Making Money With Palms

[Jose Maria]

I moved to Costa Rica with dreams of growing and selling rare palms. Once I got here and checked out the nurseries, I realized it just wasn't going to happen. Palms are so inexpensive that they are practically giving them away. The species does not seem to matter much either, a palm is a palm - Cyrtostachys renda sells for the same price as Dypsis lutescens here.

I agree with Jeff, in Costa Rica palms grow like weeds and they give them away..or you can just dig some up by the roadside for free.

The only way to make some money with palma is planting african oilpalm, after 2 years of planting harvesting begins, and the market always wants more palmoil...

I have considered it as I have a cattle farm and went out of this line of " business"...but "losing money".

Anyway collecting exotic palms is what I like.

Jose Maria,

Can you make money with açai, Euterpe olearcea there? The market here has exploded.

dk

Thank you for the sugestion, Acai can grow here too. Muito Obrigado.

Nevertheless one of the palms that is being cut down to make space for oilpalm here is the pejibaye (Bactris gassipaes)(pupuñha in Brasil) plantations that have been part of the diet here since precolumbian days.

The fruit is rich in nutrients and tasty , but as the market is not well organized and many middle-man take a cut, farmers get a low price , and prefer to plant oilpalm instead. It is sad to see a Costarican staple disappear ...but farmers have to eat too.The strory of the pejibaya heart of palm is not so happy either, prices and competition from other countries made the price fall, and many producers had to fold ...and plant....oilpalm again.

[Trópico]

Enjoy is what I do and will keep it that way I can sell a few extra seedlings on ebay or the like but no, never again I will go the entrepeneurial way. For I have tried, not in the line of business even remotely close to plants (it was a video gaming LAN center). We opened about 6 years ago, I used my life savings at that time, then it was always on the verge of taking off but never did, great were the accomplishments as far as fame and renown, but not quite yet financially; then the extremely unethical competitors came, then the economy, combined with the niche market we were catering to (99.9999% college aged males that were broke and picky, and 0.00001% females), I ran out of money to keep it running, and went into debt, and came crashing hard. When we decided to pull the plug and end our troubles, that's when all hell ensued; all leases charged off, lanlord sued, it got ugly. To this day, about 1 year after closing, the biz bankruptcy is still in the works. So here I am back, fighting my way in big corporate world (I mean no more side business as I couldn't afford to quit day job and I'm glad I never did), and appreciating the peace of mind that "working for someone else" provides, and after 5:00 PM (or 7:00 or 8:00, etc) I can really go back to my palms and my wife, and NOT think about work or the business.

My hats off to you all that have your own business and keep moving forward in this bad economy to supply us of our fix for palms. My humble advice for whoever wants to start a business, apart from what has already been said: I remember one LAN center owner in Fontana, CA (the west centers did FAR, FAR better than here) used to say "go big or go home". I'd like to add that please, please do not go into debt, is not worth it, and never will be. Find another way, which means start small and work your way up... well, how does that get along with "go big or go home"? That's a tough one you have to figure out.

[amazondk]

I moved to Costa Rica with dreams of growing and selling rare palms. Once I got here and checked out the nurseries, I realized it just wasn't going to happen. Palms are so inexpensive that they are practically giving them away. The species does not seem to matter much either, a palm is a palm - Cyrtostachys renda sells for the same price as Dypsis lutescens here.

I agree with Jeff, in Costa Rica palms grow like weeds and they give them away..or you can just dig some up by the roadside for free.

The only way to make some money with palma is planting african oilpalm, after 2 years of planting harvesting begins, and the market always wants more palmoil...

I have considered it as I have a cattle farm and went out of this line of " business"...but "losing money".

Anyway collecting exotic palms is what I like.

Jose Maria,

Can you make money with açai, Euterpe olearcea there? The market here has exploded.

dk

Thank you for the sugestion, Acai can grow here too. Muito Obrigado.

Nevertheless one of the palms that is being cut down to make space for oilpalm here is the pejibaye (Bactris gassipaes)(pupuñha in Brasil) plantations that have been part of the diet here since precolumbian days.

The fruit is rich in nutrients and tasty , but as the market is not well organized and many middle-man take a cut, farmers get a low price , and prefer to plant oilpalm instead. It is sad to see a Costarican staple disappear ...but farmers have to eat too.The strory of the pejibaya heart of palm is not so happy either, prices and competition from other countries made the price fall, and many producers had to fold ...and plant....oilpalm again.

[Central Floridave]

I'm strictly a hobbyist. Gardening and plant collecting is great pastime for me. I determined a long time ago that I wouldn't be able to travel a lot and the times I have its been to Costa Rica 7 times. Thus, I'm trying to make Costa Rica come to me and plant a lush tropical garden! However, I was unemployed for a few years and doing backyard palm sales was a novelty. The main problem I see with doing a palm nursery as a business is that it is back breaking work. Forget that, I'm a computer engineer...putting finger to keyboard's is much easier....and pays a lot more!

[BS Man about Palms]

Whats a LAN?

[Trópico]

Whats a LAN?

Local Area Network

Edited September 17, 2010 by Trópico

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

I moved to Costa Rica with dreams of growing and selling rare palms. Once I got here and checked out the nurseries, I realized it just wasn't going to happen. Palms are so inexpensive that they are practically giving them away. The species does not seem to matter much either, a palm is a palm - Cyrtostachys renda sells for the same price as Dypsis lutescens here.

Here's a perfect example of what I was talking about. This morning a truck delivered some palms that I picked out a couple days ago. I want five C. renda planted in a row outside of the Bali House master bath so I went and picked them out a couple days ago. Price... $10 each. Total including delivery... $70. How can anyone grow a palm up for that many years and sell it for only $10?

[BS Man about Palms]

TEN DOLLARS!!!???

[Jose Maria]

These are some mass-produced oilpalms, to be planted out in a few months. Cost: 4000 colones or $8, each. These are from hybrid seeds and start producing in 2 years after being in the fields.

Here they are with bunches of fruit after 2 years.

[ariscott]

Here's a perfect example of what I was talking about. This morning a truck delivered some palms that I picked out a couple days ago. I want five C. renda planted in a row outside of the Bali House master bath so I went and picked them out a couple days ago. Price... $10 each. Total including delivery... $70. How can anyone grow a palm up for that many years and sell it for only $10?

That would cost here at least $300 ea. AT LEAST.

Regards, Ari

[peachy]

So Jeff, a rusty cargo boat, an underfed 3rd world crew, and the P and J palm smuggling corp. could make a fortune. I'm game if you are.

Peachy

[Walter John]

These are some mass-produced oilpalms, to be planted out in a few months. Cost: 4000 colones or $8, each. These are from hybrid seeds and start producing in 2 years after being in the fields.

The destruction of the forest for mass planting of oil palms is one of the biggest errors by man I can think of. Sorry , I had to say this here, but it needs to be said over and over and let's stop buying palm oil products folks.

You want to make money ? Market and promote rare palms and of course grow them for sale. Nobody, and I mean nobody markets and promotes palms here.

[amazondk]

These are some mass-produced oilpalms, to be planted out in a few months. Cost: 4000 colones or $8, each. These are from hybrid seeds and start producing in 2 years after being in the fields.

The destruction of the forest for mass planting of oil palms is one of the biggest errors by man I can think of. Sorry , I had to say this here, but it needs to be said over and over and let's stop buying palm oil products folks.

You want to make money ? Market and promote rare palms and of course grow them for sale. Nobody, and I mean nobody markets and promotes palms here.

Wal,

I understand your concern as it applies to Indonesia. But, Costa Rica is totally different. Much of the area if not all where oil palms are planted there were banana plantations. I do not believe forest is being cleared for palm oil plantations. Here in Brazil there is nearly as much land that is already in pasture or degraded state in Amazonia than the entire land area of Indonesia. That is about 15 percent of the total Brazilian amazon region. I do not see any conflict with palm plantations and preservation of the forest. A palm plantation is better use of land than a soy bean plantation or cattle. In reality beef has destroyed more forest than oil palms have I believe. And, soy beans come right behind. There are 75 million cattle in the Brazilian Amazon alone. That is of a national herd of 200 million cattle. And, a large amount of the soybeans also come from the same region. I believe that Jose Maria can confirm the fact that the oil palm has been much more benefit to Costa Rica than damage. From what I have observed palm oil production on tropical land is a very productive crop with good economic benefits. Once again I do not say that this justifies some of the actions in places like Indonesia and Malaysia. But, it is not really fair to lump everything together. Any more as it is to stop eating beef because trees were cut down to produce it.

dk

[John in Andalucia]

And where do the 200 million bovine "bottom burps" end up? Do they slip away silently, or get recycled? Good point, Don.

[Nigel]

These are some mass-produced oilpalms, to be planted out in a few months. Cost: 4000 colones or $8, each. These are from hybrid seeds and start producing in 2 years after being in the fields.

The destruction of the forest for mass planting of oil palms is one of the biggest errors by man I can think of. Sorry , I had to say this here, but it needs to be said over and over and let's stop buying palm oil products folks.

You want to make money ? Market and promote rare palms and of course grow them for sale. Nobody, and I mean nobody markets and promotes palms here.

Wal,even if we wanted to stop it by not buying palm oil we couldnt. I think its used for biofuels so the big oil companies buy it.

Its not growing palm oil thats the problem ,its the way its done, sustainably or by destroying virgin forest.

[Jose Maria]

I have to get back in the discussion..

In Costa Rica most palm plantations were indeed planted on abandoned banana farms. New plantations are mostly planted on old grassland, since cattle ranching is not very profitable compared to oilpalm.

In Costa Rica it is believed that the future is in biofuels, more so since we have no oil-wells. Besides being environmentaly friendly, if we would switch completely to biodiesel we can do it by planting 200.000 hectares of oilpalm and not have to import any more diesel.

The same goes for sugarcane plantations, to make ethanol , the example is Brasil . Costa Rica can very well become carbon neutral in a few years.

200.000 hectares of oilpalm would only diminish the 1 million hectares of extensively grazed ranchlands by 20%. And there are always national parks for conservation of wildlife. up to 25 % of the total area af Costa Rica.

Don´t blame the oilpalm...it is the most efficient oilproduceramong all crops : 5000 up to 6000 liters of oil per hectare per year.Way more efficient the the runner up, soybean....

[amazondk]

Jose Maria,

Thank you for your input. This is exactly the message I expected. There is a lot of propoganda out there which tries to generalize the world. We live in a complex world and what may be destructive in one place may indeed by constructive in another. For example 200,000 hectaresin Amazonia represents nothing. There are 330 million hectares of land in Brazilian Amazonia. Since about 18 percent is either degraded or in pasture or soy bean planations that is approximately 59 million hectares of land that would be available for palm oil plantations without cutting down one tree in the forest. Of course the total palm oil never be the major land use more than likely. But, the potential is enormous. Since palm oil presents the highest yield of energy per hectare the results would be great.

dk

[Wai`anae Steve]

I sell a few times a year at local plant sales and hope to make enough to cover what I buy at the same sale from others.

[Tilto]

I need to import a 20' container of these from Costa Rica.Searle Bros has one in a 10G smaller than these for $850

I moved to Costa Rica with dreams of growing and selling rare palms. Once I got here and checked out the nurseries, I realized it just wasn't going to happen. Palms are so inexpensive that they are practically giving them away. The species does not seem to matter much either, a palm is a palm - Cyrtostachys renda sells for the same price as Dypsis lutescens here.

Here's a perfect example of what I was talking about. This morning a truck delivered some palms that I picked out a couple days ago. I want five C. renda planted in a row outside of the Bali House master bath so I went and picked them out a couple days ago. Price... $10 each. Total including delivery... $70. How can anyone grow a palm up for that many years and sell it for only $10?

[Jose Maria]

I need to import a 20' container of these from Costa Rica.Searle Bros has one in a 10G smaller than these for $850

I moved to Costa Rica with dreams of growing and selling rare palms. Once I got here and checked out the nurseries, I realized it just wasn't going to happen. Palms are so inexpensive that they are practically giving them away. The species does not seem to matter much either, a palm is a palm - Cyrtostachys renda sells for the same price as Dypsis lutescens here.

Here's a perfect example of what I was talking about. This morning a truck delivered some palms that I picked out a couple days ago. I want five C. renda planted in a row outside of the Bali House master bath so I went and picked them out a couple days ago. Price... $10 each. Total including delivery... $70. How can anyone grow a palm up for that many years and sell it for only $10?

Coming back to the "joke" of Tilto:

This is no joke anymore, since Costa Rica signed a Free trade Treaty with the US, all size-limits on ornamental plant exports to the states have been lifted.

Before only small Dracaena cuttings etc.. could be exported, the door in the US is now wide open for everything...lucky for the nurserytrade in Florida that local nurseries in Costa Rica apparently have not caught on yet...

Land and labor costs are much lower here and the climate has never any cold spells.

Maybe exporting palms from here can be an interesting venture.

Just like Jeff mentioned,Cyrtostachys renda is planted as a hedge in gardens, no longer an "accent plant".See if I get some pictures.

[DreaminAboutPalms]

What about trying to sell palms in an area where they aren't mass planted and mass grown? I've always felt like there was potential here in Central TX.

Here in Central Texas, palms shipped up from Florida or a different climate don't do as well. We all know what happened in Texas this year, and despite that there were numerous Sabals that didn't even defoliate (we had 7 days below freezing, multiple nights of ice, 6" of snow, consecutive nights of 14,7,4) and Washingtonias robusta hybrids that have full crowns 6 months later. The only Sabals I saw die or defoliate for the most part were ones planted, while ones growing wild or neglected did fine. 362 days a year here any palm will do fine, but its the spells of cold mixed with wet that will kill off a lot. Numerous places around town there will be two identical palms next to each other, same height, same species, same number of fronds before freeze yet one will live one will die. 

I guess I've always thought that growing seeds collected from old bulletproof palms in the area would not only bring more palms to the market that would actually survive, but it would also be more marketable and would create a competitive advantage over big box stores. 

Edited August 8, 2021 by DreaminAboutPalms

[DreaminAboutPalms]

Sabals with 5 feet of trunk will sell for $400 here on Facebook marketplace. I think it could be profitable if you have the land and you have an ideal spot to plant them, facing south and with lots of water. If there is a creek somewhere on the property, can divert the water and reduce the amount of supplemental water you have to give them. In winter time, just enclose them with wire fencing and black tarp to keep heat in protect from wind, and preferably plant them in a spot protected from north wind. Then its just fertilize them, water them in the summer when its dry and just let them do their thing for a few years. Same thing with Washingtonias. Washingtonias don't even need to trim them, they survive the cold better with the skirt anyways. 

Not a way to make a living, but definitely can make money in it depending on certain factors. Like with any business certain areas like in FL, AZ, CA there are far too many big players to break into the industry, not to mention palms are worth less in those areas, but where they have to be shipped in they can go for quite a bit more money. 

[kinzyjr]

On 9/16/2010 at 9:03 PM, Central Floridave said:

Forget that, I'm a computer engineer...putting finger to keyboard's is much easier....and pays a lot more!

Definitely agree and in the same boat.

[The Germinator]

Yeah, I have had 2 online stores and have sold to visitors but it has always been a hobby business. I work full time and anything just helps offset hobby expenses. 

[WaianaeCrider]

Years ago I potted up seedlings and sold at local plant sales maybe 3 or 4 times a year.  The hope was to make enough selling palms to cover what I spent on other plants bought at the sales.   LOL   Never worked out......