Growing 'lucky' grass earns tens of millions of dong each month

For the past two years, a farmer in Hau Giang has had a monthly income of 10 - 15 million VND thanks to his "unique" job: growing grass to create potted plants, also known as lucky grass.

That is the household of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, in Trau Hoi A hamlet, Thanh Xuan commune, Chau Thanh A district, Hau Giang province. Mrs. Oanh said that in 2015, she went to Ho Chi Minh City to learn how to grow lucky grass from an engineer in this city.

“That year’s class consisted of 15 women, but after more than 3 months of learning the trade, I was the only one who stayed with the profession. Because the job looks simple and easy, but it is also quite elaborate and meticulous,” said Ms. Oanh.

After finishing her apprenticeship, Ms. Oanh stayed at her daughter’s house in Ho Chi Minh City to continue growing plants so that her daughter could find a buyer. This is a feng shui grass that customers often buy to decorate their desks, living rooms, or as gifts… Because this type of grass is difficult to grow and there are few sellers in the market, after a short time of offering her products, she has “won the hearts” of many demanding customers in Ho Chi Minh City, and from here many flower and ornamental shops have ordered in large quantities.

Ms. Oanh shared: The profession of growing lucky grass is very simple, easy, does not require much capital investment. But it requires the worker to be skillful, persistent, meticulous in every detail to create beautiful standard products. For nearly a year since returning to her hometown to open the facility, she has not been able to hire official workers, so the facility has not been able to do much.

According to Ms. Oanh, every day the grass must be brought out to dry in the sun for about 1 hour.

The number of orders is increasing, but her daughter's house in Ho Chi Minh City is small and not enough for growing seeds, so at the end of December 2016, Ms. Oanh returned to her hometown to expand the growing facility, then moved it to Ho Chi Minh City for her daughter to sell.

“To have a beautiful standard product, the maker must be careful from the stage of bending the frame, tying the thread to create shape, to spreading the seeds... The frame must be beautiful, symmetrical; have enough moisture; the seeds must be spread evenly, so that when they germinate, the plants must cover the entire surface of the frame... If just a few centimeters of the seed frame do not germinate, the product is considered defective and must be discarded,” said Ms. Oanh.

Currently, every day her husband breaks the frame, she builds the moss to sow the seeds. Every day she makes about 30 plants with many different and beautiful shapes such as: heart, pair of swans, ball, star, double heart, leaf, bonsai, money tree...

Currently, the price of each finished product is sold at: single trees from 70,000 - 120,000 VND/tree, depending on size; double trees, bonsai trees cost from 300,000 - 1 million VND/tree.

After three days of sowing, the plant germinates and continues to be grown in the shade for about 10 more days, each day exposed to early morning sunlight for about 1 hour. When the plant has 2 leaves, it can be sold. When the plant has 2 leaves, the user can buy it and display it. If watered properly and exposed to early morning sunlight every few days, the plant can live for more than 1 year.

Currently, the price of each finished product is sold at: Single plants from 70,000 - 120,000 VND/plant, depending on size; double plants, bonsai plants, 5-fruit plants need prices from 300,000 - 1 million VND/plant. For the past 5 months, she has exported 2 batches to Saigon each month, each batch of 300 plants; and retailed at home about 100 plants. She said that on average, each month she and her husband earn from 10-15 million VND from this lucky grass growing business.

Currently, many customers in Saigon, Can Tho and some provinces in the Mekong Delta have placed orders, but because there are not enough workers to supply, Ms. Oanh has to refuse to accept them.

In the near future, Ms. Oanh said she will expand the facility and find more workers to meet orders for the Christmas and Tet markets./.

According to VOV