KUALA KRAI, Mohd Khairi Mustafa never imagined that his hobby of planting garden crotons for the past four years would generate income and receive a positive response. The 35-year-old native of Kampung Kuala Nal, who initially planted 10 types of crotons obtained from around the village, now has over 50 varieties, including 'mega mendung', 'karipap kuning', 'delima', 'kaki itik', and 'lemak ketam'. "I grow these crotons because I am fascinated by their uniqueness. They are attractive because of their leaves, which come in various shapes, patterns, and colours, and most interestingly, the unique names given to each plant by the villagers. "Additionally, crotons are very easy to care for, not complicated, and hardy, as they can thrive under direct sunlight, enhancing the colours and patterns on their leaves," he told Bernama when met at his home near Kampung Kuala Nal today. Mohd Khairi said that the costs to care for crotons are not substantial since they are 'not fussy' and only need to be fertilised eve ry two weeks. "The prices I set depend on the type and size of the plants, ranging from RM10 to RM50, and they are sold for the local market in Peninsular Malaysia only," he said, adding that he has many customers from Johor and Terengganu. Crotons are highly suitable for planting in home gardens and can be easily propagated through stem cuttings to produce offspring identical to the parent plant, rather than using seeds, he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency