Grow Your Retirement Portfolio and Income with Plants
An alternative to grow your retirement portfolio and how to get started. Adding plants to your retirement savings, what? Yes, you can create a portfolio that translates to more financial security by growing plants. One of the smartest moves you can make is to start your nursery business while you’re still working. Every plant you grow and sell adds to your savings, giving your nest egg a little extra boost. By the time you retire, you’ll have an established business that can keep generating income—helping you avoid dipping into your retirement savings too early.
How does a portfolio of plants you grow help you in retirement?
- Plants are always growing and becoming more valuable
- Like a stock, a $1-4.00 investment can grow by 10-20 times your initial investment.
- Cuttings taken from plants are like dividends that create new plants to increase your portfolio and income.
- You add a little effort and yield an excellent investment. Add a larger investment in your time and results can be very impressive.
- Scale your operation up or down depending on your needs and ability.
- Growing a wide variety of plants (10-30 types) gives you some diversity and always something to sell each year.
- Work when you want with very limited open to sell times – some people only sell a few hours per week.
- Live off your plant income and let your savings grow untouched.
- When you are ready to slow down you can sell off your remaining plants over 1-3 years with no more effort needed to start new plants or any reinvestment into pots, plants, and other supplies.
Most people have not saved enough for a comfortable retirement
According to Syncrony and the Federal Reserve the average 55-64 year old has saved just over $500,000 for retirement. That is the average and is skewed upward by a few billionaires. The median is less than 1/2 that amount at around $244,000. This may sound like a lot of money and would be if you have a decent pension or lets say income form a rental property. The reality is most have not saved enough and may have to work at least part-time into their 70’s to make ends meet. We think all these things are a good idea; saving and investing, perhaps buying a rental property when you are younger, starting a side hustle, and certainly avoiding debt. Starting and running a small plant nursery might be the perfect supplement to your retirement plan, especially if you love plants.
Income Flexibility in Retirement from your Plant Portfolio
Having an extra income stream means you can be more strategic about when you withdraw from your savings or investments. If the market’s down or you just want to let your money grow a little longer, your nursery income might fill the gap. This flexibility can make you feel more financially secure and help your retirement savings last longer. Since you work when you want, running a small plant nursery won’t cut into your travels or other activities.
A little extra income goes a long way in building a larger portfolio
Let’s put this into perspective: Imagine you and your spouse have $500,000 saved for retirement and plan to withdraw 4% each year – $20,000 – for living expenses. Normally, these withdrawals would reduce your nest egg over time. But what if you earn $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, or even $30,000 a year from your plant nursery business? Every dollar you make from your business means you can withdraw less from your savings, or even cover your living expenses entirely with your nursery income. This lets your investments keep growing – say, at a 6% annual return—rather than being depleted. Over five years, this strategy can dramatically slow or even reverse the drawdown of your retirement fund. Instead of watching your balance shrink, you could see it hold steady or even increase, giving you more financial security, flexibility, and peace of mind as you enjoy retirement. It’s a smart way to make your savings last, and grow – while doing something you love. Here is an example of how a small income can help you reduce draws from your retirement savings and keep growing your retirement portfolio. You might not have $500,000 save but the concept works the same if you have more or less saved. You might also never make an extra $5,000 per year or you might find it possible to make much more than $30,000 – this is up to you!
Retiring to Something – Purpose and Well-Being
Before we go too far, it’s not just about the money. Starting a nursery before you retire gives you something to retire to – not just from. It gives your days purpose, keeps your mind active, and your body moving. There’s a real sense of accomplishment in watching your plants—and your business assets grow. Plus, all that fresh air and exercise? That’s a bonus you can’t put a price on.
Grow a portfolio of specialty plants for even more enjoyment.
The sky is the limit for specialized growers and people will seek out specialty growers to buy from. Here are some specialties that there is a strong demand for:
- Rose Growers
- Rhododendrons
- Figs
- Ornamental Conifers
- Japanese Maples Trees
- Hostas
- Deer Resistant Plants and Trees
- Native Plants
We like to grow what we call border plants. These are plants and trees people grow to make living fence or to serve as a wind break. We sell most 10 at a time.
- Spruces, Norway, Blue and White
- Arborvitaes, Green Giants and Emerald Green
- Schip Laurels / Cherry Laurels
- Double File Viburnum
Grow Your Retirement Portfolio with Dividends, Asset Growth, and Capital Gains
Every time you prune a plant, you collect cuttings—your dividends if you will. Once rooted cuttings become new plants you can prune for cuttings, and grown into plants you can sell. As your plants grow, so does your portfolio – your portfolio is always becoming a larger asset. And when you sell a plant, that’s your capital gain. The bigger and more diverse your nursery, the more options you have for timing your sales and maximizing your returns. You can plan to always have plants to sell and at the right size.
Reinvesting and Compounding Growth from Plants.
Reinvesting your nursery income by propagating more plants or trying new varieties-helps your business grow stronger every year. Over time, you’ll have more flexibility, more financial security, and a retirement that’s as rewarding as it is financially resilient. Growing a wider variety of plants helps ensure you always have plants people want.
Grow Your Retirement Portfolio but start as early as possible
So if you’re looking for a way to build your savings, increase your retirement income, and retire to something meaningful, consider starting a plant nursery now. We always say it is best to start at least 2-3 years before actually retiring so you are actually up and running. It’s a smart move for your finances, your well-being, and your future. That’s how you might grow and expand your retirement—one plant at a time.
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Plant Nursery Retirement Business