How to Start Flower Farming Business in Nigeria

Do you like planting in Nigeria? You are passionate about flower farming? Or do you just want to learn how to start your own flower farming business? This article is for you. In this article, I am going to teach how you can start a flower business in Nigeria (everything you need to know).

For many of us that do not know flower farming is a lucrative agribusiness in Nigeria and all over the world and it is one of the businesses, you can start with low capital as long as you have available land. All you need to do is to learn how to plant the flowers that Nigerians love and can do well in Nigeria’s climate and learn the business part and you will start making profits from your flower farm in a short while.

A few years ago Kenya was the highest exporter of flowers in Africa specifically the rose flower according to the Kenya Flower Council (KFC). Year in, and year out Kenya employs more of its citizens in the gardening sector (floriculture) to increase its turnover and Africa was the major exporter of the rose flower among all other continents in the world.

It exported rose flowers to countries like the UK, Australia, and more until China took over and became the highest exporters of flowers. However, there is still hope for Africa as long as we have more Africans that are willing to not just produce flowers for domestic use but for export reasons.

Is Flower Farming Profitable?

Flower farming is a profitable business in Nigeria for many reasons but the main reason why it is profitable is that it is less capital intensive yet it yields unbelievable profits. As long as you can do the labor part of the farming you will continue to make good money from the business. Another reason why flower farming is a lucrative business is that the need for flowers is now high in Nigeria.

As I said earlier, flowers are now used for different purposes unlike before. It is used to beautify the home (indoor decoration), to celebrate Valentine’s Day, to celebrate wedding anniversaries, and more. Flowers are also grown to produce food. An example of the flower of such a multipurpose flower is the hibiscus flower.

The hibiscus flower is used for landscaping, for expression of love, and used to make zobo – a popular healthy drink in Nigeria.

How Much do Nigerian Flower Farmers Make?

Flower farmers can make from #15,000 – #40,000 monthly and can make #180,000 – #480,000 yearly depending on their location and how well they can market their flower farming business. However, there is no guarantee that this is the profits you are going to make if you go into flower farming as it all depends on the efforts you put into the farming business.

If you give your flower farming business more attention and you put in more effort you will make more money from the business and if you do not do that much you will not make that much from it. How much flower farmers (florists) make depends on various reasons.

Ornamental Trees in Nigeria

While flowers are mostly used for in-house (home) decoration, ornamental trees are used to decorate or beautify the environment around us. They are used to decorate schools, government offices, compound, and more.

There are different types of ornamental trees used for landscaping but these are the most common ones.

1. Yellow Beds (Tecoma stans)

2. Cycads

3. Masquerade tree  (Polylathia longifolia)

4. Frangipani

5. Flamboyant tree (Delonix regia)

6. Conifers

7. Frangipani

8. Moringa

9. Bougainvillea

10. Palms tree

11. Eucalyptus tree

Best Flowers to Grow for Profit

There are many flowers you can grow to make profits in your flower farming business but the most common flowers are:

1. Rose flower

2. Sunflower

3. Salvia

4. Zinnias

5. Larkspur

6. Verbena bonariensis

7. Snapdragon

8. Yarrow

9. Peony

How to Grow Roses in Nigeria

Here is the step-by-step guide to row roses in Nigeria.

1. Buy or Source your Rose Seeds

The first step to start the growth of a rose garden is to buy or get your rose seeds. Roses have seeds just like any other seed crop in which they sprout from without these seeds you cannot be able to grow them. You can buy these seeds from the local fruit and vegetable markets close to you or from other fellow flower farmers around you.

2. Soak Rose Seeds in Water for 24 Hours

After buying these rose seeds the next step for you will be to soak the rose seeds in a watery area – a place that is always humid. Because rose flower takes time to grow when you plant them normally this process makes them grow faster.

3. Locate Drained Fertile Soil

Locating the perfect soil for your rose seeds can be difficult if you do not prepare early. You can use sandy soil or dry loamy soil if you have such in your area. If the soil texture of your land is either of these soil types you can also use this easily.

4. Plant Rose Seeds in Early Spring or Fall

After you have planted the rose seeds and they begin to sprout you can now transplant these seeds to a drained fertile soil. You should add manure to the soil before transplanting the rose seeds to make the rose seeds grow faster.

5. Water Roses at Least once a Week

Water the roses at least once a week. The rose seeds are just like watermelon seeds after given adequate water in the first few weeks and they start to grow you will now start watering the plant with little water. If the water is too much the rose plants will not grow faster and sometimes to could get infected and die from too much humidity.

6. Start Harvest Roses

At this stage, the rose plants will start yielding flowers. The moment this is noticeable and in abundance, you can start harvesting your roses.

How to Start Flower Farming Business in Nigeria

Below is the step-by-step guide to starting a flower farming business in Nigeria.

1. Write a Business Plan

If you want to go into the flower farming business on a large scale level you will need to write a flower farming business plan. This is important because of how high the risk is in terms of the capital to invest. The flower farming business plan will guide you in everything you need to start your flower farming business in Nigeria.

This will range from the capital needed, type of land, farming equipment, how to market the flower business, and how you will make profits from the flower business. So a Flower farming business plan is very important. If you cannot write it yourself you can get a professional to do it for you.

2. Get a Fertile Farm Land

It is impossible to start a flower farm business in Nigeria or anywhere in the world without getting land even if you want to plant in flower pots you will still need land. So you need to look for the fertile land that is available for you at your disposal and at the same not expensive for you preferably a land close to a major road or express where passerby can easily notice your flower business.

3. Get the Capital Needed

Although I said flower farming is not capital intensive you still need capital to do many things in the business. You need capital to pay for the land you rented, to buy farming equipment, flower seeds, flower stems, and more.

How much it cost to start flower farming: to start a standard flower farming business in Nigeria you will capital of #200,000 – #400,000 depending on the start you want to start the business and the specific area.

4. Buy Farming Tools or Equipment

Farming tools for your flower farming business are very important as it is impossible to farm without using farming tools or gardening tools. These farming tools are not expensive so do not need to spend too much. Tools needed for flower farming are: axe, hoe, cutlass, wheelbarrow, apron, hand fork, hand pruners, watering can, shovels, gardening gloves, and more.

5. Buy Flower Seeds or Stems

Buying Flower seeds or Stems for your flower business is just like buying seeds for any other agribusiness. How good these flower seeds are will determine the kind of flowers they will give you so you have to make sure you buy good flower seeds or Stems for your flower farming business.

As for where you can buy your flower seeds or Stems you can buy them from other flower farmers around you or buy it from the local fruit market.’

6. Prepare Land for Planting

Just like in any other kind of farming, you need to prepare the farmland for farming. You need to clear the land, remove the weeds, treat the land, till it, and add manure to it to enable your flowers to grow easily and fast. Preparing your land is very important if you want your flowers to grow fast.

7. Plant your Flowers

After preparing your farmland the next step will be to plant your flowers. It is important to note that the best time to plant your flower seeds or stems is in the evening when the sun is down. After burying your flower seeds or stems you need to water them at least once in two days.

8. Start Harvesting Flowers

Depending on the duration or the type of flower you can start harvesting your flowers between two weeks to one month but note that you should not harvest or pluck them until you are ready to sell them or there are buyers on ground unless the flowers will wither on time.

9. Market and Sell your Flowers

When you just start your flower business you might not see customers easily hence the importance of marketing in your flower farming business. You need to market your flowers to individuals, offices, schools, and the government. As for the prices of the different types of flowers, you can ask other flower farmers how much they sell their flowers to determine your own price.

10. Selling your Flower Online

You can take your flower business to the next level by selling your flowers online through social media and other e-commerce selling platforms in Nigeria. All you need is to good pictures of these flowers and upload them on social media. Register on the e-commerce platforms and upload good pics there too.

If you are able to do these well customers will start ordering then you can use delivery services to deliver their orders.

Conclusion

Flower farming is a lucrative business today. This is because there are uses for flowers. As a youth, you learn how to start this business today and start delivering flowers to flower lovers. The best thing about the flower business in Nigeria is that you do not need much capital to start.

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