12 Gardening Side Hustles That Allow You to Make Money with Plants

Earning potential: $5–$200 per plant.

What it is and how it works: Starting a backyard nursery business may be the most ambitious but fulfilling side hustle for gardeners. It involves either sourcing plants or seedlings from other gardeners or growing them yourself. You then sell the potted plants straight out of your backyard.

Why consider this side hustle: A big draw of a backyard plant nursery is that it’s a scalable business, so you can start small, with minimal overhead expenses, and then gradually expand. This gardening side hustle can also be very lucrative, especially if you’re selling rare or hard-to-grow plants.

How to get started: If you’ve already got plants at home, you could start by making cuttings and begin propagating more. You’ll want to sell a few different types of plants and produce a decent quantity of each plant.

Once your plants are ready to sell, you can start a booth at your local farmer’s market or even set up signs on the road and sell the plants straight out of your backyard.

Earning potential: $5–$150.

What it is and how it works: A plant flipping side hustle involves buying low-cost plants and then selling them for a higher price. For this to work, you usually need to nurse sick or dying plants back to health, although you can also simply improve the appearance of plants using strategies like pruning or repotting.

The trick is being able to tell which plants will be worthwhile investments—you don’t want to spend $50 on a dying plant and put in the effort and resources to revive it only to sell it for $55. You also need to have advanced plant care skills to achieve good results.

Why consider this side hustle: The biggest appeal of this gardening side hustle is the low startup costs. Plenty of people are willing to get rid of their old plants for free or at a very low cost. It also pairs well with a plant selling side hustle since you can also keep cuttings from the plants you care for, propagate them, and eventually sell more plants.

How to get started: To source plants, start by asking friends and family to give you any sick plants or plants they no longer want. You can also browse the clearance section in nearby garden centers and nurseries.

Once your plants are in good shape, consider giving them new pots to enhance their appearance so you can sell them at a higher price. Finally, simply use the same strategies for selling plants you’ve grown yourself, such as selling in local markets or through online marketplaces.

Earning potential: $5–$10 per pumpkin.

What it is and how it works: Selling pumpkins is a popular plant-related side gig over the Halloween period when pumpkins are most in demand. Simply grow your own pumpkins and then sell them locally.

Why consider this side hustle: Pumpkins may be the plant with the highest buyer demand in the fall. They’re also relatively easy and cheap to grow.

Notably, pumpkin selling is a seasonal side hustle. This makes it a great way to supplement your income if your primary income typically drops later in the year, but it also means that pumpkin selling doesn’t work as a year-round source of gardening income.

How to get started: First, check you have adequate space to grow pumpkins in your garden. You’ll need to begin planting your pumpkin seeds in late spring. That way, they’ll be ready to sell by October.

Once your pumpkins are ready, you can advertise them on social media or use good old-fashioned physical marketing (e.g., flyers) to attract customers. You can also open your own pumpkin patch or a roadside stall.

Earning potential: Varies.

What it is and how it works: Growing edible mushrooms is a low-cost and easy gardening side hustle that you can do indoors. It involves setting up a suitable environment for mushroom growth and then cultivating and selling mushrooms as produce.

Why consider this side hustle: Mushrooms are in high demand and often sell at high prices. Moreover, many kinds of mushrooms grow quickly and (if properly taken care of) produce various flushes from the same batch.

If you know what you’re doing, mushroom harvesting can be a quick, low-effort, and highly profitable side hustle you can do without an outdoor garden.

How to get started: Start by getting either mushroom spores or pre-inoculated grow kits. You can find these either at your local garden center or online. Once you begin cultivating your mushrooms, you can sell them on Facebook Marketplace, at a farmer’s market, or even to local restaurants, grocery stores, or health food stores.

Earning potential: Varies.

What it is and how it works: This is a farming side hustle or method of gardening for profit that involves growing your own fruit, vegetables, or herbs and selling them to consumers, grocery stores, or restaurants at local farmers’ markets.

Why consider this side hustle: There’s nothing more rewarding than eating produce you’ve grown yourself, and many people love the idea of eating fruits and vegetables they can trace back. As long as there’s demand where you live, you can charge a high price for organic and locally grown produce. It’s also great for a casual weekend side hustle.

How to get started: Decide what produce you want to grow, evaluate how much space you’ll need, gather all the necessary supplies, and begin planting. To maximize your earning potential, you’ll need to select the most profitable crops that you can realistically grow from your garden.

Earning potential: $15–$30 per hour.

What it is and how it works: With a freelance gardening side hustle, you provide garden and lawn care services to customers. This involves bringing your own gardening equipment to different locations. Your clients could be individuals or businesses.

You can provide any of the following freelance gardening services:

• Maintaining gardens (weeding, watering plants, pruning, etc.)
• Mowing
• Planting
• Clearing debris
• Repairs
• Composting scraps

Why consider this side hustle: If you’re in a residential area where most residents have gardens or front lawns, you already have access to a huge base of potential customers. Moreover, it’s possible to get recurring customers as a freelance gardener, especially if you find local clients who want someone they can depend on.

How to get started: To start a freelance gardening side hustle, you’ll need gardening tools, and you may need a vehicle to get to and from your customers’ homes. Depending on your state, you may also need a business license. Once you’re ready to get started, scope out your local area for leads and advertise your services on social media.

You can often find gardening jobs on gig apps like these:

• TaskRabbit
• Thumbtack
• Handy

Earning potential: $60–$200 per hour.

What it is and how it works: If you’ve got a large backyard with a beautiful garden and you don’t mind inviting strangers onto your property, you could consider renting it out for weddings, children’s parties, or formal events.

Why consider this side hustle: If you already have a large enough outdoor space, renting it out is an easy way to monetize your garden without too much investment. The best part is that it’s a relatively passive side hustle since you won’t need to actually be around during the events.

Just be sure to ask yourself the following questions before deciding to rent out your backyard:

• Do you mind having large volumes of strangers on your property?
• Do you mind people bringing pets onto your property?
• Is smoking permitted?
• How many people can realistically fit in your backyard?

How to get started: You’ll need to keep your garden well-maintained and ensure it’s aesthetically pleasing. High-quality photos and videos are essential for advertising your space. Once you’re ready to go, you can spread the word in your local area or use a platform like Peerspace that’s specifically designed to help you rent out your backyard.

Earning potential: $20–$50 per hour.

What it is and how it works: There are a wide range of services you can provide as an independent landscaper, and gardening is one of them. A landscaping side hustle generally involves getting paid to transform an outdoor space, whether that be someone’s front or back yard or business property.

There are several garden-related services that would suit a landscaping side hustle:

• Lawn mowing
• Lawn edging
• Weeding
• Yard cleanup
• Planting
• Pruning
• Garden bed maintenance
• Leaf raking
• Plant watering
• Mulching and soil refreshing

While there are plenty of more advanced landscaping services you can provide, not all are suitable for a side hustle. Specifically, some involve advanced technical skills, formal training, and/or legal permits or licenses.

Why consider this side hustle: Gardening is a big part of landscaping work, so landscaping is a great side hustle for gardeners. It’s also in high demand and offers high earning potential, especially when you’re running your own landscaping business.

There’s also plenty of potential to broaden your knowledge and skills. The more you advance, the more services you’ll be able to offer, and the more you’ll be able to earn.

How to get started: The first thing you need to do is check the legal requirements for landscapers where you live. You may need to acquire a business license or landscaping license, depending on the services you want to provide.

You’ll also want to get insurance and buy any necessary landscaping equipment. After that, you can find clients through social media, paid advertising, or lead generation services like Thumbtack.

Earning potential: Varies.

What it is and how it works: If you’re a creative person with a passion for gardening, you can share your knowledge with the world by starting a blog, YouTube channel, podcast, or social media account dedicated to gardening. You can then make money using content monetization strategies like affiliate marketing, ads, or paid sponsorships.

There are many different types of content you can create, including written content, videos, or photos. You could share gardening tips or share photo inspo straight from your own garden.

Why consider this side hustle: Creating content about gardening allows you to share your love for gardening with like-minded individuals while making money at the same time. It’s also an incredibly flexible side hustle that you can do from anywhere, and there’s no limit to how much you can earn as a content creator.

How to get started: Start by deciding what type of content format you want to use. Then read up on relevant information related to your chosen medium, like how to make money blogging or how to make money podcasting.

Once you start gaining traction and building up a loyal audience, you can look to businesses and suppliers for affiliate marketing opportunities to monetize your content or introduce ads to generate revenue. Just bear in mind that it takes time to build a following, so this isn’t the quickest way to make money from gardening.

Earning potential: $100–$250 per hour.

What it is and how it works: Seasoned gardeners can offer gardening consulting services to businesses and private citizens. In this role, you provide guidance and advice related to plant care, pest control, and other gardening issues.

You could offer expert advice to customers and provide services like soil testing or garden design. Gardening consultants generally work independently, providing services directly to clients. To get hired, you usually need to have solid evidence of your gardening achievements.

Why consider this side hustle: Consulting is one of the highest-paid side hustles. Moreover, this is a gardening side hustle you can do without your own garden. Instead, you’d be traveling to other people’s gardens.

Garden consulting is also a flexible job that doesn’t require much investment at all. You do, however, need to have a large body of proven experience in gardening, landscaping, or horticulture. If gardening is new to you, consultancy won’t be the best fit.

How to get started: One of the first steps to starting a garden consultancy side hustle is to create an engaging and informative portfolio with photos or videos of your past gardening projects. It may also be worth getting a garden consulting or horticulture certification.

You’ll then need to advertise your services in your local area—speak with residents in your area who have front yards or backyards and offer consultations. A good way to get your foot in the door and start establishing your reputation is to offer discounted or even free consultations.

Earning potential: $5 per pound.

What it is and how it works: Instead of just wasting all your garden and food scraps, you could compost them and sell your compost to individuals or even businesses. This side hustle involves collecting organic waste, processing it, and selling the finished product as nutrient-rich soil.

Why consider this side hustle: Organic fertilizers are all the rage now, and many businesses or even your fellow gardeners would likely be interested in buying locally produced compost.

Moreover, since you’re repurposing otherwise useless scraps and debris, you’ll help reduce waste. It’s worth noting that compost doesn’t sell for much, and to really start making cash, you’ll need to produce huge volumes of compost, which may not be feasible if your land isn’t big enough.

How to get started: If you’re already an avid gardener, chances are you already have a compost bin. Otherwise, you’ll need to gather the necessary supplies to create a composting system. After that, you’ll need to wait until the compost is ready and then package and sell it.

You could look for gardening-related Facebook groups in your area where you can directly advertise your compost. You could also sell your compost through online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace or eBay.

Earning potential: $20 per hour.

What it is and how it works: Rather than selling plants themselves, you could just sell the seeds that your crops produce.

Why consider this side hustle: If you already do a lot of gardening, then you already have access to seeds. Considering the low effort and lack of startup costs involved, seed selling is the ultimate side hustle for gardeners.

While plants can be fragile, seeds can last for years if properly stored. Furthermore, if you produce seeds from particularly popular or rare plants, you’ll have a big advantage and be able to make more money.

How to get started: Simply begin by collecting seeds from your garden, drying them, and then packaging them so they’re ready to sell. If you don’t have any plants yet or you want to start selling the seeds to plants that aren’t currently in your garden, you’ll need to first plant seed-bearing crops and wait for them to mature.

You can sell your seeds at local markets or gardening events, or you could even sell them from home through online marketplaces.