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  • January 10, 2015 at 9:12 AM #21367
    scaredyclassic
    Participant

    we were out in the coachella valley buying some cacti and i got to talking to a helper at the joint. he said the owner is making money hand over fist. people are ripping out water hungry plants and putting in thousands of dolalrs of succulent. he was laughing at how relatively fast the workers make cuttings and get decent sized plants. smallish pots were going for 35, big plants for way more.

    im thinking the succulent business could be the future in ca.

    i might just start a succulent farm here…

    January 10, 2015 at 8:12 PM #781859
    Hobie
    Participant

    Or, palms.

    January 10, 2015 at 9:04 PM #781866
    CA renter
    Participant

    Seriously, you should go for it. Do you have any nursery experience, or at least a “green thumb”?

    January 11, 2015 at 2:49 PM #781880
    scaredyclassic
    Participant

    i have a vision of 10,000 potted succulents upon the land.

    January 14, 2015 at 4:15 PM #782000
    evolusd
    Participant

    I have a customer who bought some land in Vista with a bunch of greenhouses on it. He leases the greenhouse space to succulent growers and said the same thing – they pay rent on time and seem to be making a killing.

    January 15, 2015 at 12:55 AM #782005
    CA renter
    Participant

    [quote=evolusd]I have a customer who bought some land in Vista with a bunch of greenhouses on it. He leases the greenhouse space to succulent growers and said the same thing – they pay rent on time and seem to be making a killing.[/quote]

    I like this idea even better. Less labor-intensive, and more predictable cash flows.

    January 15, 2015 at 7:01 AM #782013
    The-Shoveler
    Participant

    Mustard greens,
    They seem to be the new health craze super food.
    I saw these for sale at the supermarket and had to laugh to keep from crying.
    I spend about ¾ of my time in the yard trying to eradicate mustard plants LOL.

    January 15, 2015 at 10:46 AM #782015
    poorgradstudent
    Participant

    Besides the water advantages, a lot of succulents are pretty low maintanance. During the warm months maintaining a yard can mean one weekend day every weekend, or paying someone to provide the equivalent.

    January 15, 2015 at 1:45 PM #782022
    FlyerInHi
    Guest

    [quote=The-Shoveler]Mustard greens,
    They seem to be the new health craze super food.
    I saw these for sale at the supermarket and had to laugh to keep from crying.
    I spend about ¾ of my time in the yard trying to eradicate mustard plants LOL.[/quote]

    What a waste. Do you have dandelion too? I eat several bunches per week. I like slightly bitter leafy greens.

    January 15, 2015 at 2:08 PM #782024
    FlyerInHi
    Guest

    BTW, I’ve been buying Nopalea to juice.
    The juice in bottles is very expensive. Maybe there’s an opportunity to start a bottling business.

    Cactus pads and Aloe are also good to eat or juice.

    May 31, 2015 at 1:04 PM #786868
    NotCranky
    Participant

    The late rains have produced tons of mustard out here in the boonies. I have tried it , it’s not the same as cultivated well bred types of mustard . It has tiny thistles on it is not fun to eat raw. cooked I think they would not be noticeable but the flavor isn’t even near as good. Texture nothing, it’s a fail. Some people say the yellow flowers are good to eat, maybe the pollen isa really healthy. Chickens do love to eat the wild mustard, so I throw it in the coop by the bushel and the eggs end up with these really yellow and rich yokes that are delicious. I could imagine indigenous populations doing something really health sustaining with the mustard though. It pops up best where the land is cleared and has a little decent top soil. Lots of dandelions too. Different varieties than what I saw in town, seem more edible.

    Dividing cactus and succulents today around the house. Getting several free plants for every one I pot up. One of the small blocky type aloes in about a gallon pot had 100 or so babies trying to find daylight beside the four new good sized plants . These things are so reproductive. It’s gotta be a good business played the right way. Just water in pots once a week. I think a lot start from seed too but I have never tried it.

    May 31, 2015 at 2:17 PM #786872
    FlyerInHi
    Guest

    Lucky you.
    You have some many green stuff to juice.
    You can juice and feed the pulp to the chickens. They will probably lo the pulp more.

    I wish I had free dandelion

    May 31, 2015 at 4:59 PM #786879
    gzz
    Participant

    “What a waste. Do you have dandelion too? I eat several bunches per week. I like slightly bitter leafy greens.”

    I’d love to eat my weed dandelions, but they are all coated with gross looking white fuzz.

    I just checked to see if any of my weeds are mustard, and indeed I have a whole bunch of tumble mustard so I gave some a try.

    The taste of the stalk is good, but too intense, like squirting pure mustard into your mouth. The leaves are much better, but are thin and also mostly covered with white fuzz and a few aphids.

    I’m just happy I’ve completely eradicated the stinging nettle so other weeds I tend to let loose unless they get really aggressive.

    Right now I also have a lot of blooming scarlet pimpernel:

    http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Images/Anagallis_arvensis/anagallis%20arvensis%20arvensis11.jpg

    And for the first year, I know have wild-growing Lion’s Tail, which are really attractive:

    http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2003/12/22/RichSwanner/601949.jpg

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