Gardening, like most hobbies, can become a form of business and provide a second income. This is not hard to do, but you will need some planning.
Another great idea for gardening as a business is to establish your own garden to sell. There are many opportunities out there. Of course, this comes with the added risk of disease and pests, as you would expect, but you have little control over these factors. Your risk lies in making your garden profitable to customers.
If you don’t have enough land or don’t want to go it alone, the answer is to get some gardeners to help you. You may have some friends who are gardeners or perhaps even some people in your community who would be willing to help you as well. You can set up a garden club, put in an application for gardening grants, or establish a fund to grow your business.
A better idea is to become a member of a local co-op. These groups are often cooperative arrangements of individuals with a mutual interest in growing their own food. Sometimes they are called “managed communities.”
Membership in one of these groups is usually free but the gardening requires an initial fee, usually about $200 a year or less. This price covers the cost of seeds, fertilizers, labor, pest control, and some tools.
When new members are accepted, they are shown where to plant, what to plant, and how much they can plant. Then they are expected to pick the flowers, vegetables, herbs, or fruit themselves. They will be doing this every week, so be sure to ask questions.
For a more productive type of gardening, consider joining a local community garden. Some areas have more than one garden. Most gardens are small but some are large with over a hundred members.
Before entering a community garden, you should make sure that the local ordinances allow it. This is necessary because there is a great chance that you will have to give your time, talents, and garden seeds away in exchange for a plot of land. In many areas, this is allowed by zoning laws.
Before setting up your own garden, you should look at whether it is possible to grow certain things in your garden. You may want to try growing seasonal vegetables like cabbage, kale, and broccoli.
The next step is to select the types of vegetables you will grow. Some popular vegetables grown in gardens include carrots, lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, beans, peas, corn, squash, and squash.
Planting vegetables will not be easy. If you plant too much at once, you could end up with overgrown plants, and these will need to be trimmed down or removed. The fruit that comes from the tomatoes, lettuce, and other vegetables is delicious and can be used for baking, salads, and sandwiches.