Grow on a Budget
Oscillating Fan
Adding air circulation within your tent will help prevent pests and pathogens . It will also encourage your plants to grow stronger stems and branches . Product : Secret Jardin Monkey Fan ( 20W ) MSRP : $ 35.95
Grow Light
You ’ ll need a light with enough intensity to cover the area within your grow tent and provide decent canopy penetration . We ’ d recommend an LED to keep electrical costs at a minimum and temperatures under control . Product : MarsHydro TSW-2000 ( 300W ) MSRP : $ 259.99
Timer
A basic analog outlet timer can be used to keep your lights running an 18ON / 6OFF schedule for propagation and vegetative growth and a 12ON / 12OFF schedule for flowering . Product : AutoPilot Analog Timer MSRP : $ 15.95
Seed Sprouting Kit
Use a small humidity dome to sprout your seeds . Once you see green leaves emerge , remove the lid and continue watering for a week before transferring the seedlings into larger containers . Product : Mini Humidity Dome . MSRP : $ 3.95
Containers
3-gallon fabric pots will provide ample space for root growth , drainage , and oxygenation of the soil . Product : Gro Pro 3-Gallon Fabric Pots ( x4 ). MSRP : $ 11.80
Plastic Saucers
Place plastic saucers underneath each fabric pot to prevent runoff during watering from making a mess . Product : Gro Pro Clear Plastic Saucers ( x4 ). MSRP : $ 7.80
Grow Media
Growing your plants in living soil will provide much of the nutrition they require for the first 4-5 weeks of their life . Product : FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Mix ( 1.5 cu ft ) ( x2 ). MSRP : $ 43.90
Nutrients
As your plants begin to flower , they ’ ll start requiring nutrition beyond what ’ s available in the soil . Supplement that need with a basic one-part liquid bloom nutrient . Product : General Hydroponics FloraNova Bloom ( 1pt ). MSRP : $ 15.95
Total Cost vs . Expected Yield
You ’ ve now spent a total of $ 499.28 ( before tax ) to acquire the necessary equipment to grow four plants from seed to harvest . Conservatively , the setup you just purchased could produce two ounces of dried flower per plant ( eight ounces total ) within 14 weeks . What about electrical costs ? During that time , you ran your light for 18 hours / day for 42 days and 12 hours / day for 56 days . You ran your oscillating fan for 24 hours / day for all 98 days . At $ 0.12 / kWh ( average residential electricity cost in Kansas City ), electrical usage costs you approximately $ 57.05 .
That puts the total cost of production for your first grow at $ 556.33 . That ’ s $ 2.45 per gram , $ 69.54 per ounce , or $ 1,112.64 per pound .
Let ’ s then assume you repeat the exact same process two more times throughout the year , giving you three complete grows annually . Each subsequent round producing eight ounces would only cost $ 43.90 in grow media , $ 15.95 in nutrients , and $ 57.05 in electricity for a total of $ 116.90 . You ’ ve already paid the up-front cost for most of your equipment , so now you ’ re producing for $ 0.52 per gram , $ 14.61 per ounce , or $ 233.80 per pound .
Let ’ s go one more step . After just one year of growing , you ’ ve completed three full cycles and produced 1.5 pounds of bud for $ 790.13 .
What Am I Missing ?
To be honest , a ton of stuff , but not in a bad way . You can add inline fans and filters , grow hydroponically , build your own soil , run a perpetual harvest , start dialing in your nutri- ent regimen — the possibilities are endless , and the learning never stops ! You can spend a lot more money to increase your yield per dollar . You can also spend less money and increase your yield per dollar . I repeat — this is just a baseline — a starting point for the first-time grower who is on a budget and wants to know what they can produce with limited resources . The point is , for less than $ 500 of initial investment and less than $ 800 over a year , you can produce 1.5 pounds of medicine in a 3 ’ x 3 ’ space .
The Elephant in the ( Grow ) Room
You ’ re asking it . Even I ’ m asking it . Why would you ever purchase from a dispensary if you can grow your own for those prices ? Simply put , convenience and variety . Growing takes time , space , effort , and patience . I can grow my own peppers , but sometimes I want a different variety . Sometimes I lose a harvest . Sometimes I simply run out . When that happens , I go to the grocery store and buy peppers . Yeah , I kick myself for not having produced them on my own , but I still appreciate that they ’ re available and solve my immediate need . I look at dispensaries the same way . And for the individual who doesn ’ t have good knowledge about medical uses of cannabis and the time or space to grow on their own , dispensaries and caregivers are excellent options .
Grow on a Budget
This isn ’ t intended to be a testimonial to growing at home versus purchasing from a dispensary . Rather , I hope it can be a starting point for patients attempting to understand the economics behind growing their own medicine . Growing your own takes time , and one must love gardening to grow well .
Enjoy the adventure !
For more information about YRG , visit
www . year-roundgarden . com or call 816.216.6917 and be sure to tell them The EVOLUTION Magazine sent you .
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