Quite nice actually.

I finally made it to one of his yearly Backyard Growers Shindigs he puts on at his home in Ohio. It took a ton of work but was well worth it! I met fellow Backyard Growers, watched Mike demonstrate grafting Japanese Maples, did some demonstrations on my products, and got to meet Mike and fellow growers in person. It was a great time all the way around!

For the last 4 years I have tried to make it to Mike’s Shindig. Each time, something came up, mostly my work schedule. My summer schedule for my full time job is busy to say the least. Each day can be anywhere from 8 hours to 21. Yes, 21, and that isn’t including the 1 hour commute each way!

I had decided that nothing short of a catastrophe would keep me from attending this year, but I had a ton of work to do first.

First, I had to schedule a few days of vacation during the absolute busiest time of the year for my job. Done!

Next, I booked the hotel room and made sure I prepaid. My reasoning was that I was not going to forfeit the money I spent and that would be a great incentive to make sure I made the trip.

Lastly, I bought a rebuilt engine and installed in into my truck because the old one was making some awful noises. Sounds fairly simple but it was such a bear that it took me 2 months! What a pain in the ass! I ended up replacing just about every part under the hood, radiator, alternator, hoses, sensors, and more. Then I was forced to redo all the brakes and brake lines. Like I said, a ton of work.

Long story short, I had a grand total of 10 miles on the truck when I started my 12 hour trip to Ohio. Oh, I did have every tool I could carry just in case!

The day of the Shindig my son and I arrived to find Mike talking with a few folks as he was showing them around his property. When everyone arrived back at his garage, which had been set up with hot dogs, snacks, and soft drinks, I introduced myself to the group as others introduced themselves. I asked Mike what he had planned and if it would be ok to do a demonstration on the different ways misting nozzles could be installed. He was quite pleased. I think he was happy that someone other than him would be the center of attention!

My son and I set up a series of piping I had put previously designed and built that would allow me to demonstrate the different ways to install the nozzles into misting system piping. I then showed how 5 or 6 different nozzles performed as well as how to correctly install them onto the piping.

Next, I found 4 folks who wanted to learn how to program a DIG 5006-IP propagation timer. I passed 4 out and did a step by step demonstration as they followed along, asking questions when they needed help. After the demonstration, Mike came up to me and asked if I would go over it with him. I was honored! We programmed our timers together and he asked a few questions about the timer. He said he was used to mechanical timers but he could see the benefits of this timer, specifically the ability to program it with 6 different programs, unlike the mechanical which can do only one, and the battery backup that retains the program if the power goes out.

Next the majority of the group followed Mike to his field of Japanese Maples where he discussed grafting. I took some video as he was demonstrating grafting Japanese Maples so be sure to watch it!

We then went back to the garage where we all ate and had a Yankee type swap. If you have never heard of a Yankee swap, it is a great way to exchange gifts! Everyone had fun!

It was getting late and everyone began to slowly leave. My son and I were the last to leave, asking Mike if he needed help picking up and if we could give him some money to help pay for some of the great food and drinks he had provided. He declined both. We talked for a little while and my son took a few pictures of me and Mike. I then mentioned that I needed to find an auto parts store so I could do a little work on the truck before leaving the next morning for the 12 hour return trip home.

Mike and his son Dustin both did some calling and web searches for an auto parts store that would have what I needed. Mike was able to find something I could use at a nearby Napa after calling and confirming they had one on hand. Mike and Dustin both went out of their way to help me find what I needed and it was greatly appreciated.

After finally making it to one of Mike’s Shindigs, I will surely make an effort to attend another. Every person I met felt like a family member because I knew them from the Grower’s Board, that special board Mike has where detailed information, tips, and advice from Mike himself can be found. All that and the buy/sell board where plants can be bought for next to nothing. I just saw a post on the board from Mike that he just purchased almost $3000.00 worth of Japanese Maple trees from a board member. I can’t wait to see his field  full of them the next time I attend his shindig!

Want to learn more about Backyard Growers or just want to get some great gardening information? Visit Mike’s website today and sign up for the free newsletter!

Have you discovered the members area yet? Visit THIS LINK to learn why you should.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend Mike McGroarty’s annual shindig he put on for his Backyard Growers this year. Here is a video of Mike giving tips on grafting Japanese Maple trees.

Interested in getting more information from Mike McGroarty, including how to make money selling plants? Visit his awesome website!

Have you discovered the members area yet? Visit THIS LINK to learn why you should.

What is an electronic leaf?

An electronic leaf (often called a Mist-a-matic) is a mechanical device that controls the frequency and amount of mist that cuttings receive. It does this by using a lever with a screen or other flat surface on one end and a switch that is connected to a solenoid on the other.

How does an electronic leaf work?

As the mist is spraying, it falls on the screen on the end of the lever. The weight of the water droplets will cause the lever to tip down, breaking the electrical contact and stopping the flow of water. As the water evaporates from the screen, the lever will slowly raise and make the electrical contact which will send a signal to the solenoid to open and allow water to pass. This cycle repeats itself, constantly supplying the cuttings with moisture.

What are the pros to using an electronic leaf?

Electronic leaves can be a great asset to a plant propagator because they are designed to mimic a leaf on the cutting. As the water evaporates from the leaves on the cuttings, it also evaporates from the screen on the lever. This evaporation from the electronic leaf delivers the required amount of mist only when the cuttings need it.

What are the cons?

Electronic leaves are mechanical devices and mechanical devices can and will fail at any time. Also, as water evaporates from the screen, calcium and other minerals tend to collect on it. This cause the electronic leaf to become out of balance and deliver the incorrect amount of water. Two other cons are bird droppings and insects. If either one lands on the screen, they will render it useless. Of course, once the insect moves away the electronic leaf will operate correctly, but the bird dropping is there to stay until it is discovered and removed, sometimes much too late to save the cuttings.

Do I need an electronic leaf to propagate plants?

Not really. They do a good job of mimicking the natural evaporation of moisture from the leaves of the cuttings, but they are not essential. I have been rooting cuttings for years with a misting system that uses a timer. This setup is located outdoors under a small hoophouse that provides shade but plenty of air movement. Using an electronic leaf is a personal preference. Some folks absolutely love them and some have had their fill.

A recent customers comments on using an electronic leaf:

I recently sold a misting timer to a gentelman who told me he spent years constantly adjusting his electronic leaf and finally had enough. He relayed that he had to fiddle with it daily and had to check it multiple times a day to be sure it was working correctly. He stated that when the leaf was operating correctly he loved it, but it was so tempermental that he did not trust it. He finally made up his mind to replace it with a DIG 5006-IP misting controller. The customer was thrilled that the controller could operate multiple zones, all having different settings. He was also extremely happy that the timer cost less than half of what a new electronic leaf would have.

Conclusions on electronic leaves:

There are basically two schools of thought here.

• Propagators who swear by them
• Propagators who swear at them

As stated earlier, when they work they work great, but when they don’t, an entire crop of cuttings can be lost in a short amount of time. Before running out and buying an electronic leaf, do a bit of research and ask questions of fellow growers who use them. Do a cost comparison and also take into account any future growth of your operation.

To learn how to grow landscape plants to sell, visit Mike McGroarty’s website. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter, it contains some great tips!

Have you discovered the members area yet? Visit THIS LINK to learn why you should.

The offer for the free E-book has expired. But no worries! You can still get the book by signing up for the newsletter. Just use the link under Free Reports and E-books to get it.

This E-book covers everything from where to get the knowledge you need, tips about which plants to propagate, how much space you will need, the types of rooting media used, an easy method to provide shade for your misting bed, and more!

Grab your copy right now before time runs out!

Download your How to start a plant propagation nursery by using the link to the right.

Have you discovered the members area yet? Visit THIS LINK to learn why you should.

In a word, no. Here is why I say that:

Years ago I was on the hunt for information about plant propagation. I visited many websites looking for information. One in particular caught my attention; Freeplants.com. Why? because of the information I got for free of course! I visited often for that free information, but always refused to purchase his growers system. “I don’t know this particular person so how do I know if this is a scam”, I said to myself.

Eventually I did sign up for the free newsletter and was quite surprised at the good information I received. Of course, with the good information came the plugs for the growers system Mike sells. Again, I never took him up on it.

One of the newsletters spoke of a new forum he was developing where you could get free information on plant propagation. I visited the forum and spent many hours reading and learning about propagation.

About a year later I decided to buy into the growers system Mike sells after getting my income tax refund. I had some reservations, but decided to go ahead and do it anyway. I almost immediately received the ebooks he had promised and I dove right in. There was some very good information in them, as well as a suggestion that to get the full benefit from the ebooks and DVDs that were being sent, I should join the Backyard Growers Board, another forum where plant propagators interact and share information. This forum was different than the first. This forum was a private one where nursery owners share ideas, suggestions, and suppliers. I figured I did not need it at the time and chose not to spend any more money to join.

Shortly after, I received my DVDs in the mail, and with them, I received an invitation to the private growers board. I was allowed a 45 day free trial to see if it was something I wanted. Of course I jumped at the chance to interact with other plant propagators. I figured I could use the 45 days to gather all the free information I could as well as assemble a list of the suppliers they were using. I fully planned on just gathering as much information as I could and move on.

My first night on the board I was so overwhelmed with information that I was up until 3am. It was a bit tough to get up at 5 and go to work, but my juices were flowing. There was so much information! I couldn’t keep with the number of messages I wanted to save. I copied and pasted so much information into a Word file that it became too big to even find the information I wanted. This was all the very first night!

As well as the information, there is a for sale section of the board where growers buy and sell plants and other nursery related items. I immediately began to buy plants so I could begin to propagate and sell them for profit. In about a months time I had purchased more than 200 plants!

Eventually, my 45 days were almost up and I had to decide whether to buy into a permanent membership. Remember, I had every intention of gathering as much information for free and moving on. However, once I saw the information that was available and the plants I could purchase for mere pennies, I decided I would join. The problem I had was where the money was coming from. Like most everyone, I had a cash flow problem; I never had enough to do what I wanted!

While on the board, I noticed that almost everyone was having a tough time finding parts for their misting systems and putting it all together. Being very mechanical, I designed and built a misting system and tested it out. It worked like a charm and I started to sell them on the board. The response was amazing! I quickly sold out and purchased parts to make more. By the time my 45 days were up I had made enough money to purchase my permanent membership. That was over 3 years ago as of this writing and I have never regretted it.

So now we are back to that question; is Mike McGroarty and his Freeplants website a scam? I can wholeheartedly say no. I am completely satisfied with Mikes growers system and what it has to offer, he has inspired me to start a very successful company that sells misting systems and components. I have personally seen folks join and be running a successful nursery in a years time. Of course, if you are looking for a get rich quick scheme that you don’t have to do any real work, the system is not for you. But, if you love to work with plants and are not afraid of actually working for your money, it may be for you. Still not sure? Check out his book: Easy Plant Propagation for more good propagation advice.

Check out the Freeplants website and sign up for the newsletter to see what kind of information you get for free. There is also a link there to the public forum where you can get some information about plant propagation too. I hope you decide to get the growers system and join the board. I would love to see you there!

Here is a short list of books I use:

Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses
Hartmann and Kester’s Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices (7th Edition)
American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques

Have you discovered the members area yet? Visit THIS LINK to learn why you should.

Conclusion

To recap on what you need to start your own plant propagation business:

Knowledge:

Start building your library right now! Learn as much as you can about the plants you want to propagate. Grab a copy of one or more of these books to start:

• Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses
• American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques
• Hartmann and Kester’s Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices (7th Edition)
• Practical Woody Plant Propagation for Nursery Growers

Also, sign up for the newsletter at Freeplants.com. You will gain a ton of knowledge. Be sure to look around while you are there for the articles he has written for even more knowledge. He even has a forum where you can learn about plant propagation and ask him questions.

Don’t forget the free information! Become a member of the Plant Propagation Misting System website and get access to hundreds of PDFs on plant propagation, misting systems, plant diseases, insects and other pests, and more! it’s free!

Plants:

Gathering the right plants to propagate is essential to your success. remember to propagate only NON-PATENTED plants! Purchase your plants from a reputable source.

Space

Remember, you don’t need a whole lot of space to get started. A small lawn can successfully be used for propagating plants.

Rooting media

Before building your beds, decide on which rooting media you will use and be sure you can locate it. sand is relatively easy to find and inexpensive, but peat and perlite can be used if the sand is unavailable.

Misting beds

Start with a small bed if necessary. A good size is 4′ wide by 8′ or 10′ long. Use whatever lumber you can find to start. You don’t get points for fanciness, just usefulness. Remember to be sure they drain properly.

Licenses

Business and Nursery. Others may be needed so be sure to ask your local municipality or state government official. Remember, the SBA is a great resource!

Inspection

The Inspector is your friend. Use them to gain knowledge by asking questions. Be honest and don’t try to hide anything. They are there to help you, not give you grief. If you do have a problem that you discover yourself, CALL THEM! They will respect you that much more and be more apt to help you in the future.

Of course there are a few more things like labeling, shipping requirements, where to get the properly labeled plants to start propagating them, and others, and all those questions can be answered here.

That pretty much covers it! Not too many things now was it?

Interested in getting the entire series of articles on starting your own plant propagation business? I have taken all 8 articles, added even more information, and wrapped it all up in a nice PDF for you to download. Get the PDF right now!

Have you discovered the members area yet? Visit THIS LINK to learn why you should.

The second item needed to start a plant propagation business is plants.

Not just any plants, but the exact plants you will be taking your cuttings from. At this point you need to decide which business you are actually in. Are you making cuttings and growing plants to sell to your friends, neighbors and relatives? If so, you will be in the retail nursery business.

Are you going to sell the rooted cuttings or liners to other nurseries? Then you will be in the wholesale nursery business.

Regardless of which business model you choose, you need to start off on the right foot. Simple retail selling of plants is the simplest of the two business models, but the wholesale model is where you can make the most money. Let’s go over both types of businesses so you can decide which is best for you.

ATTENTION: If you think you may at some point sell any plants , cuttings, or plant material to another nursery, you must begin with the wholesale nursery model!

Selling to the public-Retail

If you decide you are going to sell to the public only and never sell to another nursery, you have chosen the easiest of the two business models. When selling to the public only, you do not need to be as concerned with the exact plant material you are taking cuttings from. As long as the plant you are taking the cuttings from are not patented you can take cuttings. If the plant has a trademarked name, you CANNOT sell the plant using that name, but must sell it as a species only. For instance, if you propagate Burning Bush CHICAGO FIRE^™, you cannot sell it as CHICAGO FIRE^™, but you can only sell it as Burning Bush sp. (species). Trademarks are names that the discoverer of the new plant has designated for that plant and has registered for that particular plant. Usually it is a name that describes the plant so it is distinguished from other plant of the same species.

Patented plants are a whole different ballgame. Never propagate a patented plant unless you have a written agreement with the patent holder. If you do propagate a patented plant, you will be liable for royalties that propagators pay for the privilege to propagate and sell the plant. If you are found to be propagating patented plants without the proper paperwork, you will still have to pay the royalties and possibly fined for propagating the plants without them. My advice: stay away from the patented plants.

So now that you know that just about any non-patented plant is fair game, you can start to purchase plants to propagate.

Selling to the Nursery industry-Wholesale

If you have decided to sell to the nursery trade, you need to be more selective with which plants to purchase and propagate. Unless you have a written contract to propagate patented plants or to sell trademarked plants by name, you must choose plants that are free to propagate. These are the plants that have been around for a long time and have no restrictions associated with them. Examples are Burning Bush, Goldmound Spirea, Gold Drop Potentilla, and others. You must be absolutely sure to choose the correct plants right from the start. If you sell to another nursery or plant propagation facility, YOU are responsible for assuring them that the plant you sold is one that can be freely propagated. If you sell them a plant that is patented and they get caught, guess who they will be filing a lawsuit against? YOU! Start of on the right foot and choose only plants that can be freely propagated.

Now that that is out of the way, we can talk about stock plants.

Basically, a stock plant is a plant that you take cuttings from. It will be planted in your landscape just for that purpose. Once you purchase a stock plant, you can take cuttings from it and never purchase another one again! You can have one, two, three, or a hundred stock plants to get cuttings from. Only you can decide how many you will need to have to supply you with enough cuttings to root.

Now that you have a basic understanding of which business model you may want to choose and what a stock plant is, I recommend visiting Freeplants.com for even more information on propagating plants to sell and find out which plants you can freely propagate.

Have you discovered the members area yet? Visit THIS LINK to learn why you should.

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Have you discovered the members area yet? Visit THIS LINK to learn why you should.

This article is a first in a series that will explain what you will need to start your own plant propagation business.

The first item you will need when starting your propagation business is knowledge.

You need to have a basic understanding of which plants will grow in your zone, how to care for them, and the best method for propagating it. Without this basic knowledge, you will have a tough time keeping your plants alive.

So where does someone get this knowledge? Surfing the net, books, newsletters, PDFs, you name it, the knowledge is everywhere. And that is the problem! Gathering this information can be very time consuming. On top of that, if the information has been written by someone who does not have real world experience growing and propagating the plant, you may be learning the wrong methods. You really don’t want to be starting off gathering the wrong information.

One of the best resources for plant propagation info is obviously Amazon. For instance, Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses
is one of the absolute best books you can buy and I recently saw  34 used copies for  $33.00 each. That is a great savings over the price of a new copy!

Another great book is Hartmann and Kester’s Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices (7th Edition). Used copies were $25 less than the new ones when I last looked!

Look for more books or other propagation items at Amazon by using the search box below or by using the suggestions provided on the right sidebar. Start building your library and knowledge today!

How about free information about plant propagation?

My motto is “If it is free, it is for me!” and I live by it every day. There are some wonderful websites and newsletters devoted to plant propagation. One of the best newsletters I have found is at Freeplants.com. As well as the free newsletter, there are some great articles right at the website that you can learn a lot from.

Another great way of gaining knowledge for free is through PDFs and other reports that have been written by plant propagators. For instance, DipNGrow has a nice free PDF available. DipNGrow is a rooting hormone that is widely used by professional plant propagators with great results. DipNGrow is a concentrated liquid that you dilute depending on the type of cutting you are rooting. Simply dilute it to the concentration you need. Saves a ton of waste!

I have personally collected hundreds of PDFs on plant propagation, misting systems, nursery management, pests and diseases of plants, growing fruits and berries, as well as how to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. If you want to access them, become a member! It is free and you get access to all the PDFs I have gathered to increase my knowledge about running a plant propagation business. As well as the PDFs, I have a list of websites I go to when I need to gather information on various plant related subjects.

In part 2 I will talk about what stock plants are.

Have you discovered the members area yet? Visit THIS LINK to learn why you should.

Yes, you read that right; Mike McGroarty and his backyard grower system is a fraud.

Not my words, but the words of others. Cruising message boards that deal with gardening and plant propagation, I often see folks who say something along those lines. Mike Mcgroarty is a fraud, Mike Mcgroarty is a scam artist, Mike Mcgroarty’s is a ripoff, and a few other things.

Well, I am here to personally let you know that I am extremely happy with Mike McGroarty and his products. I mean, really, who gives away as much information on plant propagation, working with landscape plants, and other topics? Go ahead and check out his website and see what he offers. Sign up for the free newsletter and get ready to learn a ton about gardening and plants in general. Then, scroll way down to the bottom of the page and click on the sitemap link and check out all the free information he gives away. Along with all those articles, he has many more on different websites, on article submission websites, and I have even seen them in a trade magazine I get. Does that look like something a fraud would do? No, I didn’t think so.

Go ahead and check out his website right now!

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