Am I Allowed to Sell Plants?

Here's a rundown on basic plant nursery regulations for selling plants. To be fair, it's too broad a topic to cover completely, and there are some more general business topics (taxes, payroll) that I couldn't get into here. But if you're looking for the basics of starting your own backyard plant nursery or plant selling business, I'm happy to field any questions.

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[OakKnobFarm]

In New Hampshire, USA there is a state permit required for a small fee, and if you have small sales volume the fee is waived. There are separate permits for plant and seed sales

[tockalot]

Thank you for explaining. I was thinking about selling bouquets when I get growing, but just like one or two here and there. I currently have 4 bushes growing and 6 DA roses in spring, I live in zone 8b, so I'm excited. This is my 2nd year of rose growing and I'm addicted already lol 😊

[theoldguy]

Thank you I just got interested this summer and bought some roses and been watching your videos.

[featherfreebird]

Wonderful video. Sharing this for sure. Thanks so much Jason. 💕

[ClickinChicken]

Good Lord. Don't forget the Yellow copy, the blue Copy and the Pink copy!

[rishtunkhwa]

As a Canadian backyard gardening enthusiast, I find difficulties in ordering plants from USA nurseries (plants not available in Canada). One reason is that US nurseries don't want to bother wth phyto-sanitory certificates for backyard gardeners. There needs to be some solution in place to help back-yard gardeners to procure plants from USA to avoid frustration by retiree hobby gardeners.

[JS-mhfh]

In the U.S. state of Indiana, I have a license to grow/propagate, and one to sell. One of them I don't need if I only grow annuals. I only sell plants at local farmers cooperatives or a farmers market, no direct sales unless by prior arrangement and with delivery since I live in a municipality and didn't want to add that sort of insurance. I have no signage, although carry a brand identity, have a website, and sometimes use social media. Since I am also starting a specialty seed business (tomatoes with added health benefits, aka functional food) there is also a state regulation for that, although an inspection is only for perennials sold, whether I propagate or not. If I resell, such as apple trees, then I must grow them for a certain length of time before I can sell them. And as for seeds, the package label must include certain information, such as germination rate.

I have an unrelated question, Jason. I dug up and replanted a rose for a friend as you instructed in another video. It grew fabulously this summer, thank you! The question is, it's a red knock-out(?) rose, but it's now pink. I'm confused why the bloom color changed. Would you know why?

[dao]

How generous of you to tackle an issue like this for your viewers! Having some way to make a little income from my favorite hobby is a thought that has been ruminating in the back of my mind for some time. I just love propagating plants and have a decent collection to work with but selling is another matter. I also like to hybridize daylilies. Yet, I have never sold a single plant. Mostly I just keep expanding my garden beds to accommodate all my plants or I give them to friends and neighbors. Still, I think you have planted the selling seed in my mind so now I am going to think more seriously about this and look up my state's requirements. If nothing else, it would be great to make enough to support my plant collecting habit :) Much appreciation to you from Minnesota zone 4a, USA.

[christiensgarden]

Thank you for covering this.. always wanted to know that information..

[thecakepopsistars]

Awesome video. Thank you for talking about this subject that is seldom covered yet essential for those of us considering farming / nursery business. 🇨🇦z5b

[katlynn]

Off topic, but that pink cleome behind you around the 5min mark is really lovely!

[dewainkoester]

Thanks for your help! Much appreciated!

[HinaMunnee]

Hello, I bought 3 roses today from the Houston Garden Center; Pretty Polly Pink, Iceberg and Dream Come True. Houston, TX should be in fall right now, but unfortunately, we are still warm and toasty. It's been raining since a couple of days and might continue raining for a week or so, but apparently it will be a dry and warm winter this season, with a possibility of one or two hard freezes. Should I plant my roses in ground right now, or wait for the hard freeze to pass, or wait for spring before planting my new roses in the ground? Thank you.

[AmbersDaintyBush]

What about native perennials? Do they fall under the same regulations?

[bradcarby]

My favourite reg we deal with is that no worker should have to walk more than 90 metres to a toilet. So, we end up with this weird situation where we have all these portable toilets spread around the place and have to pick them up with a tractor and move them as the pickers move from field to field.

[OfftoShambala]

I’m in AZ… I spoke to the ag people… in 2020, you can sell nursery plants without a cert or lic or whatever they call it… however, it was pointed out that the credential is good to have for ‘street cred’ essentially. Now there could have been a volume limit, but I really don’t recall. But, you’d still need the tax biz lic situation for state and city… but that’s for any business.

[austintrees]

It's crazy to me that I learned a lot of people had never seen the Japanese beetle, I'm in Ohio and I remember them from 20-25 years ago being an issue when my parents had their first garden

[vintagelady]

Very interesting to hear what all you have to do & the benefits you get. I'd be curious about the laws/rules relating to propgation of "copyrighted plants---how is that managed, do you get permission from, say, David Austin for roses or Proven Winners to propagate & sell their plants, do they charge a fee, how does that work.? I know at some point, at least for roses, the exclusivity is limited to a certain # of years after introduction & the rose becomes like "public domain." Have you bred any roses that you have exclusive rights to? Etc!

[acasburn]

I’am in Sydney Australia…no way I can get any live plants from you guys.

[peanutaxis]

I thought this was going to be all about patented or copywrited plants. It would be good to hear about that.