Investment?

Random question(also, new so don't kill me here) -
How much have you spent/invested on your grow operation? I'm a single plant kinda gal but looking @ going bigger and wanted some kind of idea about $$...

ETA how many ladies do you have the care and feeding of, for that amount of money?

Probably around 600 total..

3000 + a little, but it paid for it self. in about a year.

That's the idea. I've got space and the know-how but been holding off on spending more - first it's hard to spend a lot up front, second I'm trying to walk the line between spending shit tons on gadgetry vs going cheap and not having flowers

What is your budget and what are your expectations?

how much do you want to end up with per harvest, how many grows do you want to do per year?

limitations? space, security issues?

Budget is up in the air for now...less spending is better, but its an investmet so I want to so it right. But I also don't want to jump in and start setting up only to find I don't have the money to finish it.

Currently have a wide open space with no windows, good ventilation options and an air filter, but no draft, and minimal security issues - live with a friend in the middle of nowhereville NY.

I'd love to see it pay for itself plus some, so as long as the output can cover my input, I'm happy. Right now I have a minor crop of three plants that I force into flowering and then propagate for a new generation, I'd say overall I have a real harvest five times per year. With more plants, that would be a do-able number - or I'd go fewer harvests, because I'm figuring with more plants I won't be able to specifically tweak the lighting and humidity like I do now for each one.

sorry if this is too much or not enough info - I'm new to forums in general and this one in particular

The more research you do now, the less money it will cost you in the long run (repurchasing crap, screw ups, ect.).

I usually run one plant at a time scrogged in a 2x4 with a 600w. It cost around ~$800 for everything. It pulls 16 to 24 ounces of some really good bud every three months out of it. So yeah, it payed for itself quite a few times over it's first run.

Think of it this way,
say you spend $50 a week on smoke (x) 52weeks = $2600 a year. Don't forget about that part of your investment.
have a plan, write down what you absolutely need to start, then add on until your finished. May take a year to get totally set up, but that's cool. Your not buying weed any more its a huge savings every year.

About 100 bucks, outside of a few things I already had like a laptop cooler I converted for exhaust and a few lamps that 'disappeared' from around the house.. if you know what I mean.. and I think that you do.. I also kiped a few of the aquarium supplys like the PH tester and some activated charcoal.. If I had to buy everything from scratch, 150 or so.

Did what I needed ...

T.Huxley said:

Probably around 600 total..

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topfuel29 said:

3000 + a little, but it paid for it self. in about a year.

Click to expand...

Man you guys must have ahellava grow rooms/houses. You must be using HIDs, did you add the electric bill in with that...lol..I'm a CFLer, but gona get a 400w HPS for my new flower room, but even with that I'll only be at $350, But I am planning a perpetual grow so I have my smoke at all times, of course the only pay back I want is some consitantly nice buds...not sellin shit..lol

Forgot to say.. the 'investment' paid off in spades.. ounces and ounces of good top notch grass over about a years time and my only upkeep was extra soil.. Everything else I get from around the house.. h202, alcohol, etc.. I did get regular bloom food but other than that the regular plant food the wife uses is perfect for veg and into flower.

My 150 dollars saved me from purchasing the equivalent of thousands of dollars worth of 'street' grass, and I knew it was clean of any pesticide or mold. I never had to have one person in or out of my house.. when I needed grass it was always there and I still have plenty for later until I grow again next time (summer .. loves me some natural sunlight now and then)...

It wasn't the prettiest of investments, but it certainly paid for it's self many times over. I rather love the new configuration when I get back to it.

topfuel29 said:

Think of it this way,
say you spend $50 a week on smoke (x) 52weeks = $2600 a year. Don't forget about that part of your investment.
have a plan, write down what you absolutely need to start, then add on until your finished. May take a year to get totally set up, but that's cool. Your not buying weed any more its a huge savings every year.

Click to expand...

I hear ya topfuel, how about 350 every 3 weeks, the wife and I like the good stuff...ALOT!!! Do you know how much I'll save..ALOT!!! lmao

I have about $700 invested total...and I as well started my grow to save the $50 week in and week out.
400W MH for veg ($200)
600W HPS flower($220)
Amazon was the cheapest place I found to buy a full light setup... hood enclosure and everything all in one.
http://www.amazon.com/iPower-Premium-Dimmable-Digital-Reflector/dp/B002TNDCVK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362803863&sr=8-2&keywords=600W+MH+HPS+power

fans and humidifiers in both rooms. (about $100)
both lights are vented out via duct work and a booster fan ($50)

$100 in seeds from Seeds of Seeds
Fox Farm nutrients.. ($45)
soil, peralite, vermiculite, worm castings, potassium silicate, and a few other random soil additives. ($50)

I did mine is perpetual for personal use.. so I sprout about 2 new plants every week and a half or so..
hoping to harvest one to two plants every two weeks for as long as humanly possible!!

I currently have 7 under the veg light...and 3 under the flowering light...
in two weeks that will change to 7 veg and 5 in flower....
I think my max for flowering is about 6-7 plants... veg I cram a few more because you can sprout in smaller pots

let us know what you do....it's always exciting when someone sets up a new womb for the tree of life!

I went with LED so my setup is a little more expensive upfront. i have a tent 2x3x5.3 carbon filter 4" fan 2 180w led panels and 2 39w 3" t5 HO tubes. currently growing 4 plants and a small flower garden for my wife. put about 900$ into it so far i think.

RIKNSTEIN said:

Man you guys must have ahellava grow rooms/houses. You must be using HIDs, did you add the electric bill in with that...lol..I'm a CFLer, but gona get a 400w HPS for my new flower room, but even with that I'll only be at $350, But I am planning a perpetual grow so I have my smoke at all times, of course the only pay back I want is some consitantly nice buds...not sellin shit..lol

Click to expand...

I built 2 rooms side by side in the basement. It has it own wiring for each room. 2200 watts all cool tubes in the flower, 1050 watts in veg. Plus 2 4x4 fluorescent lights. 2 can fans, RO/DI system. Built in A/C, lots of work and lots of money. My next project is to drywall the inside of the rooms and just paint them white. I have Mylar right now, its hard to clean and tears easy. Yep the power is expensive, but I can grow 50 plants, 25 veg 25 flower. It pays for itself.

6-700 overall. I usually grow 4 or 5 plants at a time.

Six 600 watt ballasts-Three 400 watt ballasts each with reflectors, half open-wing half air-cooled. Eight inline fans. Five osculating fans, 4 slim tower fans. Couple dozen smart pots and large deep dish saucers. 6 months of nutes and additives, replaced most about 4-5 times. Wood, panda film, screws, tape, plant tape, ect. Soil, perlite, worm castings, lime and ect. Other ect. Ect. Ect. Maybe 30-40 bulbs. It adds up. But all of that and everything I'm forgetting pays itself off in a single harvest.
Once you get to where want items like ballasts, fans and reflectors have a good 5+ years of life not counting bulbs, but your main expenses after you have it the way you want it is soil, nutes, bulbs, seeds(can be solved by cloning) and of course electricity. But things are always changing and new tech is slowly coming out. So unless you are very meticulous with all of your purchases it's near impossible to give an accurate price of everything paid. So many factors and each person replaces their equipment at different rates, gets better deals and some buy cheap shit others quality.
I think in 2 years of straight growing, just got my perpetual where I want it last harvest(harvest every 25-35 days) I've spent an easy 3,500 or more, a little over half of what I can make on a single harvest.

You use what you got. My first grow I had a hand-me-down magnetic 400 with a bag of year old cheap bulbs and a reflector that had rust on it, drywall buckets filled with backyard dirt and a single floor fan with no filters, intake or exhausts. Like with any hobby or love you build it up over time according to your ability and needs. Don't let your hand exceed your grasp.

If youre going to do it, do it right. Especially if it is illegal in your State. Why half-ass a risk of a felony conviction?

$600 is not a lot. That is what I would expect to spend on a decent 3 or 4 plant grow.

2000-2500 ($100/month electricity) but it paid for itself in 3 months

I spent 350. I'm on my 1st grow and I only grow 1 plant for personal. I have a 150 hps for flower a 135 UFO for veg a grow tent and some soil. I'll up it probably to 2 plants but thats about it. lol I might put a tomato plant in there too