Spring has finally arrived! We receive many requests from people who are interested in purchasing a greenhouse to start a home based business. In this issue, we've interviewed one of our customers who did just that! If you've always dreamed of owning your own greenhouse, read on to find out how you can generate cash at the same time. We've also featured the Princess Tree, a beautiful flowering tree that is absolutely spectacular and grows an incredible 30 feet in just 3 years!
Start Your Own Greenhouse Business
| Perhaps you can turn your passion for growing into a fun and profitable business right in your own backyard. The first thing you will need to do is plenty of research. You'll need a greenhouse, heating systems, cooling systems, accessories and shade systems. |
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What will you grow? Specialty items generally bring in higher profits, and you may want to wholesale as well as retail. One local greenhouse hobbyist raises hard-to-find specialty vegetables and then sells them to fine dining restaurants. Tomatoes the size of peas, white tomatoes and edible flowers such as pansy's all make pleasant and unusual additions to salads. Put together a marketing plan, learn all you can about your crop, get a list of buyers and suppliers together and you're off to the races. |
Get the facts on greenhouses so that you are able to make an informed decision on what type of greenhouse to purchase. We'll be happy to answer any questions that you have, just give us a call toll free 1-800-665-2124 and let our experts help you out. We've already helped other people get started, why not you? |
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Martha's Garden - A Customer's Success Story
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Martha, who purchased her greenhouse from us in 1999, had a plan in place to turn her passion for gardening into a home based business. Martha, the proprietor of Martha's Garden, began by gardening for people in their backyards and decided that a greenhouse would allow her to expand her business. |
"I wanted to start annuals, over-winter tropicals for customers and grow things that other people don't grow," says Martha. After purchasing our Victorian Greenhouse, business blossomed. "Business built up really fast. I recommend getting the biggest greenhouse you can get. Now I have a second greenhouse and business is great."
Martha advises greenhouse buyers to look for solar powered vents. "It is all automated so that you are not a slave to it," she says of her Victorian greenhouse. Martha also recommends having a front and back door on the greenhouse for better cross ventilation and easy access to the greenhouse from both ends of her yard.
Martha advertised and gained customers mainly through word of mouth. She now has contracts for city business improvement associations and does a small amount of private gardens.
Plants grown are used primarily for potscaping in private gardens. Coleus, Geraniums, Moonflowers, Princess Flowers, Ivy and Bacopa are just a few of the varieties that Martha has started from seeds and cuttings. Seeds are started in the beginning of March and this year she is excited about the varieties of Kale she is growing. In the photo, you can see Martha tending to young seedlings.
Martha uses a 220 Volt electric heater for winter months and keeps the greenhouse temperature around 45 degrees F.
What's Martha's best advice for others interested in a greenhouse business? "Get the biggest greenhouse you can accommodate. They fill up fast, especially in your second and third year. You'll wish you had more room for sure."
Thank you for your story Martha. We all wish you and Martha's Garden continued success! |
The Spectacular Paulownia Tree
Growing a tree from seed is exciting and makes a wonderful legacy to leave behind for your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to enjoy. The Paulownia Tree, or Princess Tree, is excellent to start from seed as this fast growing tree can reach maturity in just three years, allowing you to enjoy the fruits of your labor almost immediately.
The Chinese have grown the Paulownia Tree for centuries for its beauty and highly prized timber. In Japan, a Paulownia Tree is planted when a girl is born and when she marries, her wedding chest is built from the tree! It was also believed that planting this tree close to the house would bring good luck.
You can expect your Paulownia Tree to reach 10 - 15 feet the first year! The tree produces a beautiful lightly scented lavender bloom in its third spring that lasts from 6 - 8 weeks. This tree will provide shade for homes in its second year. |
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The light hardwood is fire resistant and water repellent and can be commercially harvested in just 5 - 7 years. You can make a pleasant tea from the leaves, and the flowers will make a wonderful addition to your salads. The trees are also used for organic honey production. Most of the honey in China comes from the Paulownia Tree. Excellent animal fodder, the leaves contain 18-20% protein and are high in nitrogen. Also known for its benefits to the environment, waterway contamination can be greatly reduced, the tree can reduce the spread of odors and it makes an excellent windbreak and screen. For more information, visit www.paulowniatrees.com |
How to Plant Paulownia Tree Seeds
| Plant the seeds on a light, loose soil surface. Keep moist and not wet. The seeds will germinate in 10 - 60 days and require full sun. These trees are cold hardy to New York. Hardy in Zones 5-8. |
| When your tree is transplanted outdoors, ensure it receives full sun. Use good top soil or a 50/50 mix of top soil and peat moss. Be sure to let the soil dry out in between watering, and soak deeply each time you water. In the heat of summer (90 degrees or over), water the tree 2 or 3 times a week, soaking deeply. To feed your tree, add high nitrogen fertilizer to water once a week for the first season. Feeding your tree is not a requirement, but is needed to achieve best results. If your tree is exposed to a water sprinkler system, you must water the tree deeply as if it were not watered at all. Otherwise, the water will not go down deep enough and the roots of the tree will grow out of the grass looking for water. Under any circumstances, never use any form of insecticide or weed-killer anywhere near your tree. All Paulownia Trees are highly sensitive to poisons and will die or suffer severe damage if exposed to them. |
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Growing New Trees Taller Faster
Want to grow trees taller instead of wider during the first 9 months to a year? Here's a tip for even autumn plantings.
It's a 40 year old trick my mother even applied to her rose bushes and grape vines. It was even used to revive shearings and plants that were sick from previous inconsistent care. |
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Get yourself some clear plastic sheeting, some black plastic sheeting or large black (50 to 100 gallon). Trash/leaf bags, and some plastic tubing or thin latticing wood.
First you plant the tree.
Next you take the plastic tubing or latticing wood and build a framing that reaches the goal height plus 1 foot. As you are building the lattice frame; line the inside of the framing with some of the black plastic.
After completing the inner lining and the lattice frame cover the outer sides of the silo with black plastic also. When this is completed cover the top of the whole silo with the clear plastic. |
For a fast grower: Water the tree at the intermediate chamber with warm water in the spring/summer/fall seasons, and hot water in the winter. This will keep the roots warm and wanting to grow.
The tree will constantly reach up for the light instead of out the entire time the silo is used.
Thanks for the great tip, Steve!!!
Custom Paint Your Greenhouse!
| We are pleased to announce that our greenhouses are now available in any color you choose! Colors can be computer matched, so if you want to color co-ordinate your greenhouse with your home, it's easy. Just send us a sample of your desired color. We'll paint a piece of aluminum and send it to you for approval. Upon approval, the baked on enamel paint finish will be completed and your greenhouse shipped out to you. For more information, just give us a call. |
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Backyard Greenhouses
A div. of Ecolad Corporation
1-800-665-2124
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