Start a tubestock nursery for landscapers

Landscapers, landscape designers, councils, landcare and revegetation groups, and retail garden centres.

Price per plant on bulk orders, often grown to order or on contract, with repeat orders from regular trade customers.

• Large-scale propagation and crop planning
• Irrigation and plant health management
• Building trade relationships and quoting

• Check zoning and planning rules with your local council before setting up a production nursery
• Check your state's nursery accreditation or biosecurity schemes, which some trade buyers expect or require
• Public liability insurance, and workers compensation once you hire staff
• Long lead times, as plants can take months before you can sell them, so plan your cash flow
• Water access and restrictions, plus risks from pests, disease, heat and frost

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on the size of your block, your propagation and irrigation setup, and how much stock you grow before your first sales.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how much stock you produce, which trade buyers you win, and how long plants take to reach a saleable size.

Check zoning and planning rules with your local council, and your state's nursery accreditation or biosecurity schemes, which some trade buyers expect. Also check insurance, water access and restrictions, and risks from pests, disease, heat and frost.