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Trying to Grow Peppers for the First time on a Grand Scale (farm land)

PepperBuddy

PepperBuddy

Hello Fellow Farmers  :)
 
I am trying to grow very hot peppers and want to do them in pots because the soil isn't the best on my property 
 
Basically I own 10 acres of land and have plenty of space to grow in Sunny Northern Florida 
 
I'm not sure what temperate zone I live in but i'm located in Okeechoobee Florida 
 
 
 
 
 
I want to grow Peppers because after they are done I can "dry them" and they should last alot longer for me to have time to sell them 
 
Basically the things I need are as follows 
 
1.) Seeds 
2.) Cell Style Starter Kits 
3.) Dirt 
4.) Containers for X amount of plants to be grown 
 
 
Sounds easy right? lol Thats where the confusion for me begins 
 
 
1.) Seeds are easy, no problem really there... I want to grow 5,000 pepper plants and the seed cost for me is at $200 (cheap) 
2.) Cell Starter Kits, no problem really there either... I found 200 cell kits and I can get 25x of them for $75 enough to start all of them easily 
3.) Dirt, Thats where it gets complicated for me... and it is because enough dirt to fill 5,000 containers of (3gallon pots) is 15,000 Gallons of dirt and if I want to upgrade to a bigger pot which I think is necessary of a (7 gallon pot) it requires 30,400 gallons of dirt to fill them 
4.) Containers for 5,000 plants can be very expensive... I wanted to use 7 gallon pots but I can't find them affordable anywhere so I think I might be stuck with 3 gallon pots and wanted to know if that will work well enough to get a good produce? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Continued- 
My two main problems will be "dirt" and "Containers" as far as cost 
 
 
Containers: 
I can get 3 gallon containers for .05 cents each and the cheapest i've found 7 gallon containers is .50 cents each 
Cost for 5,000 units would be: 
 
$250 for 5,000x 3 gallon containers 
$2,500 for 5,000x 7 gallon containers 
 
 
So basically my plan will be to use the $250 (3 gallon containers) because of value of size for cost of the container but i'm just asking will the 3 gallon container be enough to keep the plants healthy? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Now my next problem is the dirt: 
 
If I use 3 gallon buckets I will need 15,000 gallons of dirt 
If i use 7 gallon buckets I will need 30,400 gallons of dirt 
 
If i use dirt from my local supplier of compost they will sell it for $12 a yard 
 
Using the Ratio: 1 Cubic Yard = 201.974 Gallons 
 
I would need, 
74 Yards of dirt to fill 5,000 (3 gallon pots) at a cost of $891 total for dirt 
150 Yards of dirt to fill (7 gallon pots) at a cost of $1,806 total for dirt 
 
 
 
If i wanted to use "Miracle Grow" it would be sold by the cubic foot 
 
using the ratio 2 Cubic feet = 14.961 Gallons 
 
I would need: 
1,003 bags of miracle grow to fill (3 gallon buckets) at a total cost of $3,008 
2,032 bags of miracle grow to fill (7 gallon buckets) at a total cost of $6,096 
 
 
Basically from a "cost analysts" of the difference between using "dirt vs miracle grow" makes the miracle grow out of my reach 
 
Cost per plant: 
 
Example #1 using basic dirt in a (3 gallon pot) 
.18 dirt + .05 pot + .05 seed = .28 per plant 
 
Example #2 using basic dirt in a (7 gallon pot) 
.36 dirt + .50 pot + .05 seed = .91 per plant 
 
Example #3 using miracle grow in a (3 gallon pot) 
.60 miracle grow + .05 pot + .05 seed = .70 per plant 
 
Example #4 using miracle grow in a (7 gallon pot) 
1.22 Miracle Grow + .50 pot + .05 seed = $1.77 per plant 
 
 
 
 
Basically thats as far as i've come for ideas... I'm asking how I should proceed further? 
 
So far the total price for 5,000 plants is as follows 
 
Dirt: 
(3 gallon) = $891 for dirt + ($250 pots) + ($250 seeds) = $1,400 for everything (.28 per plant 
(7 gallon) = $1,806 for dirt + ($2,500 pots) + ($250 seeds) = $4,550 for everything (.91 per plant) 
 
Miracle Grow: 
(3 gallon) = $3,008 miracle grow + ($250 pots) + ($250 seeds) = $3,500 for everything (.70 per plant) 
(7 gallon) = $6,096 miracle grow + ($2,500 pots) + ($250 seeds) = $8,850 for everything (1.77 per plant) 
 
 
 
 
I'm probably going to go the example #1 route and do the 3 gallon containers with plain dirt for .28 per plant but was looking for opinions







This is my first time ever trying to garden on a grand scale... Any advice would be appreciated
 
Why not plant them in the ground? Where are you going to start the seedlings? Lights ? Harden them off? Where are you going to dry these peppers? How many pounds do you think 5,000 plants produce. I had 135 plants and produced 500 lbs peppers, 73 gallons of mash and 20 lbs of powder. This year im growing 800. But I have 6 people to help pick. How are you going to pick 5,000? Water? In pots what are you going to do about wind? Sun? For a person who never has grown one pepper plant you might want to plan a little more before investing $$. MY FIRST pepper grow was 5 plants. And yes they get this tall. 5000 six foot tall plants is a lot of work in containers.
 

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Welcome to the forum!
With that kind of farm land would invest more on making your soil conditions right and fertile for growing peppers. Probably cheaper but harder work. If you had planned on starting a retail/wholesale nursery business that would be different.

Hot peppers need room to grow and in my humble experience a 3 gal pot wont cut it. Plus you will still need to amend the dirt for proper ph, drainage, etc so there is that cost, plus a plan to deal with pests (aphids, mites, hornworms, whitefly, thrips, they all thrive down here) First place to start would be your local agricultural extension service office, best of luck!
 
if you have 10 ac, why not disc, rows, and plant and plastic? 
 
Eco%20C_540x540.jpg

 
 
1. water
how are you going to water everything? do you have regular rain? drip system? soakers? sprinklers?
irrigation system is significant cost.
 
2: dirt
plain dirt is not good for containers. you need to amend it with something like sand / wood fines  developing your own soilmix takes time and consideration, i would not just hope for the best.
if you are buying that much mix you need to go to a local nursery / supply (not home depot) and ask how much a pallet of soilmix would be. it should be much better $ than retail.
miracle gro is for small retail not for commercial large scale. get the real mix they use for vegetables. not flowers, needs to be fast draining.
 
3. nutrients / fertilizer
are you mixing in granules? are you mixing in compost / manure of some kind? are you going water soluable / hydro?
another omitted cost
 
4. pots
poly bags are cheap and sturdy for 1 season. 
3 gallons is a small plant unless you are hydro. you would want at least 5.
 
5. cost
1$ per plant is not that much. you should get a couple pounds off it at least, that's 8-20$ of product.
 
6. seedlings
how are you starting all these? just direct sow into containers outside? could work since you are in florida with long growing season.
do you need a greenhouse and seed starting greenhouse / room? intermediate containers
 
7. harvesting
it takes a long time to harvest that many peppers. is this going to be your full time job? you know where to get temp field workers?
 
see cardi grow manual
 
 
No offense but there are a lot of issues with this plan. Unless you're planning on becoming a nursery and selling the plants then there's no reason to put them in pots long term. And if you're planning on selling peppers, the overhead cost of filling all those pots will put a huge dent in your profit margin. Amend the soil and put those plants in the ground.
 
I appreciate everyone advice :)

I think growing in the dirt that is already there might be a better viable option

What steps should I do to make the dirt better to grow?

I was planning on buying some lights to start the seedlings but honestly the weather is so nice here in Florida that I was thinking I would just use the natural sunlight and put them in the house at night because that's the only time it gets cold

the only reasons i wanted to use pots vs the soil already there was a couple of reasons

1.) I could sell the plants as a live plant if anyone wanted it
2.) The dirt cost was relitively cheap to get good dirt and I thought it would use less dirt to put in buckets then to try to spread fertalizer across my whole farm but I could be wrong
3.) I thought it would be easier to transport them or move them if necessary




As far as picking go's... I have 4 family members involved that are willing to help with the picking and packaging


I haven't looked into grand scale de-humidifier yet either but my family is pretty creative so I'm not worried about that part of the process as of now



I'm basically doing this as a "Hobbie" but i'm trying to make profit at the same time


I'm basically just looking at my options... but I think this will be the way i'm going to go is still going to be peppers


and as far as "water" go's... I have a "Free Well Water" system and there is a pond on the property I can use and a river in the back yard lol

I'm not concerned on where to get water...  just a water pump and i'm done :)





main cost is still dirt and containers.... I agree though that 3 gallon containers aren't good enough but any bigger option i've found is at least .50 cents each

I saw a nice post earlier about using "walmart recycled cloth bags" at .50 cents each... thats still the cheapest i've found


I'm still just looking for ideas... I might still very easily just plant "in ground"


And I am very worried about "pest control" but I don't know what to do about it either...

I read on another forum that you can purchase "Lady Bugs" that will supposedly protect your garden... they have websites selling lady bugs at like $25 for 5,000+ lady bugs live


I wasn't planning on using any lady bugs... I was just planning on hoping and praying that I don't get disease or infestation... I'm not going to build a greenhouse or anything

If there is a spray or something you recommend I might use it though




The only problem I see so far is that the compost dirt won't be good enough and the 3 gallon pots wont be good enough

Anyone know where I should get my dirt from then? I actually own a dump-truck in Florida so I can really pick it up anywhere in the state

The picture of the dirt I found looks like this:
 
00202_cFrQvGIuJr1_1200x900.jpg







Also "Miracle Grow" is for small scale operation gardening... I realize that, I was just showing the cost difference




If there is some kind of pallet potting mix that is cheaper than miracle grow let me know, I'm all open ears


I'm not worried about PH of the dirt and the sun and wind is fine where my location is... its completely enclosed farmland with trees surrounding it and the sun is good for the plants, right now is almost the season to start, its time for seedlings to start at least and in like 6-8 weeks i'm planning on putting them on the farm land... either in buckets or in the dirt, I haven't decided yet



I could try and do less plants as well, I was just showing that for $1400 bucks I can grow 5,000 plants started in 3 gallon pots of dirt from the area


I could try and grow less plants in a 7 gallon pot instead... for the same cost of $1400 I can grow 1.500 plants in a 7 gallon pot of dirt from the area






Basically after reading your comments and seeing some of the errors in my logistics plan I think I should downgrade to less plants with bigger pots... basically do 1,500 plants instead


Definitely enjoy reading your replies, thank you for all the tips :)


Also, I only have roughly $2,000 I'd like to spend on this project... I'm willing to dedicate alot of hours to this and I have 3 others willing to help when necessary
 
there is a local nursery that does very similar stuff to what you are wanting. 
you could email/call them asking what they do for soilmix / pots. maybe they can forward you to their contact or resell you stuff.
you never know they could provide them for even cheaper than you can do it.
 
---
 
You are in florida the soil is probably quite fertile already. After this year you can identify what you need to fix. 
you can get a soil test at your local extension office. 
 
 
this year you could just 
1. find local guy with tractor / discs to till your field (craigslist, neighbors) 
2. rent a tiller for a couple days and do it slowly
3. put 4ft plastic mulch or you will be weeding every day and see significant loss from pests
4. put a plant on each side, 2ft apart staggered. this helps break wind and support eachother and easier to harvest.
5. mow between rows when grass / weeds grow. (place rows accordingly)
 
that cuts your costs significantly.
 
Good luck with all this...but it sounds like you might be getting in over your head.  You might want to start off with a smaller grow to get to know the basics.  And learn from your mistakes before they start costing thousands of dollars.  Then you could build up a nice seed stock from your saved seeds.
If I were you I would put the plants in the ground, or do a lot of research on container mixes for peppers.  You can't just put "dirt" in a pot, especially with how wet and humid Florida can be.
 
I grew for a half decade before deciding to scale up. And I have invested over $500,000 in to the venture of my own cash. Land, buildings, lighting, equipment (tractor, skid loader, etc). Money set aside for miles of drip irrigation and weed barriers, etc.  Plus I have done a lot of trade work in the past and did my own electrical architecture and wiring, insulation, hvac, etc for the grow house. If I'd contracted it out just the electrical work would have been another 10k. 
 
$2k for a commercial grow? I spent more on that on a 2000 sq foot garden in one year. :)
 
Seriously scale down and get some experience growing peppers for a few years. I did 272 peppers one year in my garden and it JUST about burned me out completely on the whole ordeal. So much work, you have no idea what you are in for on a 5,000 plant grow. 4 people won't cut it. Hell a dozen people may not be able to handle that if you're doing everything by hand... 
 
 
I'm going to try 1500 instead and I'm planning on putting them in-ground

I'm going to probably till it by hand, I know it sounds stupid but I have all the time in the world lol

It's for the most part already ready to go... The land i'm using was previously used for farming so there isn't much growing in the area at the moment as far as grass and weeds go

I still have to mow it of course to start... then i'll probably till it somehow, I was thinking i'm going to use my 4 wheeler and put a make-shift plow on the back end of it and just tear everything up as best I can

I haven't ordered the seeds yet either but i'm probably going to do alot less then 5,000

My parents said they would "Invest" in an irrigation for me, but for now i'm not concerned... I have water all around the property and I can pump water all day long if I wanted too

I might just lay hoses across each lane of peppers and have the hoses have holes in them ready to "drip"

I'll try to ask for more help once I get the seedlings started

I'm basically planning on waiting a good 2 weeks before I start the seedlings just because its been reasonably cold at night (60 degrees or less) and its getting nicer every day

I wanted to start sooner with grow lights but I've been working other jobs so I'm waiting to go on this hobby




Also, My family said I should do them in batches 2 weeks at a time (like 350, 350, 350, 350) spread apart so that way when its time to harvest them I have more time to get each row

Do you think thats a good idea? Maybe I should just do 2,000 plants and do them in batches of 500 each or something?




I really do want to get started on this, but again this isn't my main job, its just something I want to have done before I get my cows and pigs next

I just want to do one good crop of peppers then i'm turning it back into a grazing field for my cows


My dad used to be a farmer... so this is not his first rodeo on animals, but this will be my first time growing large scale peppers

I've grown tomatoes on a small scale countless times before though, so it really can't be that hard either



Also... If I grow more peppers than I can pick, i'm not really worried about it either... Its all for fun lol
 
If you're at all handy with a welder you could probably rig up something you could pull behind a vehicle to work the dirt.
 
Let's review....
 
 
PepperBuddy said:
Hello Fellow Farmers :)

I am trying to grow very hot peppers and want to do them in pots because the soil isn't the best on my property

Basically I own 10 acres of land and have plenty of space to grow in Sunny Northern Florida

I'm not sure what temperate zone I live in but i'm located in Okeechoobee Florida

I want to grow Peppers because after they are done I can "dry them" and they should last alot longer for me to have time to sell them

Basically the things I need are as follows

1.) Seeds
2.) Cell Style Starter Kits
3.) Dirt
4.) Containers for X amount of plants to be grown

Sounds easy right? lol Thats where the confusion for me begins

1.) Seeds are easy, no problem really there... I want to grow 5,000 pepper plants and the seed cost for me is at $200 (cheap)
2.) Cell Starter Kits, no problem really there either... I found 200 cell kits and I can get 25x of them for $75 enough to start all of them easily
3.) Dirt, Thats where it gets complicated for me... and it is because enough dirt to fill 5,000 containers of (3gallon pots) is 15,000 Gallons of dirt and if I want to upgrade to a bigger pot which I think is necessary of a (7 gallon pot) it requires 30,400 gallons of dirt to fill them
4.) Containers for 5,000 plants can be very expensive... I wanted to use 7 gallon pots but I can't find them affordable anywhere so I think I might be stuck with 3 gallon pots and wanted to know if that will work well enough to get a good produce?

Continued-
My two main problems will be "dirt" and "Containers" as far as cost

Containers:
I can get 3 gallon containers for .05 cents each and the cheapest i've found 7 gallon containers is .50 cents each
Cost for 5,000 units would be:

$250 for 5,000x 3 gallon containers
$2,500 for 5,000x 7 gallon containers

So basically my plan will be to use the $250 (3 gallon containers) because of value of size for cost of the container but i'm just asking will the 3 gallon container be enough to keep the plants healthy?

Now my next problem is the dirt:

If I use 3 gallon buckets I will need 15,000 gallons of dirt
If i use 7 gallon buckets I will need 30,400 gallons of dirt

If i use dirt from my local supplier of compost they will sell it for $12 a yard

Using the Ratio: 1 Cubic Yard = 201.974 Gallons

I would need,
74 Yards of dirt to fill 5,000 (3 gallon pots) at a cost of $891 total for dirt
150 Yards of dirt to fill (7 gallon pots) at a cost of $1,806 total for dirt

If i wanted to use "Miracle Grow" it would be sold by the cubic foot

using the ratio 2 Cubic feet = 14.961 Gallons

I would need:
1,003 bags of miracle grow to fill (3 gallon buckets) at a total cost of $3,008
2,032 bags of miracle grow to fill (7 gallon buckets) at a total cost of $6,096

Basically from a "cost analysts" of the difference between using "dirt vs miracle grow" makes the miracle grow out of my reach

Cost per plant:

Example #1 using basic dirt in a (3 gallon pot)
.18 dirt + .05 pot + .05 seed = .28 per plant

Example #2 using basic dirt in a (7 gallon pot)
.36 dirt + .50 pot + .05 seed = .91 per plant

Example #3 using miracle grow in a (3 gallon pot)
.60 miracle grow + .05 pot + .05 seed = .70 per plant

Example #4 using miracle grow in a (7 gallon pot)
1.22 Miracle Grow + .50 pot + .05 seed = $1.77 per plant

Basically thats as far as i've come for ideas... I'm asking how I should proceed further?

So far the total price for 5,000 plants is as follows

Dirt:
(3 gallon) = $891 for dirt + ($250 pots) + ($250 seeds) = $1,400 for everything (.28 per plant
(7 gallon) = $1,806 for dirt + ($2,500 pots) + ($250 seeds) = $4,550 for everything (.91 per plant)

Miracle Grow:
(3 gallon) = $3,008 miracle grow + ($250 pots) + ($250 seeds) = $3,500 for everything (.70 per plant)
(7 gallon) = $6,096 miracle grow + ($2,500 pots) + ($250 seeds) = $8,850 for everything (1.77 per plant)

I'm probably going to go the example #1 route and do the 3 gallon containers with plain dirt for .28 per plant but was looking for opinions

I think growing in the dirt that is already there might be a better viable option

What steps should I do to make the dirt better to grow?

I was planning on buying some lights to start the seedlings but honestly the weather is so nice here in Florida that I was thinking I would just use the natural sunlight and put them in the house at night because that's the only time it gets cold

the only reasons i wanted to use pots vs the soil already there was a couple of reasons

1.) I could sell the plants as a live plant if anyone wanted it
2.) The dirt cost was relitively cheap to get good dirt and I thought it would use less dirt to put in buckets then to try to spread fertalizer across my whole farm but I could be wrong

3.) I thought it would be easier to transport them or move them if necessary

As far as picking go's... I have 4 family members involved that are willing to help with the picking and packaging

I haven't looked into grand scale de-humidifier yet either but my family is pretty creative so I'm not worried about that part of the process as of now

I'm basically doing this as a "Hobbie" but i'm trying to make profit at the same time

I'm basically just looking at my options... but I think this will be the way i'm going to go is still going to be peppers
and as far as "water" go's... I have a "Free Well Water" system and there is a pond on the property I can use and a river in the back yard lol

I'm not concerned on where to get water... just a water pump and i'm done :)

main cost is still dirt and containers.... I agree though that 3 gallon containers aren't good enough but any bigger option i've found is at least .50 cents each

I saw a nice post earlier about using "walmart recycled cloth bags" at .50 cents each... thats still the cheapest i've found

I'm still just looking for ideas... I might still very easily just plant "in ground"

And I am very worried about "pest control" but I don't know what to do about it either...

I read on another forum that you can purchase "Lady Bugs" that will supposedly protect your garden... they have websites selling lady bugs at like $25 for 5,000+ lady bugs live

I wasn't planning on using any lady bugs... I was just planning on hoping and praying that I don't get disease or infestation... I'm not going to build a greenhouse or anything

If there is a spray or something you recommend I might use it though

The only problem I see so far is that the compost dirt won't be good enough and the 3 gallon pots wont be good enough

Anyone know where I should get my dirt from then? I actually own a dump-truck in Florida so I can really pick it up anywhere in the state

Also "Miracle Grow" is for small scale operation gardening... I realize that, I was just showing the cost difference

If there is some kind of pallet potting mix that is cheaper than miracle grow let me know, I'm all open ears

I'm not worried about PH of the dirt and the sun and wind is fine where my location is... its completely enclosed farmland with trees surrounding it and the sun is good for the plants, right now is almost the season to start, its time for seedlings to start at least and in like 6-8 weeks i'm planning on putting them on the farm land... either in buckets or in the dirt, I haven't decided yet

I could try and do less plants as well, I was just showing that for $1400 bucks I can grow 5,000 plants started in 3 gallon pots of dirt from the area

I could try and grow less plants in a 7 gallon pot instead... for the same cost of $1400 I can grow 1.500 plants in a 7 gallon pot of dirt from the area

Basically after reading your comments and seeing some of the errors in my logistics plan I think I should downgrade to less plants with bigger pots... basically do 1,500 plants instead
I'm going to try 1500 instead and I'm planning on putting them in-ground

I'm going to probably till it by hand, I know it sounds stupid but I have all the time in the world lol

It's for the most part already ready to go... The land i'm using was previously used for farming so there isn't much growing in the area at the moment as far as grass and weeds go

I still have to mow it of course to start... then i'll probably till it somehow, I was thinking i'm going to use my 4 wheeler and put a make-shift plow on the back end of it and just tear everything up as best I can

I haven't ordered the seeds yet either but i'm probably going to do alot less then 5,000

My parents said they would "Invest" in an irrigation for me, but for now i'm not concerned... I have water all around the property and I can pump water all day long if I wanted too

I might just lay hoses across each lane of peppers and have the hoses have holes in them ready to "drip"

I'll try to ask for more help once I get the seedlings started

I'm basically planning on waiting a good 2 weeks before I start the seedlings just because its been reasonably cold at night (60 degrees or less) and its getting nicer every day

I wanted to start sooner with grow lights but I've been working other jobs so I'm waiting to go on this hobby

Also, My family said I should do them in batches 2 weeks at a time (like 350, 350, 350, 350) spread apart so that way when its time to harvest them I have more time to get each row

Do you think thats a good idea? Maybe I should just do 2,000 plants and do them in batches of 500 each or something?

I really do want to get started on this, but again this isn't my main job, its just something I want to have done before I get my cows and pigs next

I just want to do one good crop of peppers then i'm turning it back into a grazing field for my cows

My dad used to be a farmer... so this is not his first rodeo on animals, but this will be my first time growing large scale peppers

I've grown tomatoes on a small scale countless times before though, so it really can't be that hard either

Also... If I grow more peppers than I can pick, i'm not really worried about it either... Its all for fun lol




This is my first time ever trying to garden on a grand scale... Any advice would be appreciated
Click to expand...
 
 
Hmmmmm, review your posts and decide on a plan that isn't so scattered? Decide on details then figure costs for each. Don't depend on family, you may be disappointed. 
 
`
 
Edmick said:
If you're at all handy with a welder you could probably rig up something you could pull behind a vehicle to work the dirt.
Click to expand...
I might just rent something

Or i'm going to weld something to the back of my 4-wheeler like you said

I have 8 weeks to think about it because I have to start the seedlings first

And I found the property has numerous hoses that are hooked up to ground water that just costs the electricity to run... I'm just going to use those spickets and use a "drip system" with hoses ect




Basically I don't think I need too much more advice... You guys already helped me already





1.) plant seedlings
2.) Till the dirt
3.) Plant
4.) Water system for dripping

Wait a few weeks

Picking time

Doesn't seem that hard to me


The only problems I forsee will be bugs and animals


I'm going to make a small "Greenhouse" using seran wrap to guard the seedlings but I think when I plant them it will be out in the open

I'm not expecting this crop to be perfect either... just doing it to see how well it can be done for next year to do better as a learning process



I appreciate you guys telling me to use the dirt that is already there... It makes my initial cost to almost nothing
 
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