Updated at: 06-06-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Do you wish to learn how to produce mothers for the purpose of reselling? Every gardener’s ambition is to turn their hobby of cultivating plants into a successful company.

There is a lot of competition in the floral business. Make a profit by cultivating and harvesting the finest flowers available.

Growing Mums for Sale? Here’s How:

Having a full-time job as a mother is just like establishing a business of any kind. Doing so will require additional time and work, such as creating a business plan and marketing and accounting for your company. But first and foremost, you must safeguard the health and beauty of your mothers.

How to Grow Mums in Containers | Better Homes & Gardens

Here’s how to cultivate mums for sale if you’re interested:

Step 1:

Perennials or annuals: that is the question. Planting mums in the fall, despite the fact that they are perennials, will result in their death. Your consumers will return year after year if you choose to grow them as an annual.

Perennials, on the other hand, are ideal for long-term survival since they are more durable than annuals. Selling both and raising the price of perennials will maximize your earnings.

Step 2:

It’s imperative that you cultivate beautiful and bright mothers before you open to the public. Your flowers should be able to withstand the rigors of shipping, packaging, and handling without losing their beauty. The size and color of the mums produced by each grower will vary from year to year. Selling different combinations can help you establish a distinct market position for your company.

Step 3:

Creating a business plan that details the company’s marketing approach and financial projections is the next step. Determine how much profit you’ll need to produce to cover your investment’s return. Seeds, fertilizer, pots, soil, shipping, and greenhouses are all standard expenses in the flower business.

Step 4:

Contact local flower shops, grocery stores, and gift shops, among other places that offer flowers. Ask whether they’d be interested in reselling your flowers as part of your business plan. The more information you can provide, the more likely it is that they will make a decision based on it. Your customers may want to see how you grow your flowers before they buy from you.

Step 5:

A third method for promoting your floral business is through participating in local fairs or festivals in your area and handing out flyers and business cards to customers and passerby. Create an eye-catching booth that attracts visitors. Participating in a fair may require you to pay a charge.

Step 6:

Use social media and florist websites to promote your business online once you have all the necessary components in place. Ads can be purchased for a minimal charge on numerous social media networks. The more people who see your postings, the more people will know about your brand.

Propagating Mums for Profit - Growing The Home Garden

Propagating the Mums

In addition to that, Chrysanthemums are annuals. If you plant them in the fall, they’ll be available for cuttings in the spring when they’ve regrown. Mums are easy to root. My approach isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s also very straightforward. I made a rooting media out of peat and compost by taking several cuttings from a variety of moms. With the exception of the two most top leaves, the cuttings were around 2.3 to 3 inches long. Because it could be sealed and kept damp, I chose a plastic container from a bakery for the container. Keep the air around the leaves moist so that cuttings of any kind don’t dry out.

Pruning chrysanthemums is a pleasure for the gardener. Pruning is required all the way through the summer (about mid-July in Tennessee) to keep them from blooming too early. Because it promotes branching, pruning makes a plant bushier. Cuttings made from the prunings can be utilized to generate additional plants, allowing you to have an ever-growing supply.

Transplanting your mums is done once they have taken root. Your favorite potting soil can be used to grow the new cuttings until fall sales. For the first few weeks, feed them a nitrogen-rich fertilizer before switching to a more balanced one. You’ll need to price them properly or put them in the field for a second year if they’re too little.

A Few Tips and Ideas for Growing Mums for Profit

  • Chrysanthemums go on sale at the conclusion of the season. Those sales are a great way to stock up on plants.
  • Go through the garbage looking for extra mother’s day bouquets. Many people merely use them as decorations and throw them away with the pumpkins. Pick some up and plant them in the field for next year’s crop, either as a stock plant or to be sold.
  • Leave the dead trees and shrubs in their places. During the winter, the plant is protected from the cold by a layer of air above the soil. Mums are supposed to be hardy, but I prefer to give them the best chance possible.
  • There’s a temptation at the end of the season to devalue your plants, but if you plant them, they’ll grow into much larger specimens the following year.

There are many ways to make money in the garden, and while growing mums can be one among them, it is not enough to support a family on a full-time basis.

Handling Rooted Cuttings

Cuttings should be planted as soon as they have been rooted. Cuttings can be kept in a cooler at 33-40oF for up to two days if necessary. Look for signs of damage, such as wilting or breakage, before placing the plants in your cooler. Keep the rooting media slightly wet.

Scheduling Garden Mums

Regular Crop for Fall.

Pinched mums can be planted during the first and second week of June.

As soon as two weeks after planting, you can begin pinching (roots must be at bottom and sides of pots, and 1.5 to 2.0 inches of new growth must occur).

When the breaks that follow the initial pinch are 2.5 to 3.0 inches long, you’ve reached the second pinch.

Depending on the variety, flowers might bloom from September 10 to October 10.

The best place to grow fall garden mums is in the open air or in an unheated greenhouse. Many cultivars are unable to thrive in a greenhouse because the temperature and humidity are too high. Garden mums bloom more quickly when the nights are cool, but when the nights are too hot, the blooming process can be slowed down. A covered greenhouse’s garden mums will flower two weeks later than those cultivated outside for fall sales.

Fast Crop for Fall

For some farmers, the first two weeks of July mark the beginning of the end of the season for pinching. To help this crop grow, make sure it gets plenty of water and food right away. An additional week is added to the selling season by cultivars that flower up to one week later than in the natural season. Frost rarely affects their buds because they’re naturally later.

Multicolored Mums, Autumn Beautiful Flowers In Exceptional Time, Full Bloom Stock Photo, Picture And Royalty Free Image. Image 87870917.

Compared to the conventional program’s 15-16 weeks of crop time, the rapid crop is a huge time and money saver. Since the quick crop produces smaller completed plants, 10-14 inches in diameter, more plants can be produced in the same area. It is possible to plant six 6-inch pots simultaneously with one rooting cutting in each of the six 6-inch pots.

Pests. Insect and disease prevention and control are made easier when the production environment is kept clean. Encourage your personnel to always think “clean.” The aphids, mites, caterpillars, leafminers, and thrips that wreak havoc on garden mums are just a sampling. Preventing plant damage is the primary purpose of pest management.

Pythium root and stem rot, fusarium wilt, bacterial leaf spot, botrytis blight, and Chrysanthemum white rust are the most common disease issues. Proper spacing and a well-drained growing medium can greatly reduce the risk of many illnesses. Do not water in the evening. Currently a quarantined pest, chrysanthemum white rust is a recent disease problem for growers. The New England Greenhouse Floriculture Guide has the most up-to-date information on pest control.

Other issues. Some years, farmers experience issues with early flowering or plants that are excessively short. Low nighttime temperatures early in the season may be to blame for these two issues. Early flowering and shorter plants are caused by the increased pace of flower bud initiation caused by lower nighttime temperatures.

Cultivars. Garden mum cultivars are being developed by plant breeders. Plant habit, flower form, flower color, branch flexibility, leaf durability, disease resistance, timing of flowering, and maintaining quality are among the traits that breeders consider. You can experiment with a variety of flavors and keep track of how well they perform. Cultivar selection for future production will be improved as a result of this.

Retaining High-Quality Plants Garden mums must be handled with care once they leave the producing area in order to maintain their quality. The box should be shipped and stored as quickly as feasible. Temperatures of 38-40oF are ideal for holding and shipping plants, whereas 45-60oF and strong light levels are ideal for displaying plants. To avoid bud abortion and yellowed leaves, plants need to be kept constantly moist..

It is important for retailers to keep in mind that durability and long-term value are of high importance to consumers. Try to learn anything about the cultivars you sell’s performance. Plants that produce a large number of stolons and a large number of new shoots from just below the soil level have a better chance of surviving the winter.

Production in the Field In some cases, garden mums are grown in the field and then dug up in the fall by the grower or the consumer. Plants should be spaced 18-24 inches apart, with rows 30–36 inches apart as a general rule of thumb.

Apply any necessary phosphorus or lime prior to planting, as determined by a soil test. To hasten the establishment of newly planted cuttings, use 1 to 1.5 pounds of 20-20-20 per 100 gallons of water. In the second week after planting, sprinkle 3 to 4 pounds per 100 linear feet of dry 5-10-5 fertilizer down the rows. Nearly three to four inches from the plant, apply fertilizer. Then, four weeks later, do it half-way again. Provide extra water during the hottest days of the year. Throughout the growing season, a steady supply of water is necessary to ensure optimal plant growth and flowering.

Find out if there are any garden mum varieties that can be grown in a field and then dug up. For a few days after digging and potting, it’s a good idea to provide shade and plenty of water before putting them up for sale. To assist the plants adjust, do this. Customers may be put off by wilting plants because of the “transplanting shock” they have experienced.

Why Plant Your Mums Inside a Greenhouse

You must have everything in order if you are cultivating plants for a living. You can keep your plants safe from pests and the outdoors by using a greenhouse to regulate the temperature and plant whenever you like.

Another reason why you should grow your mums in a greenhouse is that it is more convenient.

Protect your mums from pests that could damage them

Your mums could be damaged by spittlebugs, four-lined plant bugs, tarnished plant bugs, stem borers, and beetles that eat on the plants. To avoid attracting these pests, you can grow them in a greenhouse. But if you spot a few, use rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab to get rid of them.

They come in different sizes

Start with a modest greenhouse kit if you’re still undecided about whether or not growing moms for a living is for you. Tabletop greenhouses and big greenhouses are only two examples of the many different types of greenhouses available. Purchasing a permanent greenhouse is an option if you’ve made the decision that greenhouses are right for you.

Gardeners with limited space

If you wish to sell mums but lack the room, you can get a compact greenhouse. They’re perfect for patios, decks, and balconies. Its six-foot standard size is more than adequate for new firms. As your company grows, you’ll be able to afford a larger space as well as a greenhouse.

Grow your plants any time of the year

The temperature within a greenhouse can be adjusted to fit the needs of your plants. You can plant your mums whenever you wish, as long as you have the right conditions in place. Even if you live in a location where the correct season hasn’t yet arrived, you can start growing. Your flowers can be moved into your garden when it’s warm enough.

How To Keep Your Mums Thriving All Season - Farmers' Almanac

Keep your plants safe from bad weather

Every gardener’s worst enemy is bad weather. Keeping your plants in a greenhouse will protect them from harsh weather conditions such as frost, drought, severe rain, and high winds.

Final Thoughts on How to Grow Mums for Sale

For many people, mums are a must-have decoration for the upcoming fall season. Passionate gardeners who know how to grow mums for sale could make a tidy profit. For your home, you’ll be able to cultivate lovely flowers that you can then sell for profit. Win-win!