As in any industry, offering a distinct product can net you huge profits. Farming and growing unique plants for profit is no different. Quite a number of plants will bring in piles of money, while others will do just the opposite. Daring entrepreneurs have identified gaps in their local markets by looking beyond the ordinary salad greens and tomatoes that have always saturated the market, and are now winning big. Let’s look at some specialty hydroponic crops that can bring you a tidy pile of cash.
Herbs
For growers with limited funds, incorporating herbs into their greenhouses or even gardens can make them prosper. While these plants do not require excessive and demanding attention, they bring in huge profits for the growers. The herbs with the highest demands are fresh culinary herbs for restaurants and grocery stores. You can also sell these plants in your nearest farmer’s market. One way to offer these plants is to sell them as a 5-herb windowsill size garden that is purchased ready-to-snip. You also snip and package the plants yourselves, dried or fresh, for customers looking for instant enjoyment. Best of all, there is no end to the choices of herbs to grow, including a wide range of ethnic herbs for serious cooks.
Bamboo
Yes, bamboo! Unlike many shrubs and trees, bamboo is fast growing and matures quite quickly. This means it can bring in a tidy sum for the growers. And when we talk fast growing, bamboo is known to grow over two feet in one day. As such, when you decide to go with this plant, make certain that you know what you are signing up for. This plant has a growing popularity as a landscaping plant, meaning that it demand is increasing each year. While culinary utilization of this plant is limited, landscapers are increasingly utilizing this plant as a shaped plant, screen or even a hedge. As such, bamboo nurseries are reporting solid sales of potted bamboo at prices ranging from $100 per plant and more.
Gourmet mushrooms
These are types of fungus that practically grow anywhere in the right conditions. The plant yields an incredibly high return per square foot. The two most popular gourmet mushroom varieties are shiitake and oyster. These are mostly available dried or fresh in most farmer’s market and grocery stores. Of the two options, oysters are particularly productive. They can easily produce up to twenty five pounds per square foot of growing space area each year. Best of all, these mushrooms are easy to sell direct to the consumers.
Ginseng
Utilized for thousands of years in Asian cultures as a tonic and healing herb, this plant brings in so much profit for the growers that is has been dubbed ‘green gold’. It does very well in a greenhouse as well as in open gardens. The plant however requires a bit of patience because it can take up to six years in an open garden to mature. You harvest mature roots with this plant. If grown in a greenhouse, the plant might mature early; however, the conditions have to be just right. If you are the impatient kind of a farmer, then you can sell rootlets to other growers. These too can bring in some return on your investment within a manageable time-frame.
All in all, while hydroponic crop farming is not all about making money, it is nice to grow plants that can bring in a huge return on your investment. Best of all, all these plants take a fraction of the time required for their traditional soil-grown counterparts. No pesticides or synthetic chemicals are required for hydroponic farming.