by Sheila Rae Watson

Created on: April 30, 2008

Is your home becoming over-run with houseplants? Why not turn unwanted horticultural clutter; into cold, hard cash?

Make money growing and selling plants at a local Flea Market!

A flea market setting allows the novice seller a grand opportunity to do business with the lowest overhead, the shortest commitment and exposure to the largest number of potential customers.

As a seller be:

*Reasonable in your pricing, price tags on everything
*Flexible; accept offers, if they seem fair

*Let your customers know that you truly want to please them
*Offer top-notch healthy starter/rooted house plants

This way you will; no doubt, sell everything you brought.

Selling starter plants at a Flea Market is very simple and requires little, to no investment.

You will need, a variety of mature plants, rooting compound, potting soil and small pots. All of these item are available at your nearest "discount store", you know the one! You probably have all these items on-hand since you are an avid home style, indoor "sod-buster!"

It is recommended to begin a couple of months before your chosen Flea Market is open. Some are closed during the winter months, unless you live in a warm climate.

Here are a few tips for starting new-baby plants from older-mother plants!

*Prepare small pots, adding vermiculite or potting soil.
*Using the handle of a wooden spoon, or other tool, make holes in the potting compound to accommodate your cuttings.
*Look for a plant with "nodes" on it. Nodes are the joints on the plant stem, where a leaf is or was.
*Using a sterilized (with rubbing alcohol) pair of scissors or an exacto knife, take stem cuttings from your mother plant, 1 to 2 inches below the node; one with leaves is ideal. Trim off all but the top two leaves.
*The new roots are going to grow from the nodes, not from leaves.

Why use rooting compound? Rooting compound is the actual plant hormones; using this compound will insure your cutting will indeed make roots, because it stimulates the stem to produce roots.

*Dip the cut end of the stem 1/8 inch into a cup of water; then dip that same stem into the rooting compound.
*Tap the stem against the cup to rid it of excess hormones, too much compound may lower your chances of a successful rooting!
*Carefully set your cuttings into the holes you made in the potting soil; gently press the soil around the stem.
*You may add more than one stem to a pot, making sure the leaves do not touch.

You have now made a new plant! Yes, it is that easy.

Place your new plant in a zip baggie,

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