Hi Iman & welcome,

I'm sorry to say a lot of the YouTube stuff is junk, bad advice by people who don't know plants but are trying to look like they do. We get some folks here trying to get help for bad advice they got there (various YouTube sites by uninformed folks).

You can learn the basics from plant books at your Library. Something like Reader's Digest "Success with Houseplants" is thorough & comprehensive, covering the areas you mentioned you wanted to learn.

Also try to chat w/ any local plant sellers in your area & see what they suggest, or where they suggest you might go to learn. Try to speak w/ people who have plants you admire, ask who taught them & where they learned.

Try the houseplant master class. It’s like the master’s degree for house plant. Also kelly ellen from youtube talks about plant indexes, rare ones, hacks, etc; good if you’re opening a business. At least you know which ones are trendy and all

Mike, pls. read the post again. Iman shared she is interested in learning plants & their care, actual knowledge based on science, nothing at all about trendy. Plant indexes of what pls? Hacks are aren't so helpful without a solid foundation of knowledge.

And from the tiny bit I watched that person on youtube, I wouldn't recommend going there to learn anything useful. It's like a teenaged valley girl trying to teach rocket science (absurd).

Best advise, learn by doing. Secondary advise would be learn by researching (books, shows if you must (don't like videos), and accredited classes). Join a local gardening group, donate time at a nearby botanical garden,etc.

Check out your local community college. Some in my area have horticulture classes you can take "a la carte" without having to enroll in a program.

I would advise you to learn only from reliable sources - not many youtube videos by amateurs (even if some are good). Universities/Department of Horticulture - have lots of excellent info. HERE IS JUST ONE OF THEM and there are many others. I am sure universities in Egypt would offer the same/similar. Much info is free. Just as lgteacher suggested above - community colleges. Another god source are Plant Societies, each about specific plants: HERE IS THE LIST of many in USA.

Per videos: find a good source. Not all of them are good. Check the content they have. If you want quality, make sure that they have been making videos for a long time, and that they have some degree of success. Avoid newbies, people with a small amount of plants, or plant hoarders. They lack the level of expertise.

Second: your best bet is to try to work (part time/ trainee) at a nursery. Youd get a basic feel on how and what it takes to run a business(economically), large scale plant care, and plant varieties. And i do recommend nurseries, since they are better at long term sustainability. Florists come, florists go. Basically, learn the trade.

Third: experiment. Before you try to become a full time plant breeder, get to know the plants. Up close and personal. Some are easy to reproduce, some arent. Try figuring out what works for you in terms of seed growing...

....and what research what kind of plant is in demand.

If you want to make a profit, while echeveria succulents seem attractive, you may find more money in selling euphorbia and cereus cuttings for xeriscaping, as per egypts hot climate.

What do you guys think of both these courses? and what do you think is better for what I am looking for?

https://www.hortcourses.com/courses/nursery-growers-course-607.aspx

VS

https://onlinecoursesinhorticulture.co.uk/horticulture-courses/general-horticulture-courses/nursery-hands-course-vht102/

Both are the same price.

I would like to let you guys know that I really appreciate your answers, however, unfortunately, for cultural reasons working in a nursery here is not possible, its not as accessible and as easy as it is in the west.

And agriculture schools here are not the best, also the plant society is not huge so there is no room for much workshops or anything.

Looking forward to hearing your opinion about the above links.

background: I just quit my corporate job to try and do this. I hold a BA & MA since 2011, I am not a big fan of studying but i would definitely study this :)

The ACS course sounds intriguing. I'd see if you could get some information from one or more recent graduates to see how satisfied they were with the course.

I would see if you have a national horticultural society. I would also consider joining organizations like the American Cactus & Succulent Society and British Cactus & Succulent Society,

http://cactusandsucculentsociety.org/

http://society.bcss.org.uk/

joining their forums (reading through the archives, asking questions), reading through books in their books lists, attending conventions, talking to members for their suggestions about books, articles, videos, etc.

There's also the Succulent Society of South Africa, and you might inquire there if there if they know of something similar in Egypt.

The Cactus Mall online also some very good information,

http://www.cactus-mall.com/index.html

I'm not qualified to assess those courses, one site appears to be restricted. One from Australia, l don't know where the other is from.

I know you didn't ask this, but I am surprised to hear you quit your job to do this. It's entirely up to you of course, but where I come from, we wait to secure the new job before quitting the old job. I would suggest that you slow down a bit. What you want to do is great, but I'm not so sure online course is the way to do it.. Have you looked into the plant societies as suggested?

Some very good advice and information from a variety of US, UK, and Canadian sites, from which you can probably a number of suggestions:

https://www.theenglishgarden.co.uk/expert-advice/gardeners-tips/how-to-start-your-own-nursery/

https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/996108/starting-up-a-nursery

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/HO/HO-212.pdf

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/info_newgrower.htm

And some good books to learn from, and which you can also use as a reference with customers,

"The Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World: A Comprehensive Reference to More than 2000 Species",

https://www.amazon.com/Timber-Press-Guide-Succulent-Plants/dp/0881929956

"The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents" by Terry Hewitt,

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Cacti-Succulents/dp/0789416573

"Idiot's Guide to Succulents" (It's a US series, don't be offended!),

https://www.amazon.com/Succulents-Idiots-Guides-Cassidy-Tuttle/dp/1615648429

A couple of points. Iman specifically says she doesn't want to start a nursery, she wants to start a retail shop. So, much of the knowledge will be the same commercial stuff as it would be for any business. She says she will bring in plants from nurseries, not grow them herself. So she's looking for information on how to care for the plants in the shop and how to advise customers. Information on houseplant care is what's required.

Shes also stated that many of the resources available elsewhere, like plant societies don't exist where she is.

Iman, where are you located? Have you visited plant sellers in your area to look at the competition and see what sells? I seem to recall seeing some along the roadside in Cairo. I think a lot of background reading would be sensible before committing to paying for a course which may well cover stuff you don't need, like seed sowing. And remember that many plants we grow indoors in cooler climates will be fine outside for you, so care instructions will be slightly different.

Also pls consider the climate difference btwn Australia & Egypt, growing very different kinds of plants, makes me wonder if there will be anything useful for you there at all.

I read a lot, and research a lot, even when this was just a hobby and before wanting to seek it as a profession.

So I know a lot already but want to take this knowledge one step further through this online course.

Yes its from an australian university but I checked with them and they assured me that the course has been designed to be relevant and applicable to almost any country in the world. So its not just about australia. I had this concern as well.

And Karen, dont worry about me quitting my job, I can get it back if I want or any other similar job, I believe in myself and I believe i can make this happen.

Its very hard to explain the plant society and culture here to western citizens :) so maybe I m not very good with getting my points across

I would sincerely love to thank everyone who took their time to respond to me about this major life changing decision to a total stranger. I really appreciate it <3

If any of you decide to come visit egypt please do contact me! I would love to help out <3

Iman also mentions wanting to learn about types of soil and fertilizer used for growing, which often doesn't come into play in a retail shop but does in a nursery. The nursery information might also be helpful information if considering the option of value-added projects like creating containers of mixed succulents/tropical plants in more decorative planters, hanging baskets, or larger containers with more mature specimens.

One of the most useful books I own is a Ball Publishing book - Water, Media, and Nutrition for Greenhouse Crops. Growing Media for ornamental Plants and Turf ~ Handreck and Black - Austrailians both. Neither do I have an interest in managing greenhouse crops or turf, yet the books were instrumental in helping me put together a working knowledge of soil science and nutrition; so, it's not wise to campaign against suggested reading material based on what title the author decided to put on the cover.

Without doubt, knowledge will end up being the central and pivotal factor. Whenever someone asks about reading material or what they need to know to sharpen their growing skills, I suggest texts that facilitate a working understanding of soil science and plant physiology. If you wish for the ability to keep your own plants in a high state of vitality (saleable) and be able to help customers/others do the same, you must understand how to maintain a healthy root system and provide the cultural conditions that are far from the limits the plant is genetically programmed to tolerate, which is the only way to limit stress/strain. None of this is intuitive. IOW, it's unlikely that experience will provide an understanding of how photosynthesis works, how water and nutrients are absorbed, how temperature affects uptake of nutrients and conversion of nitrogen types to usable forms, ad infinitum.

As a younger man, my sense of 'need' to become proficient at the art/science of bonsai was a driving force that strongly influences me still. I see my situation as being only a half-step removed from Iman's, the only difference being that I don't produce trees for market, though I am always determined to ensure their appearance would make them more than marketable. I have little doubt that when Iman becomes successful, hindsight will provide much the same overview as I've herein outlined. An understanding of how media work and how plants work will always be the core of the acumen so valuable to every plantsman that utilizes conventional container culture.

Al

Becky!! in one of the links you suggested, I quote the below which is basically the story of my life INCLUDING desperately wanting to change advertising career!! its so relatable, I would like to thank you for taking the time to send all these links

"A nursery business often begins as a passing comment or a joke with friends and family about wanting to start your own nursery. This was the case for Peter Clay, who went out for a curry with Crocus co-director Mark Fane, and mapped out a business plan on a table cloth. ‘I was desperate for a change of career,’ says the former advertising executive."

Al does this book have any extras that I need to consider. eBay and Amazon have used versions but they might be missing a CD or something that goes with it. Don know I want to spend $60 on a new one.

Neither of the books offer anything in the way of extras other than the text they contain, unless there's a more recent edition I don't know about. Plant Production in Containers II by Carl Whitcomb PhD, is a very comprehensive text that most readers will be able to use w/o difficulty, too.

Al

For the business side, read "So You Want To Start A Nursery" by Tony Avent.

Tony is also on Facebook.