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FACT SHEETS >BUSINESS MANAGEMENT > RESOURCES FOR STARTING A GREENHOUSE BUSINESS Resources for Starting a Massachusetts Greenhouse Business UMass Extension frequently receives inquiries from people interested in starting a greenhouse business. Many people have found that growing plants in a greenhouse provides them with an interesting, rewarding career. However, as in starting any business, the decision to start a greenhouse should be made after you have carefully investigated the potential for successfully starting a greenhouse business in your area. The following information should serve as a guide in helping you make that decision. The information provided is by no means meant to be all-inclusive, but it will, we hope, provide some useful guidelines to help in your decision making.
Deciding Whether To Start A Greenhouse Business Greenhouse Production Experience Do you have experience growing plants on a commercial scale? If the answer is no, we strongly urge you first to acquire some experience by working for a commercial grower. Actual field experience will prove invaluable in learning about some of the subtleties of commercial production that cannot be learned by taking courses or reading. It will also help you determine whether you wish to make the additional commitment of time and financial resources that will be required if you decide to start your own business. Business Experience Do you have any experience in business management? If not, you should consult local agencies (listed below) that work with small business owners. These agencies can inform you of local regulations for small businesses and provide information on small business accounting and other information needed to start a business in your area. Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Family Business Center Labor What is the current availability of labor in your area? Local greenhouse businesses or the Massachusetts Flower Growers Association are good sources of information on the availability of labor and alternative sources of local labor. Choice of Crop and Marketing Once you have a greenhouse structure, you must develop a detailed cropping schedule that you will use. One way of deciding what to grow is by determining what types of crops are currently being grown in the area. Another is to talk with wholesale buyers to get a feeling for the market. Many factors will determine your choice of crop inventory and how you should most effectively market your crops. These factors may include: The radius of your market (how far you wish to sell your materials), your market clientele and local supply and demand for specific crops. Sources Of Information From UMass Extension The following Extension Specialists, services and educational resource materials are provided to you by University of Massachusetts Extension’s Floriculture Program. This program is supported by a network of faculty at the University and nationwide to provide research results and information on environmentally safe production practices. Educational activities include newsletters, training programs, diagnostic services, research, and partnership with the Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association. The Floriculture Staff The Floriculture Staff consists of two Extension field staff with University support staff in production, post-harvest physiology, plant nutrition, pathology, entomology, biological control, and integrated pest management. For names, addresses and responsibilities of the Extension Floriculture Staff, click on the following link: Meet the Floriculture Team! Greenhouse Publications The following titles are available from the UMass Extension Bulletin Distribution Center:
For descriptions of these and other floriculture publications, prices, order numbers and a printable order form, click here for a link to the UMass Extension Bookstore. Web Site This Web Site is an educational resource provided by the University of Massachusetts Extension’s Floriculture Program. For more information, return to our Home Page. There you will find links to:
Other Resources Partial List of Greenhouse Supply Companies
Partial List of Suppliers of IPM/Biological Control Products
Trade Magazines
Reference Books of Interest to Commercial Flower Growers Ball Culture Guide, The Encyclopedia of Seed Germination. Jim
Nau. 1993. Bedding Plants IV, A Manual on the Culture of Bedding Plants as a Greenhouse Crop. E. Jay Holcomb. 1994. Sponsored by Pennsylvania Flower Growers, Grower Talks Bookshelf, 335 North River Street, Box 9, Batavia, IL 60510 Tel: 800-456-0132 The Biology of Glasshouse Pests and Their Natural Enemies-Knowing and Recognizing. M. Malais and W.J. Ravensberg.1992. Koppert Biological Systems, PO Box 155, 2650 AD Berkel In Rodenrijs, The Netherlands Biological Pest Management for Interior Plantscapes, 2nd edition. 1987. Alberta Public Affairs Bureau, Publications Services, 11510 Kingsway Avenue, Edmonton AB Canada T5G 2Y5 The Commercial Greenhouse, 1998. 2nd edition, James W. Boodley. Delmar Publishing, 3 Columbia Circle, PO Box 15015, Albany, NY 12212-5015 Compendium of Flowering Potted Plant Diseases. 1995. APS Press, The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097 Tel: 800-328-7560 Compendium of Rose Diseases. APS Press, The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097 Tel: 800-328-7560 C02 Enrichment in the Greenhouse. Peter R. Hicklenton. 1988, Timber Press, Inc., 9999 S.W. Wilshire, Portland, OR 97225 Diseases of Annuals and Perennials, A Ball Guide. A.R. Chase, Margery Daughtrey and Gary W. Simone. 1995. Ball Publishing, 1 North River Lane, Suite 206, Geneva, IL 60134-0532 Diseases of Floral Crops, Vol. 1&2. 1985. David L. Strider. Praeger Publishers, 521 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10175 Easter and Hybrid Lily Production William B. Miller. Timber Press, Inc., 9999 S.W. Wilshire, Portland, OR 97225 Foliage Plant Diseases - Diagnosis and Control. 1997. A.R. Chase, APS Press, The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097 Tel: 800-328-7560 Field Grown Cut Flowers: A Practical Guide and Sourcebook. Alan Stevens 1997. Grower Talks Bookshelf, 335 North River Street, Box 9 Batavia, IL 60510 Tel: 800-456-0132 Fundamentals of Pesticides, A Self-Instruction Guide 3rd edition, George W. Ware. Thompson Publications, PO Box 9335, Fresno, CA 93791 Geraniums IV. John W. White. 1993, Ball Publishing, 1 North River Lane, Suite 206, Geneva, IL 60134-0532 Gerbera Production Douglas A. Bailey. Timber Press, Inc., 9999 S.W. Wilshire, Portland, OR 97225 Greenhouse Engineering. NRAE-33 John W. Bartok and Robert A. Aldrich. 1994. NRAES,152 Riley Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701 Tel: 607-255-7654 The Greenhouse Environment: The Effect of Environmental Factors on Flower Crops. W. J. Mastalerz. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY 10016 Greenhouses-Advanced Technology for Protected Horticulture. Joe J. Hanan. 1997. CRC Press, 2000 Corporate Blvd., N.W., Boca Raton, FL 33431 Greenhouse Management: A Guide to Structures, Environmental Control, Materials Handling, Crop Programming and Business Analysis. Robert W. Langhans. Halcyon Press of Ithaca, 111 Halcyon Hill Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 Greenhouse Operation and Management. Paul Nelson. 1998. Grower Talks Bookshelf, 335 North River Street, Box 9, Batavia, IL 60510 Tel: 800-456-0132 Grower Talks on Plugs II, 1996. Ball Publishing, 1 North River Lane, Geneva, IL 60134-0532 A Guide to Insects and Related Pests of Floricultural Crops in New England. A.G. Gentile and Donna T. Scanlon. Revised by Tina M. Smith, 1992. Extension Bookstore, Draper Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 Holland Bulb Forcer’s Guide, 5th edition. August A. De Hertogh.1996. Ball Publishing, 1 North River Lane, Suite 206, Geneva, IL 60134 Hydrangea Production Douglas A. Bailey. Timber Press, Inc., 9999 S.W. Wilshire, Portland, OR 97225 Introduction to Floriculture, 2nd edition. Roy A. Larson. 1992. Grower Talks Bookshelf, 335 North River Street, Box 9, Batavia, IL 60510 Tel: 800-456-0132 Managing Diseases in Greenhouse Crops. William R. Jarvis, 1992. APS Press, The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097 Tel: 800-328-7560 New Guinea Impatiens. Warren Banneer and Michael Klopmeyer. Ball Publishing,1 North River Lane, Suite 206, Geneva, IL 60134-0532 The Ohio State University Series: Tips on Growing Poinsettias, Potted Easter Lilies, Potted Perennials and Biennials, Potted Chrysanthemums, Zonal Geraniums, Growing and Marketing Hanging Baskets, Use of Chemical Growth Regulators, Specialty Potted Crops. Ohio Florist Association Services, Inc., 2130 Stella Court, Suite 200, Columbus, OH 43215-1033 Tel: 614-487-1117 The Peony. A. Harding 1993. Timber Press, Inc., 9999 S.W. Wilshire, Portland, OR 97225 The Physiology of Flower Bulbs. 1993. Elsevier Science Publishers, B.V. Molenwerf 1, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amersterdam, The Netherlands Poinsettias, New England Integrated Pest Management Scouting Guide. Leanne Pundt 1997. University of Connecticut, Office of Communications, U-35, 1376 Storrs Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-4035 The Poinsettia Manual, 3rd edition. Paul Ecke Jr., O.A. Matkin, and David E. Hartley 1990. Ecke Poinsettia Ranch, PO Box 230488, Encinitas CA 92023-0488 Tel: 800-468-3253 Production of Florist Azaleas. Roy A. Larson. Timber Press, Inc., 9999 S.W. Wilshire, Portland, OR 97225 Specialty Cut Flowers: The Production of Annuals,Perennials, Bulbs and Woody Plants. A.M. Armitage 1993. Timber Press/Varsity Press,133 SW Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland, OR 97204 Suppliers of Beneficial Organisms in North America. C. D. Hunter.
1997. One free copy per request from: California EPA, Department of Pesticide
Regulation,Environmental Monitoring and Pest Managment Branch, 1020 North
Street, Room 161, Sacramento, CA 95814-5624 Professional Organizations
Pesticide Application Education/Training Licensing/Exam Information Web Sites of Interest Prepared by Tina M. Smith & Updated 11/04 |
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