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Old November 21, 2017   #11
clkeiper
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
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above all KNOW YOUR VARIETIES. you literally need to be able to sell snow to an Eskimo except you are selling tomato plants to the consumer. ask what they are going to use the fruit for, know what varieties you have are good for. and then throw in the normal round red marglobe or rutgers, big beef and a paste... roma etc...match up their needs to the fruit. the largest I sell is in a 4 pack for canning tomatoes. most people don't want 4 or 6 of the same variety. but truly, most people don't quibble over a few plants.

get to know container labels. Cole Robbie mentioned the pull apart sheets... that is an "1801" it fits in a 1020 tray. 1801 means there are 18 single cells.
1020 is the size of the webbed tray the sheet of cells fits in and you must have the webbed flats. don't but a "true 1020" that is a true 10"x20" tray. most of us buy a 10x20 that is 10.5"x 20.5 " and the inserts wont fit into that true 1020 unless you have bought true inserts also. you can't mix and match them. you can mix and match brands without it being much of an issue just not sizes.
1203= a sheet of 12 triple cell tear apart inserts. a 1204 is sheet of 12 tear aparts with 4 cells. there are multiple inserts configurations available. these are the just most common.
1201's are great for onions...
I put my most expensive seeds usually hybrids in single cells I put open pollinated in multiple cells. charge the same price for every cell pack. makes it easier to not mess up and lose money on more expensive seeds. the longer it takes to grow something them more expense you have in it whether it is time or fuel keeping them warm.
I buy tags from John Henry co. they are about .04c eac usually. but I am buying hundreds of each variety you can also buy blanks from them and write on them with a contractors marker... not a regular indelible one. regular sharpies fade before you can sell the plant.
I grow a lot of plants so I buy 25 bales of baccto. and sometimes I need more. if I have a customer who wants a large container filled I usually have to make a run for a few more bales.I pay about 22.00 a bale for baccto. I bought the loose fill two years ago but I didn't like it so I went back to compressed bales.

I buy osmocote in a 50# bag and add it to every pot or tub of mix.. add that to your mix and you will have a much nicer finished product. BUT I also fertilize everytime I water my plants. I have an injector in each greenhouse.
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