Housewife Turns Gardening Hobby Into Thriving Business

TANAH MERAH, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- ‘Hard work pays off’, is a fitting proverb to describe the efforts of a housewife here who has managed to generate a significant income from growing over 70 types of vegetables in the past five years.

Noor Shahiran Yusoff, 33, said she started venturing into gardening to fill her free time during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in the country.

She said that initially, she planted around 30 vegetable seedlings in her yard, such as chilli, ginger, turmeric and coriander leaves for personal use, with only RM50 as her initial investment, covering the cost of fertiliser, soil and gardening tools.

“I never imagined this venture would yield such positive results, with the seeds I planted growing well and multiplying into seedlings. This success motivated me to pursue gardening more seriously,” she said when met by Bernama at her home in Kampung Madu Jaya, Kelewek Hilir Kubur, recently.

The mother of three said her crops began to attract the attention of neighbours and relatives who visited her home and showed interest in purchasing the seedlings she had grown.

"Some have tried to plant seedlings but have not been successful, even after several attempts. So, most of them come to me to buy the seedlings I have grown to plant in their homes.

"I began focusing seriously on cultivating essential kitchen plants and herbs two years ago, promoting them on my Facebook page 'Scha Atisya' and through WhatsApp. Now, I have over 1,500 different types of seedlings," she said.

Noor Shahiran added that among the plants and herbs she currently grows are cherry tomatoes, bird’s eye chillies, eggplants, green chillies, turmeric, ginger, galangal, cabbage, sponge gourd, cekur hijau (chinese ginger), ulam raja and Brazilian spinach, which are sold at prices ranging from RM5 to RM30 per seedling.

"To produce these seedlings, I sow the necessary seeds, sourcing them from agricultural stores. To reduce the risk of disease or insect infestations, I only use treated seeds.

"The use of suitable soil, such as peat moss, during the sowing process is crucial to ensure successful growth, as this material absorbs water like a sponge and can also 'bind' to sandy soil," she explained.

Noor Shahiran said that typically, the plant seeds will sprout within two weeks before being transferred into polybags or small pots filled with coconut husks to stimulate seedling growth.

"The shortest period for harvesting, provided there is sufficient water and fertiliser, is about 28 days, but it can extend to almost a month and a half. So far, the plants that are a bit more challenging to grow are the green chillies and Kulai chillies, as they are prone to diseases," she said.

She sells her plants both online and through direct walk-in sales at her home, receiving orders from customers nationwide, including Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak.

“For postal services, I pack the plants carefully as I am concerned they might get damaged. However, the feedback from customers has been positive, with the plants arriving in good condition,” she said, adding that she can earn up to RM8,000 a month.

-- BERNAMA