What to consider for your Hydroponic Budget

If you're trying to figure out how much money it's going to cost you to grow hydroponic crops, figuring out a beginning budget can be hard. There are all kinds of special factors and unknowns that can throw you off. But you can also get a ballpark estimate by looking at what other growers do, and what kinds of things you need for a hydroponics system.

Basic Grow Area or Grow Box

Lots of growers start out with a full hydroponic kit that includes most of the things that they need for managing plant growth -- this includes lighting, some types of ventilation, plant pots and some system for irrigation. In many cases, these are small closed grow boxes that are sealed from the exterior environment.

One of these boxes or systems can run you from about $500 up to $1000 or more. However, they don't often exceed a couple of thousand dollars, and these are, in many cases, the largest cost of your grow.

Additional Supplies

You're also going to need some accessories and supplies. If your kit did not come with nutrients, you'll have to buy them separately, or you may need a larger stock of nutrients. You might want to get additional carbon dioxide tools to micromanage the plant environment. You'll probably need some pruning equipment and gloves and goggles and other personal care. All of this can run several hundred dollars in addition to what you pay for the basic hydroponic kit.

Power Supply

In general, you're going to be paying a certain amount for the power that you use to sustain your hydroponic plants. In most cases, this is connected to the electrical grid, so you can factor in about $50 on your electric bill for every five or six plants grown. This is just a very loose ballpark figure, but it takes into account the energy that is often needed to run lights for light/dark cycles, and to operate the system to bring nutrient-rich water to plant roots and back into the reservoir.

Maintenance Costs

As you continue to grow, things are going to happen. Light bulbs may burn out. Plant pots may become dirty or otherwise compromised, and you may new ones. You'll be buying things like sterile media and yes, more nutrients. You may also need additional supplies for the flowering phase to get plants to harvest quicker or otherwise manipulate growth.

All of these are common costs in hydroponics. Check out Dealzer for a retailer that can offer you deals on the things that you need to get started today.