Business Management

Learn how to grow flowers and ornamentals for profit. Use Penn State Extension’s extensive resources for information on managing ornamentals and floriculture, including how to start a landscape or greenhouse business or cut flower production, and best practices in the green industry.

Growing Flowers for Profit

If you enjoy flower gardening and want to turn your hobby into extra income or a new business, growing flowers for profit can be very rewarding. Flowers are one of the most profitable plants to grow and can produce some of the highest returns. Penn State Extension’s Flower Trial Field Day takes place every year and showcases the best performing annual and perennial flowers being offered the next spring.

There are several other green industry business opportunities such as a landscape, lawn, nursery, or greenhouse business. Greenhouse production can be year-round and provide valuable cash flow throughout the year. Cut flower production offers excellent opportunities for small-scale and part-time farmers.

Many resources are available to help green industry beginners. You can find courses for learning the basics such as planting, mulching, and watering, the pruning basics, and pruning ornamental trees and shrubs. Being able to recognize symptoms and signs of plant health problems and assessing plant diseases, pests, and problems are also fundamental skills to learn.

Flower Farming Business Management

Flower farming can be a very rewarding green industry career path. Penn State Extension has an excellent guide to help you get started. Running your own flower farming business is a continual learning curve, but there are always experienced professionals willing to share their expertise and knowledge at Green Industry Conferences.

You also have certain rules and regulations that are crucial for you to understand. Do you, for example, need to obtain a pesticide license to comply with Pennsylvania pesticide laws? Pesticide license holders and landscape professionals can keep their knowledge up to date at Turf and Ornamentals Conferences.

Something else for you to consider is how to develop a business plan. It acts as a “road map” to guide the future of your business or venture. An understanding of marketing is fundamental to the success of your business, and you have to know how to write a solid marketing plan.

When you first start your business, being able to estimate and bid for landscape installations is an important business skill to learn. Landscape plans play a vital role in the process, as does the machinery and equipment you’ve got available to do the job at the right time for the least cost.