cost of your pepper grow

Well this year I had to put up a fence so there went about $100.   Money for gas for the tiller.  We'll go with $20.  $8 on solo cups roughly.  About $60 on soil and $20 on nutes.
 
Roughly $280,  biting into that first ripe superhot of the year = PRICELESS!
 
I'm saving receipts since I work with a farming budget...as of March (I am actually scared to plug the last 3 months into the spreadsheet right now XD) I had already spent about $1700, but that also includes all of my other gardening and farming supplies.
 
Seeds                       $30
Start-up Equip.         $25
Raised Bed W/Soil   $140
Fertilizers                  $15
Lights                        $30
                                
                                 =$240 give or take a few dollars for a first year. 
 
 
Plus other miscellaneous pots and such that were found while out and about.
 
All are far from $ 5000... Someone who approaches?
 
Swartmamba said:
I know i spent allot of money setting up my garden ect, and it all seems to be a expensive hobbie.
 
First season was near $5000, for lights, nutes, pots, soil, amendments ect.
 
From then on roughly $1000 per season.
 
What do you guys spend on a average season?
 
 
 
A good question!
 
$15 Assorted seeds.
$28 2x FFOF soil.
$2 2x Earthgrow compost + cow poo.
$4 Ace Composted Mulch
$15 2.5cf Perlite
$22.50 3x ProMix Hp bales, discounted and torn.
$6 MG Tomato fert
$5 Expert Garderer (Wally World!) fert.
$10 20x Wallybags
$8 4x plants from Home Depot.
 
Unless I've spaced out something, I get ~$115 in direct purchase costs.  Throw in another $25 for seed train postage, gas, water, taxes, and who knows what else.
 
I've got 33 good sized plants and another ~10 new seedlings.
 
Call if $140 and ~43 plants = 3.25 per plant.
 
Future expenses will be more Wallybags and more ferts.  Total ~$10.
 
WoW.
5K is a bunch.
 
I guestimate around a grand over 3 years.
 
That includes all the FRB's I absolutely had to have for seeds. ;)
 
And of course, a few insanely expensive seeds---first issue type and the dreaded "imported" 5 seeds of notorious expense.
 
Most expensive parts?
6 and 8 tube T5's, 4 root spa's, 1 aerogarden (the other is the wife's I get to borrow).
Nutes run about $150 a year----not season, but full year, as I grow indoors in the winter and start indoors for 3-4 months prior to plant out.
 
I have about $1.30-$1.75 in each plant by the time it's garden ready. I reuse my 3 1/2" pots and trays till they crack or split or I sell the plant and don't get them back. Seedling soil initially, then FFOF once they go into the 3 1/2" pots. Seeds, which vary in price. It's hard to qualify the electric meter hike when growing as it's usually during the winter but figure $20 a month or so (included in the $1.30-$1.75 price) My lights I've had for a few years and my heat mats and thermostat for them I've owned for a couple of years now too. I used a light timer you would use to hard wire in that in the past regulated my lights on many fish tanks. I got smart this year. Verified it could run the halide(s) and the florescent lights and I'm golden. Set 1 and forget. 
   Outside I'm fairly stable as far as costs. I did spring for $100 worth of new drip tape since I lengthened my rows. $10 for 10 bales of stray to mulch. I ordered some Dramm One to try. Chalk up $35 more there. Cheap therapy with an up side. I sell plants, pods, powders. My goal is to at least break even on the deal. This way money is not a factor. Meaning If I know it's covered by my sales already I can get the drip tape and not take rent or grocery money to buy it. Nor feel guilty. 
 
         This could get fugly.Pots,soil,new live plants to go with seeds,Lights, cups,heating mat,ferts,paint,shade,string,stakes,live pest killers ladybugs(the birds thanked me)food processer,jars,food mill.Wozzies and labels,vodka,orange juice.Hell I better stop here.I will say  30$ ;) I throw my receipts so I don't have to answer this question truthfully.
 
I decided to break it down to see.
 
Seeds: Got to have them all. When ever i click on semillas or pepperlover my bank card cringes. so $400
Lights: Once off. T5's plus wood ect $1200
Ferts: $120 worm castings, $20 for fish/seaweed, $80 for slow release, $100 mycorrhizae, $100 azomite, $100 components for Tea (pump molasses ect)
Soil. i needed 1900 litres for the pots alone. $800 all components
Pots: 2gallon and 10 gallon came in at $120 shipped.
Lady bugs: $100 ( damn you aphids)
aerogarden: $350 with all the extras (kingdenniz tricked me into this in his glog, but i love it)
Chlorine/chloromine hose filter ( recommend this to anyone) $80 shipped
Supports: $30
 
Thats what i can remember for now. Lets ignore the electrical bill
 
 
Everything is 2-3 times more expensive in Canada as it is down south
 
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