I've been thinking for quite a while how to start a Cacti and Succulents nursery from home. I will market my products in wholesale, but as a start-up business, I am not expecting the bulk of sales to be enough to make the business stand on it's own. It will start as an after-work activity that will guarantee no losses beyond purchased materials costs, and important lessons for the future, before opening my real business and gambling on my peace-of-mind.

I have started experimenting already, not marketing yet.

My first packet contained seeds of "Pelargonium Aridum", a succulent Pelargonium. My second packet contained a mixture of cacti seeds. The destiny of the seedlings was the same: They sprouted fairly easily, but grew too slowly.

I was thinking about other alternatives:

- The cacti seedlings being grafted instead of being grown on their own roots

- Euphorbias and Asclepians seeds as a start-up ? The seeds are difficult to get, so I have no idea how this will work. Happily, I have purchased a few stapelias which are flowering now. Hoping they will cross-pollinate, I will have seeds to collect. If not, would they propagate fast enough by cuttings ? (Having enough specimens of each is a time problem)

- Cacti and succulents which branch/offset very easily will simply be propagated by division, cutting or grafting. Practical enough for commercial purposes ?

- I'm working hard on establishing a Hoya collection, because very few species are available in most nurseries. The goal at that time was a large collection, but now commercial purposes are giving it even more incentive. I have joined the local cactus society, and hope to find new species on society-members tours. Do these propagate easily either by cuttings or seeds ?