The rains seem to have stopped at least temporarily and the succulents are all looking up. Moms have given birth to more pups than I can handle and its time I stopped propagating. Space is a huge constraint on my terrace. Middle class city homes in Bangalore, India, have only a terrace and a couple of balconies. I have used up all the space and succulents are eating into my kitchen garden space. It's time now to plant more veggies at this time of the year.
I have been planning on selling the excess succulents since the month of June however with the incessant rains since then this has just been a dream. To prepare the plants for long transit I need to let the roots dry out a bit, else there is the danger of the succulents rotting in transit.
Besides this there is also the package getting wet in the rain, I cannot use plastic wraps as they would deprive the plants of the much needed air circulation. The mere heat of the plastic could cook the plants and I would end up losing more money than I earn.
Here are some of the more popular succulents that people buy online in my country.
Echeverias of any kind are popular. People love the rosette kind of plant formation. Locally Lotus is a much revered and loved flower so anything that is shaped like a lotus sells too. 😂 Weird right? I guess the cultural influence is pretty high here.
Echeveria Elegans is a plant that is quite popular. People love the rose like structure. I price a medium sized plant at $2 it may have a pup or two. $2 is a good price at the rate the dollar is right now. The best thing about this succulent is that it is easy to pack and reaches the customer without much damage or loss of leaves as in the case of burros tail or Graptoverias.
The number two plant on my list is the Perle Von Nunberg. Winter is the best time to sell these succulents because this is when they look really attractive as they put on their best display of colors. anything pink sells somehow. Most buyers are women and pink/purple is a favorite.
Tradescantia Nanouk is another favorite. This pink and green combo is a real crowd-pleaser even though it isn't exactly a succulent. This fast growing plant sells at $1 per stock and its easy to make a quick buck with this plant. The other varieties of tradescantia are pretty common and would sell for less than 10 cents.
Crassula campfire is another fast moving plant in the local market. The changing colors of the leaves through the year makes it a favorite among buyers. However, it is in winter that these succulents put on their best color display. I could sell it anywhere between 1.5 - 2 Dolars for a 6 inch plant.
Echeveria Black prince is another favorite among buyers. This needs a bit more care in packing as the leaves could drop in long hours of transit and rough handling. This succulent is locally called Krishna Kamal or Lord Krishna's flower/lotus. It has those extra cultural appeal here in India.
Newbies favorite is the dwarf mother-in-law's tongue. The yellow and green variegation is a fast seller. It may not fetch much in the market but it multiplies on its own with any attention from my side.
Echeveria multicaulis or copper rose is another one of my best sellers. It sells easily between 1.5 -2$ People are attracted by the flowers and the coppery hue of the leaves.
Graptopetaum copper rose sells at a better price in spring when the colors are bright copper. This succulent looks amazing when grown in a bunch in the right light conditions. They seem to attract more customers when they are in bloom which is almost always here.
Pachyphytum oviferum is very popular for its adorable pebble like looks. This succulent commonly known as moonstone succulent is a slow grower and sells at 1.5 -2$ in the market. Its is not hard to pack and send to far off places, a couple of tissues would do the job of cushioning the leaves.
Graptosedums, graptoveria ghost etc are quick moving plants. These plants drop their leaves very fast and in transit despite any amount of care in packing. Customers often complain that the plant had very few leaves when it reached them.
Sedum adolphi is yet another best seller, but it doesn't make too much money. It is smarter to sell a pot full of sedum in the local market, that would fetch much more revenue than selling single plants.
I just hope to sell a bunch of these succulents locally as well. That would not only help me to invest into other succulent varieties but clear up the much needed space on my terrace.
Most of my succulents are given away as gifts to friends who ask for them. My sons also order these for their friends as gifts. The last time I started selling these succulents was two years ago when the first lock down happened. I am yet to make a substantial profit from my hobby, but the problem is not with the market. There is enough demand out there I just need to get started this time. I am keeping my fingers crossed this time and hope for the best.
Thank you for your support, I truly appreciate it.
