We often end up with extras when raising plants from seed. Likewise cuttings are rooted as insurance against plant loss which sometimes results in more than what's needed. Replaced: So the question is: with: The poll asks what you do with them.
Its a combination if composting and giving away. I try to find some to take them, and if no one will... well.. the circle of life and all that.
(What's the question?) Excess plants are like commodities. Here are some uses for them: 1. Give them to families, friends, colleagues, neighbours, even total strangers, in return for good will and friendship. I have given to all of the above, and have decided that this is the most rewarding reason for having excess plants. 2. Give them in exchange for other plants - done that, lots of time, and rate this as the second most rewarding reason for having excess plants. 3. Exchange them for goods (other than plants) and services. It's a bit difficult to match the worth of your plants versus the goods/services exchanged. I have only done it once, over a spirit of good will. 4. Sell them at your garage sale - done that once and sold nothing! I don't think I overpriced, but people coming to garage sales expect everything to be dirt cheap. But I can't sell those plants for less than what it cost me to propagate and grow them on. 5. Sell them on E-Bay - not done that. Seems like a lot of hassle.
Excess plants come to me through changes required in customers gardens, excess purchasing for garden installs, excited purchases anticipating the season. And any new unusual and wonderful plants that I must have even if I don't have a place. Compulsion. I can say the word. Its the first step to recognition and control of same. My "garden" is more a nursery, and I have rented furthur space for storage of common plants. I do use the excess plants, but unfortunately it is at a smaller rate than procuring them. I know I'm not alone!
The question is the 'poll' which is above the first posting - took me a bit to figure it out as well. "Compulsion, compulsion" - there I can say it too, and I've recognized the problem a while back but alas, the control is elusive !
Forgot to include the trade option in the poll. Doh! My thoughts: Selling is not worth the trouble. I grow plants for pleasure not profit. Giving them away is good for the reasons given by Weekend Gardener. Couldn't have said it better myself. Trading is a good way to expand the collection and to meet people with similar interests. I can see getting rid of plants that are weak or deformed but disposing of otherwise healthy plants just doesn't seem right - it's such a waste. Also, if you consider the effort put out by each plant to struggle for life doesn't it deserve a chance to live?
As I work as a gardening teacher in a school, the kids take thier seedlings to the Saturday Market to sell (part of the program). If I have extras, I add my stuff to thier stock (After I make them learn all about it and such). The profit they get from my stuff goes back into the program to buy stuff we might need. They recently sold off flowering bulbs they planted, and bought new sand for the kindy class sand box with some of the profits. Carol Ja
Mostly give them away, even to the extent of putting a "free" sign at the end of the driveway near excess iris, daylilies, etc. Mostly have friends who will take excess anytime....even once showed up to a trailhead to meet women friends for a hike with a trunkfull of excess Pacific Coast Iris- did not take any home!
Don't forget Craig's List or Freecycle. I got rid of a ton of irises that way. I find that the plants I've got too much of are the same ones everyone else has too much of and they're hard to give away. It always cracks me up to see people nurturing little rose of sharon seedlings like they're rare gold and I pull them up by the handfull!! My nicer plants (the named varieties and the rare ones) are perfect for trading with my gardening friends, though. And I've met most of them online.
I honestly don't usually produce that many extras. Everyplace I live always seems to have limited room for propagation. (Next home is going to have sunlight everywhere and /or a greenhouse.) At my last home in Georgia I threw a party in the spring and encouraged people to bring extra seedlings, cuttings or divisions to share. That was a good way for people to share their favourites and try new things for free. Makes for a fun party theme too - the dresscode was flowery/bright colours or for the macho - dress like a farmer.
Oh my gosh... conpulsion!!! What I can't give away, I make a new place for. I can't even throw away a healthy baby rudbekia or echinacea. It is so pathetic. I now have about 13 seperate gardens. The worst of it is, I have significant acrage. I can pretty much do what I want. And I love it. I never thought of putting out a table with advertised free plants. That is a great idea!!!
I have sold excess plants, given them away and traded for plants that I don't have. Propagation is my favorite part of gardening. Being able to take a piece of a plant and getting that piece of plant to form another independent plant is very rewarding. Most of the propagation that I do is by starting cuttings of the conifers growing in my yard and by sowing seed. Mike
I could not bring myself to compost a viable plant. Even when raking etc. if I accidently pull up a piece of sedum etc. I feel the need to pot it up. I give away, put out for sale at a garage sale, donate to the garden club or trade. Speaking of trading, there are a group of us who trade our extra's every spring and fall. We have a thread started under "plant trading" and would love to have new people join the swap. It is April 22nd in north van. Cheers, WCG
PM me if you have something specific in mind. I'm in the process of sprucing up my plantroom and repotting. There will be some extras in the end.
I used to give a lot of mine away. "Used to"... is the operative word. Until people started showing up at my home - then finally I had the last straw when someone broke into my greenhouse. I still grow a lot of plants for giving away. Right now I am growing over 1000 venus flytraps to give to kids at the local elementary school. It's a nice way to intro them into the plant world and stewardship for our environment.
Isn't that a shame?! Whatever the cause there just seems to be a general decline in respect for others and their property. (For an example, see How do I deter local kids? | UBC Botanical Garden Forums.) I approached a local nursery and asked for permission to put out a tray of plants along with a 'FREE' sign but was politely declined due to industry concerns about spreading plant disease (which I can understand). I commend your efforts to educate the young. One can only hope it will make a difference.
I just took one of my coffee plants over to a local coffee roaster. No, not to be roasted (I've never had enough beans to make a cup of coffee) I just wanted to see if there was a market for the plants. The roaster seems to think there is, so we're going to see if there's a dollar in it.
I think coffee plants would be a good cross-seller for the roaster - impulse buying by customers who already have coffee in mind. However I have doubts about making money from supplying the roaster with plants. The shop could just as well grow their own trees by planting unroasted seed which they have ample of, not to mention variety.
Yeah he tried that, apparently without much success. Maybe he doesn't have the time or the interest. I'm just growing them for fun. There'll never be a lot of money in it. Mybe enough to buy another nut pine...
