Is There a Way to Grow Your Own Hoodia?
Do you like to do things on your own? I do. I try to save money whenever possible. I would probably never hire a painter or a landscaper. I bake birthday cakes rather than buying them at the store.
I like to do things on my own to save money, but also because of the personal gratification of being a D.I.Y. (do it yourself) person. My latest endeavor was beating the weight loss industry at their own game. Rather than paying $60 for a bottle of hoodia appetite suppressants, I decided to try growing hoodia plants on my own.
Probably not my best idea. Hoodia is a succulent grown in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. The natives have been chewing the stems of hoodia plants for centuries as a means to control their appetite when out on hunts through the sparse desert. Researchers found out that a compound in hoodia called p57 can trick the brain into thinking you do not need to eat. Although I had no way of making a pill out of the hoodia plants, I figured I could chew on the stem like the natives or maybe even brew up a tea.
So, I ordered my hoodia seeds and special Kalahari sand. The sand cost more than the seeds and I knew why soon after I planted them. In just a few short weeks, my plants were getting bigger and looked nothing like a hoodia plant or anything like a succulent for that matter. They were marigolds! I would have been taken! I called the company, but after being put on hold for 30 minutes, I decided to part ways with my $20 and move forward.
Now, I was determined to make my plan work. I had told all my friends about my plan and could not tell them what happened. So, back to the drawing board. I ordered seeds that were more expensive. Yes I know, I should have just paid the $60, but I was on a mission! Apparently, hoodia seeds are scarce and the price has been driven up. I guess I am not the only one trying to grow my own hoodia.
My plants began to show promise. Little finger-like stems sprouted from the sand. This was more like it! Succulents, finally! In about a month, my little hoodia guys had flowers. Unfortunately, they lacked a pleasant fragrance like most flowers. These smelled like little rotting corpses! Nice. Apparently, hoodia flowers need to attract flies for pollination. They did; many, many flies!
I decided the garage and some grow lights were in order. Despite their stink, I did everything I could to care for my little hoodia dudes; however, after two weeks they began to whither. Another little known fact about hoodia: even commercial growers have yet to have much success in growing hoodia. I guess they contract disease and fungus easily.
My little hoodia guys croaked over the next week. I thought my friends would give me a hard time, but I think they were happy they did not have to bring their fly-swatters with them when they visited. I guess South Africa will remain the major provider of hoodia! So, I ordered my $60 bottle of hoodia. The good news is that I have lost 10 pounds!
Can you grow your own hoodia? Go there and become a member of our great hoodia community on Facebook.
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