Are your looking for work at home income? Do you want only part time work at home? If you are ready to make the jump to a work at home business there are many to choose from. You can check for online information for home businesses or you can go with your own idea.

With spring just around the corner this is a great time to begin a starter plant business. Starter plants are the beginning of a large vegetable and flower garden. In order for a garden to grow well starting plants indoors prior to outside planting your garden will be well on it’s way before the traditional spring planting time.

Check with your local home and garden improvement center for supplies and information. Your local library has all the information you need to study up on how to start plants for gardeners. Check out only a few books at a time and do a quick study. If you already have gardening experience you can start right away.

Buying your supplies on a budget is possible if you limit what you are going to grow. You need containers and these can be purchased as sets with as many as two dozen plant spots. Use only two to three seeds in each little container. As the plant begins to grow you can remove small plants until you have only one good plant in each section.

Water according to directions. Do not over water. Make sure you place the plants in a warm area near a window with as much direct sunlight as possible. It usually takes about 4-8 weeks for the plants to reach transplanting size.

For the very budget minded you can save containers and recycle. Empty cans, egg cartons, ice cream containers and just about any other small container can be used. Purchase a good starter soil for your seeds. It doesn’t take much to get your plants started. Use good drainage.

Start with plants like spinach because the young leaves are most often used in salads. They won’t have to be transplanted if your customer does not wish to grow a garden. They can place the plant on a window sill and use the young leave daily.

Green beans are another great starter plant. There is a large variety to choose from so each customers taste is supplied with their favorite. From yellow wax beans to the standard and tasty green bean these plants are a good seller.

Tomato plants are always in demand. There are so many variety to choose from, but limit your choice to just one or a few different kinds. Use cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and beefsteak tomato plants.

Offer your starter plants to neighbors, online advertising, word of mouth, fliers at the local store and even farmers markets in your area. This is a great little business with a lot of rewards and with careful planning it will supply a part time income year round.

Basil is a member of the Mint family that has extremely aromatic leaves that are used in cooking. The mention of Basil reminds us of Italian cooking, though it originated from India.  A fragrant and tasty leaf is the reason why basil is grown, although its flowers are also edible. It thrives in warm and sunny weather (above 70F). It grows up to 6 feet like the Sweet Basil, but there are also dwarf varieties that can be raised in pots. The most popular varieties are-

• Sweet Basil- 3 to 6 feet in height, lemony taste
• Genovese Basil- bigger leaves than Sweet Basil, mixed flavor taste
• Mexican Spice Basil-green leaves and purple flowers, cinnamon scent
• Spicy Clove Basil- quick growing and compact plants good for containers
• Lemon Basil- small leaves, lemony tang
• Red Rubin- purple color, good for vinegar

Growing Basil-

Basil can be grown from seed. If it is only for kitchen consumption, you need only two pots full. It is quite a prolific producer of those exotic flavored leaves. Basil seed germination needs fairly high and stable temperature, which makes it ideal for indoor planting. If you start with a small container, just put 6 seeds maximum. It has a unique characteristic wherein, when it reaches the height of 6”, control must be done to prevent flowering, which leads to seeding. Because seeding of Basil plant lessen the flavor of the leaves. And to prevent flowering, top set of leaves must be pinched or cut.

How to plant Basil

1. To have adequate water drainage in basil pot, it is advisable to put coarse gravel at the bottom. Put a tea bag at the bottom whole drainage to serve as filter. This will allow only water to be drained and not compost. Make sure that the compost or pot soil mix is weed and moist free before sowing.
2. Sowing can be done indoor anytime.  Or if it’s outdoor, it must be done in March or April, to avoid spring frost.
3. Sow thinly with just several seeds per pot, and then cover them with ½ cm thick compost. In about 2 weeks, seedling will appear. When it has more than 5 leaves already, it can be transferred to a more permanent or bigger container. Cover the pot with plastic sheet to maintain its humidity and moisture.
4. If grown indoor, locate the pot near window that will give 6 to 8 hours sunlight daily. If grown outdoor, place it in a shaded area to avoid cold winds.
5. Fertile soil is need for potted plants. Compost or manure must be introduced before sowing.
6. When watering, it must be directed at the base of the plant, not on the leaves and stems.
7. Pinch out its flowers as they appear, to direct all the nutrients to leaf flavor building.
8. When harvesting, pick a few leaves on top of the plant. Indoor basil plant will supply you leaves all year round.

Harvested leaves can be stored in air-tight containers, after drying in a room for about a week or in a dehydrator. Leaves stored this way will last for one year.

Welcome to Great Big Plants blog. Here we will give you advice on how to turn any plant into a thriving, lush healthy one. For 14 years, Great Big Plants has delivered its organic liquid compost to users in 20 different states. Let them show you how a successful formula can give you a successful crop. 22 Dec 2006 The Organic Gardener

Carbon is the most influential element that effects plant productivity. Each growing season more carbon is depleted from the soil. Since chemical fertilizers contain no carbons, soil quickly tires and fertility declines.

It’s important to restore carbon content through the soil for the environment, as well. It vitalizes plants, water, and wildlife habitat. It also reduces the global warming factor. Carbon plays a larger role in soil than just helping your plants grow.

How do you improve carbon content in soil? Reduced till agriculture is a safe, natural way of generating more carbon for your soil. By minimizing the amount of disturbance in the soil before planting you can improve your soils properties.

Remember, the more natural approach can reap many more benefits to your crop than resorting to too many chemical means.
28 Dec 2006 The Organic Gardener

Roses are a great way to bring some color to your garden. But how do you make sure these delicate flowers grow healthy and beautiful? Here are things to know about gardening with rose bushes.

1.Plant just before spring time. Try to plant around March and April.
2.Keep your roses in a damp, cold place before you plant it, like a basement.
3.Make sure you have good drainage when you plant them.
4.Roses need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, so plant them where they have plenty of access to the sun.
5.Soak your rosebush in water for 24 hours before planting.
6.Your soil should be acidic:pH levels should range between 5.8-6.3.
7.Water daily on the first week. After that, go to every three days.
8.Mulch! Mulch spreads good, natural nutrients to your soil. Just be sure to leave some space around the roses to prevent rotting.
9.Build a basin of dirt around the rose bush during the first few days when planting to help the roses retain water.
10.Add fertilizer to the soil every 2-3 months.
Keep these things in mind and you are on your way to having a winning rose garden.

For an extra boost, use Great Big Plants as your fertilizer to treat both the soil and your rose bush.
02 Jan 2007 The Organic Gardener

Many thriving gardens have one thing in common: they took advantage of composting. First off, what is compost?

Compost is a combination of decomposing organic matter, such as leaves, grass clippings, plant scraps, that have decomposed over time. This is usually mixed with animal manure (such as poultry), blood and bones to speed up the process and add nutrients.

Combining this with the soil enriches it with vital nutrients and allows the soil to maintain moisture better. The result is that you will have to water your plants less frequently. Compost also provides nutrients to plants as well.

If you are serious about gardening then you will want to give composting some serious thought. There are alternatives to using a compost heap, such as Great Big Plants liquid compost. This will allow you to provide your plants with all of the benefits of composting without having to maintain a huge compost pile.
08 Jan 2007 The Organic Gardener

A lot of people are very passionate about their gardens, but what about the tools you’re using to maintain that wonderful garden of yours? It’s easy to overlook this, but a little care for your tools can give them a more long-lasting quality. Here are some things you can do:

1.Oil any moving parts of your tools. If it has a hinge, lubricate it!
2.Clean your tools of excess dirt. You can use water with a wire brush. It’s important to do so to remove harmful dirt slowly eroding your tools.
3.Sharpen bladed tools such as clippers and shovels.
While taking care of your plants may be the main focus, taking proper care of your tools can really extend the lifespan of them and make gardening easier for you.
12 Jan 2007 The Organic Gardener

I was browsing the web and came across a great resource for gardening. Organic Gardening Review contains a large amount of product reviews, gardening tips, and more. Take a look!
18 Jan 2007 The Organic Gardener