Garden centers will soon be up and running after a cold and snowy winter. Once spring arrives, business can take off very quickly and also be extremely profitable if handled correctly.

In most cases, depending on the zone, garden center season lasts from the end of April until the end of May; not a long period of time for something that could bring in big profits. With such a small window for selling, it is very important to be ahead of the curve. The most successful garden centers rely heavily on pre-season planning so make sure you have product on hand and ready to sell before the season begins.

Most major grocery stores now have garden centers, not just because it’s a great opportunity for sales but also as a service to their customers. Here are some ideas for making your garden center more profitable this spring season:

• Sketch a layout of the garden center, making sure to route power and water lines to accommodate traffic patterns.

• If you have a greenhouse, plan to have as much room outside the greenhouse as you do inside the greenhouse. Bold outside displays draw the consumer in; so don’t hide all of your plants inside the greenhouse.

• Make sure you have enough materials to build additional shelving or displays, if necessary. Supplies needed include concrete blocks, boards, pallets for outside displays, and PVC or pipes for hanging baskets.

• With each new season, stores often bring in new personnel. Consider spending time reviewing daily watering schedules and watering techniques, deadheading and proper plant care techniques before the season begins.

• When possible, make the commitment for one person to be designated to the garden center product ensuring that all products are cleaned, watered, priced and displayed correctly.

• Invest in a register that can be programmed with prices so the operator can make multiple item rings and the customers do not have to bring the product into the store to be rung up. A credit card machine available with the register will also help capture additional sales. The register could have key entries, such as outdoor patio, hanging baskets, perennials, annuals, vegetables, etc. Then at the end of the day the register will have a “Z” reading with the sale results each day.

• Watering the product correctly is key to the success of any garden center’s business. Watering in the very early morning or late afternoon is best for plants and prolongs their life expectancy before replanting.

• The best way to know if a plant needs water is to pick it up — 90 percent of the plant’s weight is water.

• Wholesale greenhouses grow their plants in ideal temperature, light and water conditions. Once the product is delivered to a store, it is no longer in an ideal environment, so keeping a consistent daily watering and plant maintenance schedule is vital for a successful season.

• Keep a watering log in the garden center area to help everyone stay on track as to who watered last and when watering will be needed next. During the peak heat season plants like to have water each day; it’s easier to perform proactive watering than to try to bring a plant back after it becomes too dry, so water just enough each day.

• Keep plants high and off the pavement or cement sidewalk. This helps the plants live longer because the pavement pulls moisture out of the plants.

• Take markdowns each week as necessary to avoid profit loss at the end of the season. Designate a clearance area or “plant hospital” with all of your markdown items. If you allow bad plants in your main display, your sales will be marginal. It’s the same as a produce department selling bruised apples or bananas — get them out of your area because no one wants them.

Sue DeMuth is the manager of floral merchandising at SpartanNash in Edina, MN. She can be contacted at [email protected].