because it isn't worth growing from seed. Peppers cucumbers and courgettes usually sell well.
If it was me I would grow Tagetes which are very easy! I would market them as a 'wonderplant'(which they are) that keeps away greenfly/ blackfly and other bugs from your veg! Broad bean and runner bean plants seem to sell well, also!
Try selling on eBay to give a nationwide market!

[NOG]

You could get a 6" pot and put 6 Cabbage or lettice in them.

[Alice]

Hello Helly and welcome to the Vine. Difficult question you have there. I see my greenhouse as a convenience to myself rather than as a momeymaking exercise. By the time you add in heating to get ahead of the game it's hard to know what you could grow to make a profit.
Maybe better to grow things that don't depend on heat. Dahlias are real easy from seed and will stand everything short of frost. Pak Choi seems exotic, came easy from seed and was quite hardy. Mixed salad leaves in little cells, ready for planting on (or not) do well in cool conditions. Good luck with the project.

[sewer rat]

Hi Helly
For veg;
Sow about 30 leek seeds in 1 litre pots, wholesale at £1.50, retail at £3.00 when ready.
Various tomato plants - stick to the well known varieties - wholesale at £0.80, retail at £1.50
Brassicas and lettuces - grow in 12 x cell packs - wholesale for £1.20, retail for £2.50
Courgettes and cucumbers are good sellers but seed is more expensive - up to 32p each for some.
Chillies and capsicums are becomming more popular too - espacially dwarf varieties that people can grow on their windowsills, or in conservatories.
Herbs in 3" pots are a good seller - chives, basil, coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage etc.
You need to calculate cost of pot / cell pack, compost, seed, time and effort involved in getting plant from sowing to sellable size. Excluding time and effort, I can produce young plants in 3" pots for about 12p - but I bought everything in bulk, and I mean everything.
The best advice I was given was labelling. If the labels look good, you'll sell the plant. Obviously depends on scale as to where you get labels from - I have some professional / commercial labels spare from this year - except for leeks - PM when you decide what you're gonna grow and give me varieties too, and I'll see what I can do for you.
Good luck

[helly]

Thats very kind of you , and great advice too. Got my mind ticking over. I was thinking of peppers and chillies they seemed to be on every tv programe this year. Do I start to grow them a month earlier than what the packet states due to getting them establised & ready for some spring fates i plan to sell at? Or start straight after frost. My greenhouse is bubble wrapped and a small heater, it is 10x6 size.
cheers Helen

[Birdie Wife]

Try runner beans and french beans, also things that can be grown in pots on the patio like aubergines, maybe even physallis?