Hi Gardeners
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| Dahlia |
It was a sunny cold day here, even with a temperature that only
made it to 21 you could feel the sun is getting stronger. The cats and chickens lined up on the deck in
the sun to bask in its warmth. We have
more snow on the way, it’s coming every other day or so. But I see a warming trend coming next
week. The groundhog did not see his
shadow here, maybe there will be less than 6 weeks before winter is over.
I’m getting more eggs from the chickens and some of my houseplants
are beginning to grow again. I have a Hawaiian
hibiscus that has grown a foot in the last couple weeks. On the porch I see some tuberose have popped
up in one of the pots I brought inside. I
am going to try and find a spot for them in the warmer part of the house tomorrow.
All of these are signs that even if its snowy spring is nearer.
Have you checked any stored bulbs lately? If you find mushy ones throw them out. If the bulbs or tubers look a little shriveled,
they need some moisture. Get some wood shavings
or sawdust barely wet and put them in them.
It’s a fine line between too much moisture and not enough.
February Almanac
There is no full moon in February this year. That’s why both January and March can have
blue moons- two moons in one month. The
moon perigee is the 27th and the apogee is the 11th.
By the 28th there are 11 hours and 12 min of daylight as we
rapidly gain on spring equinox. In January we only gained 48 minutes of light
in 31 days. In February we gain 69
minutes in 28 days. Go sun go!
February is National Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month, American Heart Month,
Marijuana Awareness Month, National Bird Feeding Month, National Cherry Month,
National Grapefruit Month, and National Bake for Your Family Month.
The 2nd is Candlemas day as well as Groundhog Day. It is the half way point through winter and
also the beginning of housecleaning for spring. The 5th is National
Pancake Day. The 12th is Lincolns Birthday, Darwin Day and Plum
Pudding day. The 14th is
Valentine’s Day as well as National Condom day, and for those who don’t
celebrate Valentine’s Day, it’s also National Library Day. The 15th
is Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday. Chinese New Year is the 16th and Presidents Day is the 19th. Tortilla Chip day is the 24th,
National Pistachio day is the 27th.
National Public Sleeping Day is the 28th, have fun with that.
The February birth flower is the violet, which symbolizes faithfulness,
humility and chastity. African violets
are being featured in many stores in February and make a good gift for a
gardener. The February birthstone is the
Amethyst.
The hype about
non-GMO seeds
Seed catalogs are arriving daily and if there’s one thing that
aggravates me is when the catalog cover screams out “no GMO seeds!” That’s scaremongering at its best. It’s like saying that jelly beans are fat
free- meaningless.
The term genetically modified- GMO- is usually applied to
plants or animals whose genes are altered in some way that can’t happen
naturally such as when we use a virus to put animal genes into plants or genes
from plant species that can’t cross naturally into each other. These genes will then carry into future
generations if similar plants are bred together and could be carried to other
similar plants in a natural cross.
There are many field crops on the market that have been
genetically modified, wheat, corn, soybeans and such. But very, very few garden plants have been
altered in this manner. Your hybrid
sweet corn, cabbage, marigolds and almost all other garden plants generally are
the result of good old-fashioned plant sex, even if aided by man. The very few genetically modified garden
crops are expensive and generally available only to large commercial
growers.
GMO seeds are usually not organic, however because a seed
variety is not listed as organic doesn’t mean its GMO. Organic is an entirely different category. “Treated”
seeds are not usually GMO either. Seed treatments vary from fungicides to
prevent seed rotting to naturally occurring soil bacteria to get some seeds
growing well. If seeds are treated the catalog will mention it.
The vast majority of garden seeds are not GMO, as people
generally define the term. If they were
GMO seeds the catalog would mention it.
Don’t worry about getting GMO seeds even if the catalog cover doesn’t mention
their absence.
Growing Pomegranates
The pomegranate is a lovely small tree or bush that too few
gardeners grow. It features a beautiful
flower and luscious fruit with many health benefits. There are pomegranates hardy to zone 7, (zone
hardiness is 7-12) but if you live in a lower zone don’t despair. Pomegranates will grow indoors and there are
cultivars that don’t get very large that are perfect for pots. I have had a plant for several years as a
potted plant that goes outside in summer and back inside for winter.
Potted pomegranates may sometimes produce fruit, but the
pretty flowers and attractive foliage make them a nice house plant even without
fruit. If you live in the south, zone 8 and higher, you can probably produce a
decent fruit crop from plants planted in the ground.
The pomegranate is native to the mid-east, around what is
now Iran north to the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. However, they are one of the earliest
domesticated fruits and were grown in gardens in China and many other places in
the world for thousands of years. Because of increased interest in the pomegranate
fruits nutritional qualities the US production of pomegranates is steadily
increasing. Most are grown in the San
Joaquin Valley area of California, but others are grown in Georgia and Florida.
Pomegranates are deciduous trees when planted in the colder
areas of their range but those kept as houseplants may never lose all their
leaves at once. My own pomegranate loses
many leaves when brought inside in the fall but quickly replaces them and never
looks totally bare. There is a general
period of slow growth or dormancy in winter.
They don’t need a winter chill period to set fruit.
The pomegranate has narrow, blade shaped glossy green leaves that
thickly cover the angular, thorny stems.
In fall the leaves turn a bright gold in the garden. Most pomegranates form a multi-trunk bush
shape but can be pruned to form a small tree.
If you are growing them in the colder portions of their zone the
multi-trunk form is best and that’s the form most used for commercial fruit
production. Trunk bark color is reddish
brown in younger trees, maturing to gray.
Pomegranates grow quickly and will be ready to bloom in the third year,
sometimes before. Plants begin blooming
in late spring and may continue to bloom all summer. My pomegranate generally begins blooming in
May and blooms sporadically through the summer.
The flowers are of two types, self-fertile flowers containing male and
female organs and smaller male flowers.
Some cultivars have more of one type than the other. The self-fertile
flowers are bell shaped and normally a flaming orange-red color. The petals appear slightly crumbled, like a
rumpled silky ball gown, and there is a large thick calyx on the back where the
fruit develops. Male flowers are
narrower, less showy and cannot make fruit. Some plants don’t have these.
While most pomegranate flowers are orange, there are plants which
sometimes have white or variegated flowers.
In nature pomegranates can be pollinated by hummingbirds and insects as
well as pollinating themselves. Cross
pollination between plants produces more fruit. If you are able to grow them in the ground
plant several for better fruit production.
When the pomegranate flower is pollinated it may form a fruit. These are the size and shape of an apple,
with a hard, leathery rind enclosing many seeds each surrounded by a little
sack of juicy pigments. The color of the
pomegranate rind is variable from red to yellow or purple. The seed with it’s covering of juicy pigments
is called an aril. While most people are
familiar with deep red arils the color of the aril can vary from pink to yellow
or even white.
Some pomegranate cultivars now have soft seeds, which means you don’t
need to spit out seeds as you savor the sweet-tart juice. The seeds are safe to
digest. Pomegranate fruit generally
ripens in early fall. The fruits must be
picked when fully ripe, as they don’t ripen off the tree. They will keep
several months.
Growing your own
pomegranate
You could go to the grocery and buy a pomegranate and extract seeds to
plant. The juicy part of the seed covering is rubbed off before planting. However, like apples pomegranates don’t come
true from seed. If you are looking for a
houseplant or are just curious and not looking for superior fruit qualities,
you can grow them from seed. Sow seed
anytime indoors.
Most gardeners will want to start with a small plant. Pomegranates are easily started from cuttings
in late winter and early spring and most nursery plants are started this way,
so you know what you are getting. Plants
are inexpensive and grow quickly. If planting outside space plants about 18
feet apart. The favorite variety for fruit production is ‘Wonderful’ but there are
many cultivars. Other
varieties/cultivars include; ‘Granada’, ‘Foothill’, ‘Parfianka’, ‘Kashmir Blend’, ‘Pink Satin’, ‘Sharp
Velvet’, ‘Ambrosia’, and ‘Angel Red’. Read the cultivar description to see the
fruit color, hardiness, size and other traits.
If you intend to grow the plant indoors I suggest one of the smaller
cultivars such as ‘Purple Sunset’. Start small plants in small pots, move the size
up each year until you are eventually in about a 5 gallon pot for a mature
indoor plant. You can prune the plant in
the winter months to keep it well shaped and in bounds.
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| Pomegranate flower |
Pomegranates prefer hot, dry conditions and hot humid summers may not
see them grow as well. While they like well drained soils, or a fast draining
potting mix and to dry out between watering, they must have regular watering to
produce good flowering and fruit. When plants get dry, give them a good
soaking, then let them dry out again.
Pomegranates need full sun, indoors you may need to have supplemental
grow lights if you don’t have a good southern window for them. They may bloom in partial shade outdoors but
rarely set fruit under less than full sun.
Pomegranates prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH. Have your soil
tested. If your soil is on the alkaline side, you may want to add some acidic
fertilizer. You can use a citrus fertilizer or other fertilizer for acid loving
fruiting plants like blueberries. Indoors the occasional use of some acidic
fertilizer can keep the plant growing well.
Pomegranates do not need heavy fertilization indoors or out. Fertilization is best done in spring as the
plants are flowering and setting fruit and avoided during fall and winter.
Most home-grown pomegranates do not have much trouble with pest or
disease problems. Larger orchards may have
some insect pets, depending on the location and if you are near them you too
may have problems. Contact your local
Extension office if you live in an area where pomegranates are grown
commercially to get an idea of what pests to look for. Deer will eat pomegranate trees so protect
them, especially when young.
Indoors pomegranates may experience the same problems as other house
plants. Dry conditions may bring spider
mites. Scale sometimes occurs but rarely
does much damage. Aphids become a problem
in some places. Treat the pomegranates
for these pests just as you would other houseplants. If you do have fruit on the plant make sure
any pesticides you use are for food bearing plants and follow label directions.
Pomegranates may begin blooming in the third year. They may not set fruit that year or if they
do, the fruit may fall off before maturing. The following year will give better
fruit set. Indoors you will rarely get
good fruit outside of a greenhouse situation.
But the flowers are still pretty and the plant attractive.
Fruits get larger, firmer and change color as they ripen and are
generally ripe in early fall. Pomegranates need long growing seasons with temperatures
above 80 degrees for 120 days for best fruiting. Like many fruits it can be a challenge to
know when the pomegranate fruit is ripe, but they will not ripen after
picking. Leaving the fruit on the tree
too long may result in it splitting.
They may also split after a heavy rain or too much water from
irrigation.
Fruits should be clipped rather than pulled from the tree. They will store in a cool place for a couple
months. To harvest the juicy seeds
inside without getting juice everywhere, (and it stains), try this. Score the outside of the fruit in several places. Then fill a pail or large pan with clean
water and holding the pomegranate underwater, pull off the outer skin and
dislodge the seeds with your fingers.
They will fall to the bottom and the debris will float. Skim off the debris and then pour the water
through a sieve or colander to harvest the seeds.
Culinary and
medicinal uses of pomegranate.
Since this is a well-known health food I won’t go into too much detail
here. Pomegranate can be eaten raw, by
sucking the fleshy juicy part off the seeds and spitting them out. If the fruit has softer seeds they can be
swallowed without problems. Pomegranate seeds
are often added to salads. You can juice
the seeds; pomegranate juice is sold in most stores now and its good for you in
moderate quantities, but not a miracle worker.
The rich red pomegranate juice is full of good antioxidants. They are said to be beneficial in arthritis
relief, heart disease prevention, cancer prevention, for digestive problems,
and prevention of dementia. They are a tasty source of vitamin C. Some of the medical claims have some research
backed evidence they work others do not.
The juice does lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure and reduce inflammation
and has some heart healthy benefits.
Pomegranate was once used to treat diabetes but there isn’t any research
that proves that it improves insulin sensitivity. Dried pomegranate flowers
were once used for bronchitis, no research proves this works. The dried
powdered seeds were once used to treat syphilis, again no proof.
In fact, most herbal remedies suggested for pomegranate, and there are
many, have no research-based proof of effectiveness. But there is little harm in consuming the
fruit or juice other than getting a good case of diarrhea from over indulging,
except for these cautions. The juice does lower the blood pressure in
many people and if you have low blood pressure or are taking medicine to lower
it, you should avoid pomegranate. For
this reason, everyone should avoid pomegranate for a few days before any
surgery. Some people may also be
allergic to pomegranate. Also talk to
your doctor if you take medications that are broken down by the liver such as Rosuvastatin
(Crestor). There is some indication pomegranate
may interfere with these medications.
Things you might learn in a Master
Gardener class-lesson 2
Last week I wrote about scientific names of plants, which is
something you might learn in one of your first Master Gardener classes, where
you learn basic plant biology. For those
who can’t afford a Master Gardener class I am going to give some quick lessons
every week on some of the basic things that are taught in those classes. Here are some things you would be taught in a
plant science chapter of the Master Gardener program.
How is a plant different from an animal? The common definition of a plant is that it’s
a living thing, whose cells contain chlorophyll, and which can make its own
food. Fungi are the exception to this
rule. They are classified as plants but
do not manufacture their own food. (Every rule has an exception should be a
rule.) Fungi are parasites which get their nourishment from other plants or
occasionally animals.
Plants differ from animals in that they have a rigid cell wall. The
cell wall is made of cellulose and a few other chemical compounds, and is what
forms the plants structure, the stems, roots, and branches. Most plant cells also contain a large central
vacuole, a bag like structure that is filled with water. If you were looking at
plant and animal cells under a microscope this is one way to identify a plant
cell. When the vacuole is filled with
water it keeps the plant cell walls from collapsing. If a plant doesn’t get enough water those
vacuoles aren’t filled, and the plant begins to get limp or wilt.
Most plant cells also have one or more small “plastids”. Plastids are like little sacks. Some of these
“plastids” contain chlorophyll, a green pigment, that plants use in the process
of photosynthesis to make food. If the
plastids contain chlorophyll they are called chloroplasts. There are sometimes other plastids in plant
cells that have other pigments like red or blue. These pigments are part of other chemical
processes plants perform and may also play a part in food production. They are called chromoplasts.
Some plant cells may not have visible chloroplasts but when that
portion of a plant is exposed to light, it may develop the green pigment in
rudimentary plastids. Think of a potato
tuber that is underground. When it’s
brought to the surface and exposed to light you can soon see the “skin” turn
green. Some plant cells that have
specialized functions may not contain plastids which can produce chlorophyll.
And plants have the ability to grow continuously throughout their
lifetimes. Some do this better than
others, think of the grass that’s mowed and grows back within a week. If a
plant is healthy and has its needs met it will keep putting out new leaves,
stems and roots until it’s normal lifespan is reached, or something destroys
it. (Plan lifespans vary. Some plants live just a few weeks. Others can live for hundreds, even thousands
of years.) Plants also have the
ability to form new plants from parts of parent plants. Animals cannot grow a new animal from a foot
that’s cut off for example, but in many cases a part of a plant can be used to
grow a new plant.
Dividing up the plant kingdom
Let’s talk about how the kingdom of plants is divided. First, we have plants that are
non-vascular. These include algae,
fungi, mosses and liverworts. Then there
are vascular plants, plants that have a system of vessels or “veins” that carry
food and water throughout the plant.
Vascular plants include horsetails, ferns, cycads, conifers,
dicotyledons and monocotyledons.
Next the vascular plants, which includes almost all garden plants,
are divided into gymnosperms and angiosperms. Conifers and cycads are
gymnosperms or “naked seed” plants.
Their seeds are not surrounded by a fruit, husk, pod or shell. Angiosperms are familiar flowering plants
that enclose their seeds in a fruit- which includes husks, pods, shells and
other variations.
Dicotyledons and monocotyledons
Angiosperms are further divided into monocotyledons and
dicotyledons. I know many of you are
shaking your heads, saying why do I need to know these things? There are good reasons to know if a plant is
a monocot or dicot (the terms are generally shortened). Monocots and dicots respond differently to
many pesticides. Dicots can often be
grafted; monocots cannot be grafted. And sorting a plant into monocot or dicot
can help with the identification of species you don’t recognize. Our gardens are filled with both types of
plants.
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| Dicotyledon sprout |
The terms monocotyledons and dicotyledons refer to the seed
leaves, the very first leaves a seed produces are called cotyledons. A monocot has one cotyledon, think of the
corn kernel germinating, one rolled leaf peeking through the soil. Dicots have two cotyledons, think of a bean
seed germinating, two little leaves unfold.
Cotyledons often look different than the leaves that will come later on
a plant.
The vessels (“veins”), that carry food through the plant are
called phloem, the ones that carry water are called xylem. In a monocot the phloem and xylem are in
pairs, scattered throughout the stem of the plant. In dicots the vessels occur in rings around
the stem of the plant, with the phloem on the outer ring and the xylem on the
inner one. These rings are just under
the bark or thickened “skin” of the stem. This is called the cambium layer. The center of the stem is filled with pith,
cells that are there for support.
If you remove a ring of plant tissue around the stem of a dicot-
or girdle it, the part above the ring is cut off from water and nutrients and
will die. In monocots damage to the
outer “skin” usually doesn’t kill the plant. When we mow off the grass blades,
the grass plant quickly repairs the damage. When someone cuts down an oak tree,
no new growth pops up above the cut area.
Below the cut area the tree may put out new branches or suckers from the
root system and some of these may grow upwards but no new growth will appear
above the cut.
In grafting the veins of both plant parts must be matched up for
the graft to work. This is impossible to
do with a monocot since the vein bundles are scattered through the stem but
it’s fairly easy to align the cambium layers of two plants from the same
species of dicots.
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| Vein pattern of a dicot |
When you look at the leaves of a monocot you will see that the
leaf veins all start at the leaf stem and run to the end of the leaf in
parallel rows. In a dicot the leaf veins
form a branched pattern, with smaller veins branching off several main ones. They usually have a larger vein running down
the center of the leaf. A hosta leaf or
a spider plant leaf represent what the vein pattern of monocot leaves looks
like and if you turn a maple leaf over and look at the veins you’ll get a good
picture of what the branched vein pattern of a dicot plant looks like.
The leaves of monocots are generally slender and longer than
wide. They often wrap around the stem at
the base to give it more support. Most
monocot leaves have a smooth margin, no teeth or serrations and are not
lobed. Dicot leaves can have lobes, or
segments, often have leaf stems, and leaf edges can be toothed or serrated. There are dicot leaves that are long and
narrow but the vein system will determine they are dicots.
Most monocots are soft, herbaceous plants without woody
stems. However, palms and bamboo are
monocots and do develop stems which can appear woody, especially after cutting
and drying. If you grow bamboo in the
garden you know that while the plants are growing the stems are green and
softer, but after you cut a stem or it is killed by cold it turns hard and
woody.
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| Hosta are monocots |
The root system of monocots is fibrous, without a central
taproot. Dicots tend to have taproots
although some dicots do have fibrous root systems. Like the leaf system vein structure dicot
roots tend to branch off main roots.
Finally, the flowers of monocots have parts in multiples of 3, 3
petals, 3 sepals, 3 anthers or 6 or 9 and so on. The pistil or female part, may look like one entity
but usually has 3 lobes on top and an ovary with 3 segments. Dicot flowers have flower parts in multiples
of 4, or 5.
There are about 5 times as many dicot species of plants as
monocots. Most grain plants are monocots, onions are monocots, but most other
edible plants are dicots. Succulent plants include both monocots and dicots but
cacti are dicots.
As homework examine the plants in your home and yard and determine
whether they are dicots or monocots.
Adding value to your plant based product
– processing, packaging and presentation
This is the last of a series of articles
on how to have a successful plant based
business, whether that is carrots grown organically or houseplants you started
from cuttings. In this article I’ll talk
about processing a raw product, packaging and presentation of your product. These things can make the difference in
making a good profit or barely breaking even.
Just as the major box stores are always remodeling in hopes that
you will perceive something new and different to bring you into their store,
don’t be afraid to change and improve your product. A new look may bring new customers. Think about the customer you are trying to
attract. If you want to expand into a
new market, think of packaging or adding value in a way that will attract that
sector.
If you are not a creative person and have trouble thinking outside
the box, ask an artistic or eclectic thinking person to give you some
ideas. You can get help with adding
value to products by researching what is on the market, asking people what they
want and asking experts to help you. Many state Extension offices have agriculture
agents or agents that specialize in small business start-ups. Specialty associations may also offer help.
Processing – turning a raw product into a better sale
Other than going from wholesale to retail the best way to realize
additional profit from a product is to process it in some way. Processing may be as simple as washing and
labeling a product or as detailed as turning it into a vintage wine. It’s best
to start with the simplest way of processing a product and evaluate from there.
Even the simplest methods of processing food can increase its
value by double or more. But people get
into trouble with processing when they don’t understand how to figure out the
increased costs associated with it and increase their product price
accordingly.
Your processed food must actually be of higher quality and taste
better than mass produced products of the same type to keep sales. It must also be healthy and visually
appealing. If you produce apple pies that
are runny, with thick lumpy crusts and a little too much cinnamon, a few people
may buy again, (those that remember mom’s pies that way), but most will
not. In addition, they may associate
your name or logo with an inferior product or actually make negative
recommendations to others. In the age of
internet reviews you do not want that.
You must have your recipe and production methods down precisely
before you begin marketing and you must be willing to discard product that is
not up to quality standards. Food
safety, such as keeping things at the proper temperature should never be
compromised.
The time it takes to process a product is also a factor. It takes a few minutes to sort and wash greens
and package them in a simple manner.
Children could help do it. Making
beer is much more labor intensive. Children might learn to help, but it is more
complex and exacting work than washing greens. In fact, food regulations may ban small
children from some processing areas. Your labor and time equals money. Products that take more of them should be
priced accordingly.
Start with thinking of all the ways your product could be
processed. If an idea appeals to you
then research the cost and time involved in the process. What kinds of licensing would you need? What kind of buildings, space, transportation
would you need? What kind of equipment
and handling supplies would you need?
Could you and the family do it or would you have to hire help? Do you have the experience and skills to
process the product?
Outside of the states that have cottage industry
regulations, processing food in any way generally requires that you have
special facilities and obtain inspections and permits. For example, if you want to produce
strawberry jam you will probably have to do it in an inspected and approved
kitchen, not your home kitchen. You
could re-model your kitchen or build a kitchen to specifications but that will
be very expensive.
Some states will allow a certain amount of food processing to take
place in the home without special licensing and expensive certified
kitchens. The food is sold by the
producer and has a label that says it was produced under the cottage or home
industry law. It can’t be sold outside the state, generally that includes
internet and catalog sales also.
There are ways you can work
around this issue. In many places you
can rent an approved kitchen for a day or two a week to make your product. Try contacting churches, association halls,
village halls, schools and other places that serve food to the public and see
if you can rent the approved facilities.
If you have problems finding a place you may want to inquire at the
state department of agriculture or your health department. In most cases you will need to contact them
anyways, to get an inspection code to put on your label.
In some areas there are “incubator” or mobile food processing
kitchens that small entrepreneurs can rent.
These may be offered by colleges, small business associations, trade
associations or other places. You will
be allowed to rent them for specific periods of time or even in some cases, use
them for free. A good place to ask
about these facilities may be your state health department or state department
of Agriculture as they must approve these facilities.
Processing food may also require expensive and complicated or
dangerous machinery. Your decisions on
processing food items should consider whether you have the funds to buy the
machinery and skills to use it. In some
cases hiring part of the processing out makes sense and still gives you added
profits. For example, you may want to
take your organically grown buckwheat to a mill to have it ground into
flour. You will then package it into
small packages of pancake mix.
After you have processed food you will need a place to store it
until it is sold. Shelves may be fine
for your strawberry jam, but refrigeration might be required for some things. Transportation to the point of sale may also
need to be refrigerated. Clever people
can generally find a way to work around these things, but it should all be
planned out in advance. I knew a woman
who had several hundred turkeys slaughtered for a pre-sold market but she had
neglected to plan for storing the birds safely until they were picked up. It cost her most of her profit to rent cold
storage for them.
When you are considering processing food you must also consider
the availability and cost of additional ingredients or preservatives needed as
well as your packaging costs. If you are producing organic jelly and your
ingredients are fruit, sugar, salt and pectin you will probably have little
problem finding the ingredients needed to go with your fruit. But if you want to produce organic apple pies
can you get organic flour, butter, and the seasonings needed?
Once again there are ways to get around these problems. You can have a label that says made with
organic apples instead of organic apple pie.
But you need to research all this and be clear about what you are doing
before you start baking pies.
Proper packaging
Packaging a product is one of the easier ways to add additional
value in most cases. The package gives
you a place to promote your name and the good things about the product as
well. You must use packaging that is
approved for that type of food or for transporting live plants if that is your
goal. Proper packaging may just be packing apples into sturdy paper bags with
handles instead of dumping them into re-cycled plastic bags or it can mean
putting your lovely succulents into protective plastic forms so they don’t get
crushed.
If you ever bought plants through the mail you know that you want
them to arrive fresh and undamaged.
Plant sellers who go the extra mile to protect plants often get repeat
sales. When you are selling plants
across state lines they may need to be opened for inspection at some point
along the way. Make sure the packaging
can withstand this. Thoroughly research
the rules and regulations on shipping plants before you begin the process.
“Convenience” packaging can make the product easier to sell. If you are selling homemade fudge at a farmer’s
market include a small plastic knife for the buyer to cut the fudge into bite
size pieces. If you are selling juicy
peaches in packages of two, why not include some rosy colored napkins under
each peach? This encourages customers to
consume the food on site and the sight of someone eating a juicy peach may
prompt others to ask them where they got it.
There are many places that sell food packaging from bushel baskets
to plastic deli containers. Carefully
consider the type of packaging and the cost it will add to a product. Since many niche farmers will be selling to
customers who already have some preference for buying environmentally friendly
products, consider how your packaging will affect that perception.
Don’t plan on using re-cycled containers from other businesses if
you want to look professional and increase your products value. In some cases, re-cycled packages for food may
be prohibited by law. There may also be regulations about what type of
packaging a product needs for food safety reasons. Consider this factor even if it’s not
required. If you are selling jellies and
jams, for example, you want to have a container that makes it obvious if
someone has opened it to smell or sample the contents, since opened products
may spoil.
Since today’s family sizes are smaller, and market surveys say
that people who are most likely to buy niche food products may be single or two-person
households, don’t make your package size too large. This is where you need to know your market
though. In some areas with a high
immigrant population, families tend to be larger and the people more accustomed
to buying fresh produce and using it up efficiently. In these markets larger
packages will sell well. There are some
areas where people still want to do canning and freezing at home and they want
larger quantities also.
The costs for packaging decrease with the volume you buy, but
don’t overbuy one type of packaging at first.
You may need to change the package size, type or label after a short
period of sales. You may also want to
try several forms of packaging first to see what appeals to your market. Once you have established what your market
likes you can buy packaging in larger quantities to get a lower price.
Gift packaging
Taking some lovely pears and apples that are blemish free, cleaned
and polished, and then nestling them in a pretty wooden box with tissue paper
nests will increase the value of that product considerably. There will be of course, additional costs,
but the perception you create of a quality product will help overcome the
resistance to a higher price. Gift
packaging works well around holidays and for catalog and internet sales.
Gift packaging may take some ordinary products and turn them into
hot sellers. Instead of selling jam in
plain glass jars with a label, put them in a fancy wine glass that can be
reused, with a ribbon around the top. Attach the label on a gift card to the
ribbon. Put your artisan cheese on a handcrafted wood cutting board. Several
types of specialty rice could be packed in a decorative metal container.
Gift packaging must also meet any food safety standards so before
you pack the jelly into that wine goblet make sure that the goblet isn’t
painted with lead. You may want to
discuss any unusual methods of packaging food with your regulatory agency
before going ahead with the packaging.
Test any unusual packaging and let it sit for the expected storage
time of your product. Some things like foil or metal may darken or change the
color of food. Some printed papers may bleed colors onto food.
If you are going to throw extras like a recipe card, coupon or the
story of your farm into the package make sure that those also comply with food
safety regulations.
Gift packaging can also take several ingredients that you produce
and package them so that the buyer completes the product. This can be bean
soup, with your dried beans and seasonings in a package with directions on how
to prepare the soup, or bread mix, or many other combinations. This allows you to skip costly equipment and
time needed to produce the final product.
You may realize more profit this way than by preparing and selling the
same product.
Once again you must discuss this type of packaging, the labeling
it will need and other considerations with your regulatory agency. Gift
packaging goes well with complementary products, which I will discuss later.
Labels
Today’s computers and printers make it easy to design and print
labels for your products at home. This
works well for small to medium sized quantities of labels. However, when you start making labels in the
thousands having them made by a commercial printing company may cost you less
per label. For shipping products you’ll
need a computer program that will print shipping labels. For selling live plants you will want some
sort of plant name labels or tags.
Your product label can be a chance to promote your business and
increase sales. It should be eye catching,
but use simple, easy to understand language. Colors or small images can be used on some
labels to catch the eye. If you intend
to sell in an area with a large Hispanic population having a label in Spanish and
English may give you an edge. Make sure
you know how or can get someone who does know how, to translate correctly.
Your label should have a way to contact you, if you do direct
sales, even if it’s not required to sell that product. People don’t always remember where they got a
product and that label with contact information can mean a repeat sale.
Besides food safety regulations federal and state laws also tell
you what must be put on any food product as a label. If you are going to sell a
food product in more than one state your label must satisfy the requirements
for all the states involved. All food,
even fresh produce, must have a label telling what country it was grown in and
if it was processed in another country that must also be listed. Some complex foods like baked goods may be
exempted.
Other things that may be required on processed food labels are the
name, address and other contact information of the producer, the processing
date and the expiration date, and a complete list of ingredients, (with some
minor exceptions). Nutrition information is required if you do more than
$50,000 worth of business in a year. Allergy warnings may be required. Other things may also be required depending on
the product and local regulations.
To get nutrition information you will have to pay a laboratory to analyze
your product and give you the information.
Sometimes colleges will perform this service in their labs for a smaller
fee than public labs.
For more information on labeling laws and getting nutritional
content analyzed contact the Food and Drug Administration 1-888-463-6332 or http://www.fda.gov
Complementary products
Complementary can mean something that is given free, or perceived
by the buyer as free, this is a marketing tactic. Or it can mean two products
that complement each other and increase sales or that you package together to
be able to increase your profit.
Let’s go back to the cucumbers. If a customer comes to your stand
to buy cucumbers to make pickles you could give them a stalk of your organic
dill to use in the pickles. Or you could
have bundles of your organic dill nearby that they can purchase. Or you could package cucumbers in half bushel
containers with a few stalks of dill on top.
Complementary products have all sorts of possibilities. You are doing what big stores do and are
prompting impulse sales. And you may be
picking up profit on a product you would have a hard time selling alone, such
as the dill mentioned above. The
complementary product can be something you produce or something you buy from
another producer. For niche market sales
it makes more sense to use products that are produced by other niche
farmers.
If you are selling tiny plants buy some cute tiny clay pots to put
them in and paint them in bold colors.
Add small packets of starter fertilizer to each sale of a potted perennial. If you grow herbs dry them and make seasoning
packets for turkey, then add some pasture raised turkeys for customers to
buy. Baskets and unusual vases are good
to display near dried flowers and gourds for added sales.
If you make artisan cheeses and grow organic apples, display the
two together. You could then add a wonderful wine produced by a local winery
and some homemade bread. When you are
considering combining value added food products, always think of foods or other
items you could produce yourself that would increase sales and profits.
Presentation
You can have the most beautiful packaging, or healthiest plants
but if you just drive up to the market in a dirty pick-up truck and let down
the tailgate to sell your products you won’t have as many sales as someone who
has taken a little time and money to present their wares in a better way.
Always keep your selling area neat and clean. The seller should be neat and clean too, wear
an apron if you will get dirty unloading produce or products and remove it before
selling begins. Folding tables,
tablecloths and canopies can help farm market sales. Add decorative touches,
pretty colors, nice smells, neat legible signing to your sales booth. Engage in conversations but don’t get so
caught up in one conversation that you ignore other customers. Your booth or
farm stand should look inviting and clean.
If you are selling from a greenhouse or nursery the rows should be
clear and easy to navigate and no dead or diseased plants should be in sight. There
should be no aggressive dogs, mud puddles to jump over or rusting equipment
lying around. Your own landscaping and gardens in view should be neat and well
cared for.
If your selling area is an on-line page or website, make sure it’s
professional looking and easy to navigate.
Make sure everything is spelled correctly. Use scientific names for plants as well as
common ones. Hire someone to put
together a webpage for you if you don’t have skills in that area.
Decide in advance what you will guarantee and keep your word. Price things clearly. Don’t add extra fees unless they have been
explained on your site, things like shipping costs should be laid out clearly.
Reputation is everything today with social media quickly getting
praise or criticism out to the public.
Keep your reputation spotless, address and try to resolve every
complaint, don’t make promises you can’t keep, don’t price switch, don’t misrepresent
products. A good reputation is the best
advertising you can have.
Starting your own business, which involves plants or food products
you produced yourself, involves lots of research and planning, some trial and error
learning, patience and perseverance. But
many people have found these small businesses to be satisfying and profitable. If you are dreaming it start planning it, and
then just do it. And good luck
Sorry no recipe this week. I’ll post one next week. Have a paczki instead.
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
© Kim Willis - no parts of this
newsletter may be used without permission.
And So On….
Find Michigan garden events/classes
here:
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is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page)
An interesting Plant Id page you can
join on Facebook
Here’s a seed/plant sharing group you
can join on Facebook
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