Author Topic: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year. (Read 210 times)

Vesp · « **on:** March 13, 2012, 01:53:42 AM »

I am going to start a little farm.. thing? (Ok, just a big garden) to grow and collect a bunch seeds. I have a pretty good amount of space so that isn't the issue at all. The reason I am going to be growing stuff is to collect the seeds come fall to sell online via ebay, ecrater, and so on...

I learned I can sell tobacco and datura seeds online and it is *fairly* profitable IFF I grow them myself and... figure out how to market them better... and become more credible over time (OK, its a pain in the ass and I am not totally sure how profitable it is.. but I think it will be)

I know many unique, toxic, etc plants exist that I could grow will produce seeds the first year... allowing me to collect and sell them - but I am having some issues on finding things besides Tobacco and datura -- so I need your help.

Ideally:
1. Produce lots of seeds
2. Not be sold in walmart, and essentially "only online"
3. Be neat; toxic, druggy, smelly, colorful, etc...

Right now I am going to be growing:

1. Datura Inoxia
2. Datura metel - ??
3. Datura Stramonium var Tatula
4. Datura Wrightii
5. Datura Stramonium
6. Datura metel - Double yellow
7. Datura Ceratocaula
8. Datura Ferox
9. Datura Parajuli
10. Datura Inoxia - Belle Blanche
11. Datura Discolor
12.Datura Wella
13. Datura Stramonium Lilac Le Fleur (Might be Tatula? not sure.. whatever)
14. Nicotiana Rustica
15. Nicotiana Tobacum virginia
16. Nicotiana Sylvestris
17. Nicotiana Alaata (whatever.. Coyote Tobacco.. a naive that I am going to buy)
18. Nicotiana Tobacum - Cuban
19. Pereskiopsis -- these won't produce seeds, but they will grow fast enough that I can sell the cuttings and possibly graft T. Bridgessii seedlings onto them...
20.

? Nicotiana Gluaca, and other nicotiana things..

... Possibly 15 types of Heirloom tomatos, if I can manage to do such a thing.

Any ideas on what else I could grow for the purpose of seed production to sell in little packets online?

Hawkwind · « **Reply #1 on:** March 13, 2012, 03:00:46 AM »

Special varieties of poppies or morning glories? Maybe not unique enough and too readily available. . . .

Vesp · « **Reply #2 on:** March 13, 2012, 03:28:38 AM »

Morning glories do not do well with me, and I can get their seeds for ~$12/Lbs I think? cheaper if I buy more...
Poppies are risky if they are the Opium type, but I'll consider others! Good thinking.
I have a rare unique type that grows around here... It is either
Argemone polyanthemos or
Argemone munita.

Good call on that one! Totally forgot I even had those seeds.

fresh1 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2012, 04:07:25 AM »

why the time frame of only one year? becoz you want to sell them?

if you could/can/would be interested in acacia (all sorts) and camphor seeds, I'd bee happy to help, plus it would give me more 'reasons' to go bush

btw I discovered why I cant 'find' any MG seeds......they dont seed south of the equator, so I was recently told

the question begs to be asked "how Did they become SO prolific down here if they dont?" $:-\$

Vesp · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2012, 04:50:56 AM »

MG = Morning glory? They totally seed south of the equator - that shouldn't matter, but they might not reseed effectively if you are too close to the pole.

I think those plants only propagate via seed anyways...

Also the yearly seeding thing is because:
1. Not sure how long I will be able to grow things in the yard - so long time investments such as a tree is not a good plan.
2. These seeds are really to help fund a startup business.. and the more seeds I can get/collect/buy off strangers the faster I will be able to get the other project(s) going.

Kind of getting to that point where I need to start making money and stuff to survive and thrive.. so to speak.

fatfreddy · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2012, 01:37:51 PM »

You could also buy seeds and sell them as small plants. This should work for most fast-growing plants. I'm not sure how the profit margin would compare to harvesting and selling seeds, but it's a thought.

Goldmember · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2012, 02:50:29 PM »

Vesp/anyone else, off the top of your head, can you tell me which one of those or others not listed would produce the most tropane alkaloid/kg the fastest?
Also,it escapes me but there is a species that only produce pseudotropine in the aerial parts of the plant, any idea what species?

Assyl Fartrate · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2012, 04:33:28 PM »

There's no risk growing papaver somniferium if you're not slashing or extracting. They're perfect for this purpose as they produce huge amounts of seeds in the first season.

But if you're worried about legality, you could always grow cannabis...

Spearmint produces a lot of seeds. Some years you can't find seeds for it on the shelves anywhere for some reason. Cilantro, parsley, basil... herbs are good candidates. Lots of heirloom basils out there.

Peppers are a better pick than tomatoes. Harvesting tomato seeds is a pain. Peppers are easy - dry them in the sun, crack them open, shake the seeds out. Chilis produce a LOT of seeds per weight of flesh, more so than bell peppers. Look for some exotic varieties...

Vesp · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2012, 07:40:17 PM »

Quote from: Assyl Fartrate on March 13, 2012, 04:33:28 PM

There's no risk growing papaver somniferium if you're not slashing or extracting. They're perfect for this purpose as they produce huge amounts of seeds in the first season.

I will think about it - but I feel like I have read somewhere that it is Illegal-- and just not enforced. I feel like if I were to, for whatever reason, step on the wrong peoples toes - that would could bloom into a bad situation.

Quote from: Assyl Fartrate on March 13, 2012, 04:33:28 PM

Spearmint produces a lot of seeds. Some years you can't find seeds for it on the shelves anywhere for some reason. Cilantro, parsley, basil... herbs are good candidates. Lots of heirloom basils out there.

good idea about the herbs! I'll certainly consider that.

Quote from: Assyl Fartrate on March 13, 2012, 04:33:28 PM

Peppers are a better pick than tomatoes. Harvesting tomato seeds is a pain. Peppers are easy - dry them in the sun, crack them open, shake the seeds out. Chilis produce a LOT of seeds per weight of flesh, more so than bell peppers. Look for some exotic varieties...

Peppers take forever to produce fruit though... like 100 days or something? Often they produce few where I live... :/ I have had badluck with them - but i will consider it for sure.. I'll look more into the varieties.

Quote from: Goldmember on March 13, 2012, 02:50:29 PM

Vesp/anyone else, off the top of your head, can you tell me which one of those or others not listed would produce the most tropane alkaloid/kg the fastest?
Also,it escapes me but there is a species that only produce pseudotropine in the aerial parts of the plant, any idea what species?

Not sure... but i do know that the highest alkaloid content is found in the carrot looking roots near fall time -- I think? I suspect it is likely one of the common and less exotic datura like stramonium, inoxia, metel, or something like those that would give you the best amount and ratio of alkaloids. They grow very big! You have probably seen this image from one of my grows....

Hopefully I will be able to grow a garden so much bigger and better then those in the image.

(since I have like... way more room then a little tiny box now)

Vesp · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2012, 10:12:39 PM »

Quote from: fatfreddy on March 13, 2012, 01:37:51 PM

You could also buy seeds and sell them as small plants. This should work for most fast-growing plants. I'm not sure how the profit margin would compare to harvesting and selling seeds, but it's a thought.

Sorry, just saw this post!
I am considering doing something similar, but in order to be competitive, etc I would need a decent green house that doesn't blow away in the wind.. currently that is out of my reach.

I would and do have better luck out-sourcing seeds from collectors and big seed distributors (which I am doing - if it is fall time where you live and you can collect seeds in 10gram (tobacco to tomato sized seeds) up to 1lbs (depending on seed size)... let me know what type via PM... this is just as a, general curiosity.. of course

)

Assyl Fartrate · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2012, 10:46:16 PM »

Grow thai hot peppers. You'll be amazed how much they produce. Seen a single plant produce hundreds of peppers. Start them now and they'll be fruiting by June.

Vesp · « **Reply #11 on:** March 13, 2012, 10:53:13 PM »

Ah all right. I will get some of those seeds I guess.

I'll have to find a good place to get them.

Assyl Fartrate · « **Reply #12 on:** March 14, 2012, 01:43:03 AM »

Enjoy, they're great to cook with too. Bake them in the oven at low temperatures to dry them and they carmelize a bit and smell like cherries. You'll get hooked on hot food.

fresh1 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 14, 2012, 09:03:17 AM »

Quote

I would need a decent green house that doesn't blow away in the wind

have you seen ones built out of 75mm polypipe bent as an inverted U on two star posts, with 3+ 'hoops'

covered with well attatched clear plastic, they are flexible and surprisingly strong

pot plants esp flowers, herbs and of couse small chillies are quite popular

I guess the 'problem' can occur of having too many varieties tho

Assyl Fartrate · « **Reply #14 on:** March 14, 2012, 07:21:10 PM »

Yeah, don't forget - they can cross pollinate.

Vesp · « **Reply #15 on:** March 14, 2012, 07:41:51 PM »

I build one of the hoop green houses once, but since I live in a super windy area it got destroyed. The wind is insane sometimes; rips apart shingles/siding and that sort of stuff - it never allowed for PVC and plastic to even have a chance.

At some point, maybe I will just get a professional greenhouse - but that is out of the scope currently.

I think when it comes to my seed selling venture - I will have the best luck finding people like me, that grow plants and collect seeds for no apparent reason and buy from them. Or something along those lines - just pay people to collect seeds from the wild for me.
It seems like there is no reason or rhyme as to why or what seeds sell; Tomato seeds don't sell worth a shit compared to poison hemlock seeds. Which is strange because poison hemlock seeds are incredibly easy for me to collect, while tomato seeds are difficult to source, labor intensive,and so on.

Any ideas as to how I might be able to contact a lot of people that could provide me with seeds that are very fresh, very cheap, and in semi-bulk quantities?

I tried posting on craigslist in places like India, South America, etc -- but apparently they do not post since it is from a way different location - based on IP address.. and it also sounds like a scam, I guess?

fresh1 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 15, 2012, 02:04:39 PM »

Quote

I will have the best luck finding people like me, that grow plants and collect seeds for no apparent reason

lol

what quantities do you call 'semi-bulk?'

Vesp · « **Reply #17 on:** March 15, 2012, 06:55:03 PM »

Well, depends on the size of the seed.
tobacco to tomato seeds are useful in 10 gram quantities - so generally that means at least 6,000 seeds
But it depends -- the bigger seeds, like sacred lotus or tea seeds I only get by the pound or two -- since I sell them 10 at a time instead of 250-1000 (for tobacco) or 30 at a time for tomato.

The more the merrier though! If I could easily get a pound of tobacco seeds I wouldn't hesitate if it were super cheap -- that would allow me to sell more seeds for a cheaper price and be more competitive and have a larger profit margin.

embezzler · « **Reply #18 on:** March 15, 2012, 11:11:54 PM »

I think nightshade (atropa belladonna) has a 1 or two year cycle and both leaves and seeds may be worth a punt if it hasn't been mentined already.

Vesp · « **Reply #19 on:** March 16, 2012, 12:22:53 AM »

Oh yeah for sure. I have been trying to get a hold of a bulk quantity of that for a while - it is a total bitch for me to source in any decent quantity. The best I can find is the price Atropa Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade) $30/ 5 grams OR these here: Atropa belladonna - 1 packet for 8 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 200 seeds for 8 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 1 gram for 8 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 2.50 gram for 8 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 10 gram for 9 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 5 gram for 13 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 20 gram for 19 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 25 gram for 21 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 50 gram for 35 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 100 gram for 64 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 1000 gram for 416 Euros
Atropa belladonna - 500 gram for 504 Euros
But I have had issues with Atropa belladona germinating and it would totally blow to spend like $30 bucks + shipping for decorative beads that I put in dirt.

I used to have a few contacts who could collect it wild for me, but they never come through and actually do it.

Atropa bellodona is an excellent suggestion and one I totally forgot about! It is especially good because its cuttings can be rooted fairly easily and I'd love to try to sell those live plants.

Author Topic: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year. (Read 210 times)

Vesp

What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Hawkwind

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Vesp

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

fresh1

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Vesp

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

fatfreddy

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Goldmember

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Assyl Fartrate

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Vesp

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Vesp

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Assyl Fartrate

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Vesp

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Assyl Fartrate

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

fresh1

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Assyl Fartrate

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Vesp

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

fresh1

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Vesp

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

embezzler

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.

Vesp

Re: What should I grow? I only want to grow things that produce seed first year.