For thousands of years, bamboo has been a popular plant worldwide. And there are a host of reasons for its popularity.
Bamboo plants are fast growers – up to a meter every day
Bamboo plants harvest every year without replanting, after the first three years of growing
Bamboo plants preserve the soil nutrients and prevent soil erosion
Bamboo plants are naturally antibacterial. So, they don’t need artificial pesticides.
Versatile. Easy to grow. Simple and unassuming, yet attractive. And multiple product usage options. There are so many qualities that come with the seemingly nondescript live bamboo plant.
Uses of Bamboo Plants
Bamboo plants enjoy such widespread usage, it’s baffling.
Shoots from the live black bamboo plants are used to treat kidney ailments in China.
It is used as road reinforcements and support for bridges.
Accessories and clothes are made out of bamboo.
It is the main meal of the Giant Panda and other sub-species.
Bamboo plants make for great showpieces as well.
It can be a carefully cultivated outdoor bamboo garden.
It can be a set of the most attractive live indoor bamboo plants.
Believers in Feng Shui swear by the live lucky bamboo plant.
And, bamboo is sustainable
Bamboo is as sustainable as it is durable. And bamboo plants also make for good investment options.
Surprised?
The bamboo plant has a lot of potential–both short and long-term–as an investment. In general, investment in forestry is illiquid in nature. Investors start earning profit after they harvest the matured trees. That can take place ten to fifteen years after the initial investment.
This is where the bamboo plant steals a march. It grows fast and reaches maturity in four years. Use proper harvesting methods. That would further stimulate the bamboo plant’s growth. You would get much more timber for every hectare.
How much more?
Well, up to almost twenty times what a common plantation tree would produce in a single rotation. Just one of the reasons to look at bamboo as a viable investment option.
Read on to know more about how investing in live bamboo plants can become a dollar-earner for you.
Bamboo Leaves as Beverage Components
Does that sound unbelievable? But it’s fact. If you have a bamboo farm, then consider this option. Bamboo leaves contain silica. Silica is essential for strengthening the joints in our bodies. It is also good for the skin.
You can dry the bamboo leaves for some days and then grind them. The ground and dried bamboo leaves would make for a healthy cup of herbal tea. Alternatively, you could also soak the bamboo leaves in cold water overnight. The next morning, the water would make for a healthy and tasty drink.
You could sell these beverages by the cup. Or get in touch with local retailers or herbal tea manufacturers. Supply these companies with the raw materials. This can turn out to be quite lucrative.
Bamboo Shoots as Food
The shoots of most of the bamboo plant species are fit for human consumption. Especially those of bamboo plant variants like the Moso or the Dendrocalamus. Bamboo shoots have been the staple diet component for many Asians for several thousands of years.
And your bamboo groves–once matured–would produce many fresh shoots every year. If you are from the Deep South or Southern California or similar warmer locations, it’s even better. You would get these shoots in both spring and fall.
You could get in touch with your neighborhood Chinese or Southeast Asian restaurants. They would be happy to receive fresh and locally-sourced bamboo shoots. Or you could put up a stall in the farmers’ market in the vicinity. That would mean higher revenue.
Bamboo Poles as Building Components
Have a well-maintained bamboo plantation? Then you got a money-spinner. Sturdy bamboo poles are always in demand for various construction purposes. From time to time, mid to large-scale construction projects in your locality would require large quantities of timber bamboo poles.
Now, this is a perfect opportunity for you to monetize your bamboo plantation.
Cultivating varieties of Dendrocalamus or Bambusa would be suitable for this purpose if you are from warmer regions. Madake or Henon variants are better bets for temperate climates.
You may also reach out to the local hardware stores. People buy bamboo poles from them for different construction and gardening purposes. You could become a perennial bamboo supplier for these stores.
Ethanol Fuel from Bamboo Biomass
It’s common knowledge for decades now that the planet earth is suffering from an energy crisis. Fossil fuel reserves are fast depleting. And these fuels are generous contributors to air pollution.
With your bamboo plantation, you can do your bit to protect the environment. Bamboo is easily renewable. And it absorbs CO2 while growing.
You can also make some money in the process. Get your bamboo biomass – any quality – turned into ethanol.
A few facilities in the U.S. are already at it. And more are on the way. These plants are converting wood chips and bamboo extracts into ethanol.
Once you have sold off your best-quality bamboo poles, you would be left with the extracts. And some poorer quality poles. Sell these to the ethanol-producing plants. This would ensure optimum usage of the bamboo plant.
Various Handicraft Items from Bamboo
With carpentry skill-enabled manpower (it could also be yourself!), look at creating decorative items from your bamboo plants. The versatile plant is fit to be made into multiple types of home décor and utility items. Coffee tables, wall hangings, windchimes – we could go on.
A Nursery of Live Bamboo Plants
A well-maintained potted bamboo plant will fetch you a good price. These are chosen items of home and office décor. A perfect example is a bamboo palm live plant. And rarer species can fetch even higher prices. If you have the wherewithal, start supplying bamboo décor items for commercial and residential landscaping. You could also supply the potted plants to local retailers.
Don’t all these outcomes of investing in live bamboo plants look lucrative? For sure, they do. So, don’t wait any further. Start growing (the plants) and soon, start counting (the greenbacks).
