The pic is from last May, about 11 weeks from planting the seeds. I ended up growing 40 seedlings. I kept 20 plants and gave the rest away to a few friends that were happy to take them.
This year I'm thinking about growing maybe 100-150 seedlings, keeping my usual 15-20 and trying to sell the rest to make a little extra cash. Nothing huge, but the idea of making an extra $1000 or so doing something I enjoy seems like it could be rewarding, and would at least pay for my own garden.
I'm just curious if anyone who has tried this has any tips or advice?
I think the biggest challenge would be finding people to buy them.
by ManOfTeele
14 Comments
I’ve been thinking about it.. our neighbourhood has a yard sale every June. I was thinking about starting a bunch for the people who waited too long to get them started. Post adds on FB and just sell them that one day from my garage.
There’s another guy who sells them through marketplace every year in my city. Not sure how much I could handle the back and forth from marketplace tho. “Hi, is this still available?”
I tried on nextdoor, but got ghosted almosy every time. I did meet a few people and got some interesting trades. I got a few Navajo peaches trees from one guy..I also trade with a few friends. I think it’s more of an impulse buy situation.
Calculate your COGS
i did 8500 dollars in starts last year for customers. iam growing 406 variety of peppers this year my new record. ive owned the business for 16 years.. awesome greens and vegetables and i do this all from a reg house, 100 tomatoes,40 of each brassica … 29 variety of lettuce inc for spring.. ENJOY yourself brother u can make alot growing..
I bought my first pepper seeds off of Etsy. I have not sold pepper seeds on Etsy but I’ve sold other things on Etsy and I would entertain the idea of selling pepper seeds on there.
There is a guy at a local farmers market that does this and always does well. 👍
I have the past couple years, usually have maybe 150 starts of tomatoes/peppers/eggplants/etc. Had my neighbors’ kiddo run it for me outside my house on the walk and we sold out, we made $500 combined, so 3-4 bucks a plants. I also give away a lot to friends and neighbors.
I would caution you though, don’t try to monetize your hobby if you start to dislike your hobby. It rips the joy out. I do appreciate selling/giving people plants because it’s a lesson of labor and love.
I sold my extra starts last year, but in my area it only averaged to about $2 a plant for what people were willing to pay. I just had so many that I was happy to make back the cost of my setup equipment, but I didn’t get much more than that. I’m going to do the same this year
Me. Gave them all away because people are cheap.
What an enterprising cat… 🙂
I remember this picture from last year
I’ve thought about it but atleast where I live, selling live plants has weird and ambiguous regulations so it sorta spooked me out of going through with it.
I sell quite a few pepper seedlings. Maybe not as much as others, but I can usually pull an extra $700-1,000 at the start of a season.
Last year I started a “mystery spicy 6” and sell them for $16 or about $2.60/plant. There’s no label, and I list them based on rough heat levels for each one. Girlfriend helped with some names of each bundle such as “softies” are little to no heat, “lil sizzle” for little to no heat to pushing on mild, etc.
I don’t make as much as I would selling each plant individually, ~$3-4, but I sold out faster than I had ever expected, and am expanding on that this year, hoping to do similar things with other veggies.
Your pepper plants look amazing!