Investing in Tree Planting in Kenya

Many of us are used to planting a few trees around our homesteads as a form of beauty. What we have not realized is that the same trees can be made to be sources of income. Planting trees and making money have been perceived not to go along as one. We plant trees out of love for nature or from a feeling of moral obligation to conserve the environment for future generations.

Growing trees for profit is an ideal part-time or full-time business for anyone who wants to be their own boss and enjoys being outdoors working with plants. Trees are a profitable and renewable resource that can be grown in a small backyard or acreage. Best of all, trees are not a seasonal crop like flowers or vegetables.

The advantage of investing in tree planting business is that, they keep on growing, so one can sell the larger trees next year for more money. That’s one of the best reasons to grow trees is that their value keeps increasing each year. You can start a tree growing business with a small investment of money. You don’t need a degree in horticulture either but just some common sense and the ability to learn as you grow.

You can start with land that has productive soils The difference in tons of wood grown between good soils and poor soils can be 200 percent over the life cycle of the investment. It is that it’s hard to pay too much for productive land (or too little for poor land). Many types of soils are suitable but trees, like any crop, do better on productive soils. Contact a consulting forester or extension agent for more info on soils.

When planting trees, avoid steep land Besides having poor soils, steep slopes limit your options for site preparation, tree planting and harvesting. Mostly, this is an issue in the north half of Alabama. Hills are not a problem. We’re talking about land that is hard to walk up, or has visible surface rock.

Trees are very beneficial as they can be made into timer, electricity poles or even charcoal business. It is about time that Kenyans start embracing some of the scarce opportunities availability in tree planting. Tree seedlings are also another area of this investment where one dwells of selling of the seedlings.

Read: The Rise of Digital Agriculture in Africa