Customer Reviews

Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business: A Complete Guide to Starting and Operating a High-Profit Organic or Hydroponic Business That Benefits the Environment

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Secrets to a successful Greenhouse and Business is written for the beginner or serious home gardener who wants to start a profitable home-based business growing plants in a greenhouse, or for educators looking for specialized classroom projects. It is also valuable text for existing commercial growers, if only to revisit some of the basics from time to time. Divided into 11 sections, Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business will tell you everything you want to know to get started in a greenhouse business. The book covers all major growing systems including hydroponics, organics, and good old-fashioned soil cultivation. It includes a basic plan to build a solar greenhouse, and information on soil and fertilizer mixes, insect and disease control, marketing, and guidelines to organize your greenhouse business. The section on ?Selling, Marketing, and Economics? is especially useful for new comers to greenhouse production. Gone are the days of growing plants on speculation and hoping to find a market before the crop is harvested. The first step in any successful horticulture business is to identify your market, and to grow what the market wants. This section offers some valuable insights into how to go about that. The text explores the marketing process and includes developing sales concepts and marketing strategies, as well as establishing a realistic budget. I can?t think of another text that says it better. There are also special treatments for marketing hydroponic and organic products, as opposed to soil-grown products. The section on ?Greenhouses? is succinct. The author leaves no stone unturned in his endeavor to cover every aspect of greenhouse production. Topics include environmental control, choosing the right greenhouse covering, operating costs and cash flow, ideas to improve your greenhouse, and much, much more. This section also includes a basic solar greenhouse plan, including a detailed inventory of materials (imperial measurements). The section on ?Specialized Projects with Excellent Profit Potential? examines the major soil-less culture growing systems that are used in today?s modern greenhouse, with a focus on greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, tropical fruits, and ornamental plants. There is also a special treatment for school greenhouse programs. There are few greenhouse texts that go beyond the hardware of a greenhouse business. This text does. The section on ?Guidelines to Organizing Your Business? is about turning into actions. According to the author, people don?t plan to fail they just fail to plan. In this section, apart from highlighting the need for good planning, the author explains the basic steps for organizing your greenhouse business. These include on sight considerations such as obtaining zoning ordinances and building permits, and types of financing, right down to Workers Compensation. Another section on ?Delivery, Collecting, & Using Computers?, is a practical guide for those processes. The author covers everything including packing and labeling, box construction, and how to start with a small business computer. The author provides a practical explanation of the World Wide Web and its importance for communication, to quickly find or exchange technical and market information, or to develop new markets. The author also includes a lists of useful websites. This book is published in the Unites States, for a North American readership but its wealth of information gives it international appeal. If you are thinking of starting a greenhouse business, then this book is for you wherever you are. It is full of tips, ideas and resources, and generously illustrated.

If you want the best info on greenhouses that was written in this country and is very up to date, this book is for you. Info on hydroponic tomatoes was the latest available (very important). The info on getting customers is the best that I have read. Real good ideas on building a greenhouse and the many extras you can get for this wonderful business. Suggestions on what to grow first for new growers and how many. Even what to say to prospect buyers. A buyers list that has real buyers! Just a great book and will save you many years.

You won't belive all the secrets in this pramatic book.Its so easy to find buyers using their method. Some really good money saving tips about everthing. Not a lot of the same old info on how to grow but the secrets on how to produce top quality plants.

Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business is written for the beginner or serious home gardener who wants to start a profitable home-based business growing plants in a greenhouse, or for educators looking for specialized classroom projects. It is also valuable text for existing commercial growers, if only to revisit some of the basics from time to time. Divided into 11 sections, Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse and Business will tell you everything you want to know to get started in a greenhouse business. The book covers all major growing systems including hydroponics, organics, and good old-fashioned soil cultivation. It includes a basic plan to build a solar greenhouse, and information on soil and fertilizer mixes, insect and disease control, marketing, and guidelines to organize your greenhouse business. The section on 'Selling, Marketing, and Economics' is especially useful for new comers to greenhouse production. Gone are the days of growing plants on speculation and hoping to find a market before the crop is harvested. The first step in any successful horticulture business is to identify your market, and to grow what the market wants. This section offers some valuable insights into how to go about that. The text explores the marketing process and includes developing sales concepts and marketing strategies, as well as establishing a realistic budget. I can't think of another text that says it better. There are also special treatments for marketing hydroponic and organic products, as opposed to soil-grown products. The section on 'Greenhouses' is succinct. The author leaves no stone unturned in his endeavor to cover every aspect of greenhouse production. Topics include environmental control, choosing the right greenhouse covering, operating costs and cash flow, ideas to improve your greenhouse, and much, much more. This section also includes a basic solar greenhouse plan, including a detailed inventory of materials (imperial measurements). The section on 'Specialized Projects with Excellent Profit Potential' examines the major soil-less culture growing systems that are used in today's modern greenhouse, with a focus on greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, tropical fruits, and ornamental plants. There is also a special treatment for school greenhouse programs. There are few greenhouse texts that go beyond the hardware of a greenhouse business. This text does. The section on 'Guidelines to Organizing Your Business' is about turning into actions. According to the author, people don't plan to fail they just fail to plan. In this section, apart from highlighting the need for good planning, the author explains the basic steps for organizing your greenhouse business. These include on sight considerations such as obtaining zoning ordinances and building permits, and types of financing, right down to Workers Compensation. Another section on 'Delivery, Collecting, & Using Computers', is a practical guide for those processes. The author covers everything including packing and labeling, box construction, and how to start with a small business computer. The author provides a practical explanation of the World Wide Web and its importance for communication, to quickly find or exchange technical and market information, or to develop new markets. The author also includes a lists of useful websites. This book is published in the Unites States, for a North American readership but its wealth of information gives it international appeal. If you are thinking of starting a greenhouse business, then this book is for you wherever you are. It is full of tips, ideas and resources, and generously illustrated.

I found this to be the best book on the subject. The most complete information source on buyers and materials I could find. Its very obvious that the author has had a greenhouse business and gives ideas (secrets) that can save years of time. I wonder about the 2 star reviews here that sound as they are from someone whos worried about this valuable info getting out. From the beginning it tells you that all info on every subject can not be given, and when you have dozens of types of poinsetta's that have dozens of growing conditions it is better to get a book on that subject. With all the great bits of info, how can anyone not love this book. My favorite area is how to get buyers. The process is so simple when you know the right way. I only found two typing errors and who cares! Each page is full of money saving and making projects. The way the author shows you how to decide what types of crops to grow is worth the price of the book alone. The buyer list is unbelievable... real buyers who want plants of all kinds, where else can you find that? I found the info on the size of pots to use, and prices to charge, very helpful. I have called and emailed Mr. Taylor many times and ask him all kinds of greenhouse growing questions and he has always been very helpful and inspiring. Have had been the largest spiderplant grower in the USA for many years and had dealt with over 1400 stores Mr. Taylor knows his business better that most. A couple of my friends have bought this book and are all excited about starting there greenhouse business growing tropical plants.

I found this book at the university of Calif. in Davis and was highly recommended by them back in 1999. But it wasn't till I saw a review in [a] magazine that I bought it. My greenhouse business took a complete turn around. My profits went up last year by 5oo%. There are hundreds of money making ideas. The best and cheapest ways to do just about everything. I like the way it tells you every thing you need to know to get a buyer to buy them and I could not believe it till I tried it. The author covers so many ways to promote including the internet, making videos, and how to grow what is needed. The chapters on building a greenhouse showed me the difference between steel and wood, and gothic and hoop. When you need a cooling system and when you can just use curtains to let cross ventilation in. The greenhouse that the author designed is the newest one I have built ...1/2 of the ones I built 5 years ago. The directory in the back has pages of buyers and the best supply companies all over the USAis worth more than the book price. Being a true enviormentalist I was delighted when I found that all use of poisons have been omitted and only natural ways of insect distruction are given. Since a clean greenhouse has very little insect problems I have found that he is right, poisons not needed! Even some real good ideas concerning what to grow first to make some fast money are included. Well worth the price if your not lazy!

If you want to know everything from the "how come?", to the "how to?", to the "how much?" of the greenhouse business then you want to order, "Secrets To A Successful Greenhouse and Business" by Ted M. Taylor. I always wanted to own a nursery or be in the greenhouse business but had convinced my self I couldn't afford the investment or the risk. I discovered a link to this book one night while searching for information on Hibiscus. I ordered one copy and then ordered another copy for a friend before the first one arrived. I read the book and can tell you first hand that you will learn everthing from the importance of developing a plan, to how to build an affordable greenhouse, to what plants to grow, to how to grow them, to how to market them plus a long list of references, buyers, workshops and seminars. Although the dates of the conferences will be different depending on the issue of the book, it is comforting to know these events are held each year and I feel sure it will be very easy to find the current year schedule.

In this day of technology, it is refreshing to find an author who writes with such understandable basics. It's obvious he has been a huge sucess in the greenhouse business. In a telephone conversation with Mr. Taylor, he assured me that the toughest part of the business is the decision to get started. That's the part I've had the biggest trouble with but will build my first greenhouse this year. The book showed me not only that the business is affordable but also can be profitable very early.

This book has all the info I was looking for. Buyers, suppliers, greenhouse sellers and which type are the best for certain crops. Finding info on the right pot size and trays to use was very helpful. How to find a buyer and what to say was the most useful bit of info that I have never seen in any book. This is worth the cost alone. I have to remark about the review by Caraphor, who says the book is full of erros, and Boron is not harmful what a misleading statement...Completely WRONG ! Boron is harmful and a couple of errors in 180 pages not bad... thank you Mr. Taylor for the accurate info! Heres what the county health dept. says about Boron. "Breathing moderate levels of boron can result in irritation of the nose, throat, and eyes. Reproductive effects, such as low sperm count, were seen in men exposed to boron over the long-term. Animal studies have shown effects on the lungs from breathing high levels of boron.
Ingesting large amounts of boron over short periods of time can harm the stomach, intestines, liver, kidney, and brain. Animal studies of ingestion of boron found effects on the testes in male animals. Birth defects were also seen in the offspring of female animals exposed during pregnancy."

The best thing about this complete manual is the the info is presented in the order that you need it. Each chapter is the next step in starting a fun business. I have so much fun with my greenhouse business and highly reccommend both the book and having a greenhouse business. The book is written for the beginner who wants to start small or big. Many plans and ideas to get you going. You won't be sorry with such a happy lifestyle! Its so easy to multiply plants, like one spider plant basket to hundreds in one year. Or making hundreds of cuttings from one plant. My favorite part about the greenhouse is growing my own food and knowing how to sell the excess. Get this book and be happy seeing a magical place!

If you are considering going into a business requiring a greenhouse...READ THIS BOOK FIRST. There is just SO much valuable info here.

I was sceptical about buying the book because of a previous negative review. Yes, the book has a couple of typos but that was easy for me to overlook because of the wealth of good info I was receiving. I have been an organic gardener/farmer for 20 years and have not been confident enough about the greenhouse business to step out in it. With the info contained here I can make an informed decision about adding this to my business.

To the author...Thanks for the help!