Ornamental plants make money

GOOD morning to all farmers and growers and my friends, how are you all today, well I hope. Did you hear the advice from a wise old bible teacher, who said – sooner or later God will bring self-sufficient people to the place where they have no resource but him – no strength, no answers, nothing but him, and guess what, without Gods help they are sunk.

He then told of a despairing man who confessed to his pastor – my life is really in bad share, “how bad” the pastor inquired, burying his head in his hands, he moaned,” I'll tell you how bad – all I've got left is God”. The pastors face it up, friend, he said, I'm happy to assure you that a person with nothing left but God, has more than enough for great victory, are you in a position where all self-sufficiency is gone?

Then turn your eyes to the Lord and put your trust in him, you need nothing more, God is good. Lets pause for a moment: In you, O Lord we take delight Our every need you will supply We long to do what good and right So Lord, on you we will rely. When all you have is God, Then you have all you need. Amen.

Our topic: A number of my friends ask me what possible agri-related business could they get into, I have several ideas, but the one which appeals to me most is the ornamental plant business.

The beauty about this business is that even someone with a very modest capital can engage in it and watch their project grow into something that could become a full-blown business venture, I know, because this is what my wife has done. We know a few people who started their plant business on very modest of course, the plant business is just like any other business, some succeed, some fall, its also a matter of having the right strategies.

One way of making money is to look for something new, a plant that is beautiful with attributes that are different or better than what's available in the market. It could be a newly collected plant from the wild or a newly introduced plant from a foreign country. A newly developed hybrid by a plant breeder or maybe a plant that mutated, anything, as long as it looks new and different.

When you have acquired a plant that is something new, visualize its commercial possibilities. Not all new plants are for mass marketing your plant could be a mutant. Say a variegated mutant. It is possible that the plant is mainly for people who collect plants because they are rare. Although such people are rare also, but they are the ones who are willing to pay a fortune for such unusual plants. I heard of one guy who paid P40,000 for a variegated palm. I've even heard of someone paying P120,000 for a rare cycad. So you see friends, there is money in them there plants!.

For as long as your plants prove to be superior in a number of ways, such as robust, hardy for indoor use, and easy to take care of etc., then the new hybrid will be a money-market for a long time, or until the consuming public gets tired of it and will look for something different again.

One plant I heard of which I'm told is a great money earner is Ruella with violet flowers. This is a flowering ground cover that was not available in the Philippines until now. I do not know the details but would do more research if anyone is interested another way of making money in ornamentals is germinating your own seeds to produce seedlings for sale. Of course you have to be very selective in the seedling you produce, one that has a market value. Remember also that ornamentals grow out of style, so beware of trends, produce only seedlings that you believe will be in demand.

The beauty about growing seedlings for sale is that is does not require much space the most important thing to do is develop a sure market. You might, if you are lucky to be able to make advance reservations, that way, you will be able to dispose most, if not all of your production.

There are many other seedlings you can produce for sale, these could be different varieties of palms, bromeliads crops and the like. One other possible way of making money is growing “finished” plants for some particular target markets. Under this scheme you may buy tissue cultured plants at a reasonably low price you can buy these from Philodendron Imperial gold you then grow them to marketable size in six months to one year. When you sell, the plants will fetch P200 or more, not a bad investment from the original plant you bought at P25. Take care see you next week.