How To Be a Master Gardener of Your Business

My father was known as the Tomato King in our county – his garden was immense (11 dozen tomato plants) for our family of four – and that was just the first planting.  I still cringe whenever I hear the sound of a handle hitting the side of a bucket as it brings back memories of early mornings when he would bring in a hundred gallons of newly picked tomatoes for us to wash and can.  You would have thought I would have had enough tomatoes for a lifetime.  Truth be told, I did.

However, after years of eating pale, woody, tasteless tomatoes from the grocery, I longed for the taste of the juicy home-grown tomatoes I had eaten as a youth.  I had a little extra time on my hands, so I decided to grow my own.  After reading all I could on plant varieties and watching hours of YouTube videos on container gardening, I was ready to get started.  It is strange how a little gardening gives one perspective on other areas of life – even business.  Here are my 10 gardening tips that amazingly parallel ways to grow a successful organization:

1. Choose a large enough container – think big – give the roots a place into which to expand.
2. Select multiple varieties of plants – hire people with diverse capabilities and age ranges – choose new hybrids and heirlooms.
3. Cage and stake the plants early – have processes and procedures in place so that there is structure – trying to fit a cage on a larger plant takes more effort and can damage the plant.
4. Choose a sunny spot – create a positive environment – get 8 hours of sun a day.
5. Water consistently – stay fresh and current – don’t let the roots go dry.
6. Pinch off suckers – don’t get sidetracked from the main goal – keep the energy on the primary stalk.
7. Flick the flowers – encourage skill development – stimulate pollination to develop the fruits.
8. Rotate the containers – be strong in all areas of the business – develop every side of the plant.
9. Watch for pests and disease – monitor and control the health of the business – be alert and treat issues promptly.
10. Fertilize weekly after the fruit forms – don’t get comfortable with the first signs of success – extra nutrients are essential for a thriving plant.

The most successful organizations include all of these elements.  What other gardening tips do you have for growing a successful business?

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