Growing Green: Sustainable Practices for Flourishing Plant Nursery Businesses

Did you know that not all plant nurseries are considered sustainable businesses? Yes, this can be surprising. After all, the nursery sells plants, so doesn't this automatically make the industry green? Just because a nursery sells plants doesn't necessarily mean it's following sustainable practices. Consumers are paying more attention to business practices and emphasizing sustainable, eco-friendly practices. So, it only makes sense for your nursery to implement practices that reflect these growing values.

So, what are some sustainable practices you can implement to help your plant nursery business flourish? Here are a few ideas to help make your nursery green inside and out.

Take Recycling to the Next Level

Your nursery is probably already familiar with some recycling practices. You may be reusing seed and plant pots. Transferring stock to larger containers and needed and reusing the smaller pots to start and nurture new plants. This is a great start, but there's more your nursery can do to minimize waste.

Look at your shipping and packaging materials along with keeping the same plant containers in rotation. Even if you're not shipping plants nationwide, you're still packing them for customers to take home.

Consider using old newspapers instead of Styrofoam peanuts. Yes, the packing peanuts are inexpensive, and you can easily find them at any shipping facility. However, Styrofoam is terrible for the environment. Finding a facility to recycle Styrofoam is all but impossible. If you do find one that handles the environmentally toxic material, there's a good chance you'll need to pay a drop-off fee. This isn't good for your nursery's bottom line, even if the practice helps draw in a few more customers.

Getting rid of unsustainable products doesn't stop with Styrofoam peanuts. Opt for twine instead of plastic string when you need to tie plants up. You can even take it further and send plants home in fabric containers for sale. Burlap is a good option, especially for trees and shrubs with more extensive root systems. The fabric is breathable, provides support, and is significantly less harmful to the environment than plastic containers.

Go ahead and advertise your new planting and growing initiatives. Your customers will love learning about your nursery's new sustainable practices.

Stick with Native Plants

Yes, you'll get the customer searching for non-native plants. You can even keep a few of the less harmful varieties in stock. However, be careful of which non-native varieties your nursery decides to carry. Some plants are considered invasive when they grow outside of their native range. If the plant starts growing out of control, it often harms the native ecosystem.

Thankfully, the latest gardening trends make implementing this sustainable practice easier. Consumers are paying more attention to the types of plants they add to their gardens, and native varieties are king. Along with the environmental benefits, selling primarily native plants is suitable for your nursery's bottom line.

Native plants are less expensive to grow and often require less care. You can take advantage of the local climate, pollinators, and soil. Native plants also tend to require less fertilizers and pesticides to thrive. If your nursery aims to be mostly or entirely organic, native plants are the way to go.

Go Natural and Organic

Yes, plants are natural and organic, but you can take it a step or more further. Instead of relying on pesticides and herbicides, look for organic solutions. This often starts by growing native plants. These plant varieties are adapted to your climate and environment and have a natural resistance to the pests and diseases common in your area. You may learn you won't have to worry about pests or diseases decimating your crop.

Native plants can have trouble fending off all pests and diseases. This doesn't mean running to chemical-based herbicides and pesticides. You have other, greener options. For example, cover crops are an effective and eco-friendly way of controlling weed growth. You can also tame unwanted weeds with live or organic mulch. Flame torches and going through your crops by hand can help keep pests like aphids at bay. Organic practices require more time and effort, but the environmental benefits may be worth the extra work.

Your customers will love learning about your new growing practices, and you may even encourage them to implement some in their home gardens.

Take Inventory of Your Gardening Supplies

Chances are your nursery is selling garden supplies. If so, do you know what you're selling? Take a look at your current inventory. Are the majority of the garden tools for sale plastic-based? What about the containers? Are they primarily plastic? If so, you may want to start updating your inventory.

This doesn't mean tossing out your current inventory and starting from scratch. However, you can also begin to add items like burlap and peat pots. Try to find gardening tools made from recycled materials. This is also a great way to draw new customers in.

Remember your fertilizer section. You can quickly start incorporating organic fertilizers into your current inventory. Once your non-sustainable products are out of stock, you can decide to replace them in limited quantities.

Advertising is Key

You can implement every possible sustainable practice and feel good about your accomplishments. While the environment may thank you, this isn't done much for your bottom line. Now, it's time to let everyone know about your green and sustainable nursery.

This is when an effective marketing strategy comes into play. Take advantage of social media. Proudly advertise your sustainable practices on your website and in social media posts. You may be surprised at how quickly word spreads.

Place signage around the nursery indicating organic products and native plants. You may even want to consider holding classes in sustainable gardening.