Dozens of Kiambu residents have started investing and trading in plant seedlings as a way of generating income and earning a living.
Seedling traders started planting assorted types of trees and flowers in nurseries for sale, after they discovered that people value environment beautification, yet they do not have ready sources to plant.
Speaking to this writer, Peter Irungu, a Kiambu resident, said starting a flower or tree nursery is one of the easiest economic activities that one can undertake as a source of livelihood, so long as one is situated at a place with constant access by customers.
“You only need small nylon bags, good soil, water and a site where customers can easily access the plant seedling,” said Irungu.
Irungu revealed that many people, who buy trees and flowers along the roadsides do not have prior plan to buy, but make a quick decision to procure them once they get attracted as they pass-by.
“Upon seeing beautiful trees and flowers as they pass, many travelers do make stopovers and buy them to beautify their premises by planting trees or flowers,” he said.
Irungu said that just like any other business, patience and passion is a must in the trees and flowers nursery activities.
He said some trees like ravanella palm (traveler’s plant), and cycad palm take a year to fully grow, besides their beauty and value to the environment.
James Mbugua, another Kiambu resident, said that the county laws do not allow soil excavation on the roadsides, and thus trees and flower farmers are compelled to buy red soil at Sh4, 500 per seven tones from other parts of the county.
Regardless of the high initial cost to start the business, Mbugua noted that the practice of engaging in nursery earns them handsome money, which helps them meet family economic needs among other things.
He encouraged unemployed youths to consider trees and flowers nurseries activities in order to better their live as one way of creating self-employment.