Last year, I had so many leftover plants last year, I ended giving a lot away. So this year, I started some seeds for friends, too; and they've offered to trade plants or possibly money for my efforts. It's been difficult trying to decide how much to "charge" them. I'm not in it for the money, so I should only charge them as much as it costs in materials and perhaps energy. But what about things like shipping and handling (I buy seeds online); seedling trays and similar materials; electricity and materials for the light stand I rigged up (considering both of my friends have access to a similar light system of their own!); fertiliser; seeds that fail to germinate...?
In the end I decided that, for these large plants, I would consider the following:
- Seed: 5 cents each, but assuming a germination rate of 2/3 seeds, this means 8 cents
- Cocopeat growing medium: 15 cents (roughly)
- Fertiliser: 2 cents (SWAG)
- Miscellaneous (cinnamon and chamomile for fungus control, materials to fix broken things, ...): 5 cents (SWAG)
which means 30 cents per plant.
I think this actually works out to be a "competitive market price". I think I remember seeing plants at Canadian Tire for a few dollars for a 6-pack of small cells.
Of course, this is arguable; there's a highly reputed organic nursery that charges much more, but has much better quality than say Canadian Tire or SuperStore. I grow my plants mostly-organically. I use organic methods whenever feasible (fertiliser and pest/disease control), but don't buy certified organic seeds nor soil. I put a fair bit of time and love into them. To harden them off, I pet them, put a fan on them and haul them outdoors and indoors, rotating the trays every few hours... I don't want to charge money for a labour of love. In any case, I replied to one friend, "If you'd like to contribute, I've worked out that it costs me roughly 30 cents of materials (seed, soil, feed) per plant." She can decide herself how much she'd like to contribute. As for the other friend, we've tentatively agreed to trade some plants, since she's starting some herself, too.
This year, I used only cocopeat as my starting medium. This means I'll have to feed my seedlings fertiliser right from the start. I've also sown seeds in plastic tubs from yogurt and margarine, with a few drainage holes poked into the bottom with a thumb tack. We'll see how those work.
I also sprinkled a little cinnamon onto the surface of the cocopeat. I've read that this helps prevent damping off (sources: here and here).And I've put a thermometer nearby to get an idea what temperature my plants sit at. I think I may also water with slightly warmed water, too. It looks like the ambient temperature's usually just under 20C.
(This thermometer has a magnet on the back and cost under $3 at Home Depot. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it's a lot better than relying on the house central thermostat!)
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