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14 July 2010
Most people I talk to are very surprised when I tell them what business I run from my 46 acre property in Queensland, Australia. I own and operate a so called ‘online nursery’, meaning I grow plants and send them via the mail system, Australia Post, to nearly everywhere in Australia. For me this is the perfect business. Not only can I grow tropical plants, which are one of my passions in life, in my own backyard and sell them to other like-minded gardeners all over the country; it also allows me to live in the bush, in a region where the nearest city is Bundaberg – 70 km down the road.
Running an online nursery usually means that there is no retail location, or garden centre, where you can walk around and view the plants and products for sale. Instead, most online nurseries operate a website, where all their plants are displayed with photos, descriptions, different sizes, and prices. You can shop from the comfort of your own home, whilst sitting in your comfortable chair, with a cup of coffee, in front of your computer.
There are some things customers of online nurseries may be concerned about, such as whether plants can even be sent through the mail, and whether they will recover and settle well once they arrive at their destination. The truth is very simple – online nurseries are often experts at what they do, as they have more time to spend looking after the plant. The online nursery operator will have perfected the way they package the plant for transport, and will use the fastest possible postage method available.
In my online nursery, I ensure the plants are grown, prepared, and packaged for the journey in the very best way possible. I start by keeping my plants in the healthiest condition which includes a regular application of organic fertiliser and soil improver, and regular foliar sprays with seaweed solution. When I prepare the plants for transport, they are taken out of their pot and fully rinsed and checked over. You do not want to receive weeds, pests or diseases from your online nursery when you were keen to receive a beautiful plant! Many pests and diseases travel in soil, which is why I always recommend you ask you online nursery to bare root your plants! Not only does bare rooting save you from receiving pests and weeds, it also protects the roots from being damaged in loose soil and pots, and allows them to stay beautifully moist. In pots, you will find all your soil loose in the package, and the roots completely bare!
The plants that are purchased from my online nursery are soaked in seaweed solution for a few hours to strengthen them, and then packaged in moist media. I do not package the plants until the very last moment, which is very important for all online nurseries. Darkness is often one of the main problems for plants when they travel, but I overcome this problem by not packaging until Sunday afternoon, and using the fastest, express, post available. Many online nurseries also only send their plants on Mondays, to limit the chance of plants getting stuck at post offices or distribution centres, thus extending the time spent in darkness.
Most of my plants arrive within a couple of days, making shopping on the internet at an online nursery a great way to buy plants. You will find many online nurseries are experts at growing certain plants, which is fantastic when you are looking at buying a certain type of plant, or when you are passionate about certain varieties. You may find the following specialist nurseries: online palm nursery, online tropical plant nursery, online orchid nursery, online succulent nursery and many others!
You will also find that online nurseries often offer 'mail order plants'. This basically means the same things as described above, but mail order plants are often ordered via phone, fax, or by sending away a paper order form. In an online nursery you would do all this on the internet, including choosing the plants you want to buy, and filling out your details via a secure connection. Ensure your online nursery has a so called 'SSL certificate' so your details are sent via a secure connection on the internet. If you unsure you can always call your online nursery to order over the phone, or ask them whether the connection is secure. Do not trust online nurseries without secure websites.
The simplest way to find an online nursery, besides browsing my online nursery, is to do a Google search, or visit the following website: Nurseries Online.
Thank you for visiting National Tropical Plants online nursery – Australia’s plant nursery, garden nursery & mail order nursery for garden plants & tropical plants. We’ll help you plant your own paradise!
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