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Geranium Cutting Production
and 4 in. Pots from Unrooted Cuttings
Greenhouse Costs of Production Budget

Table A: Geranium Cutting Production Costs1

Item Dollars per Pot
Variable Costs  
Fertilizer $ 0.559 
Insecticide $ 0.160 
Fungicide $ 0.037 
Root Medium $ 0.109 
Rooted Cuttings $ 0.011 
6" Plastic Pot $ 0.003 
Labor2  $ 0.294 
Sub-Total $ 1.173 
Interest on Materials and Labor $ 0.035 
Total Variable Costs $ 1.208 
Overhead Costs3  $ 0.824 
Loss Allocation4  $ 0.107 
Total Cost Per Plant $ 2.139 
Total Cost Per Cutting (12 cuttings per plant) $ 0.179 

1 Time: 16 weeks; spacing 6"x6".
2 See Table A1 for more detail.
3 Based on 16 wks. of production and one wk. harvest. See Table A2 for more detail.
4 Based on 5% of total production.

Table A1: Labor Inputs for Geranium Cutting Production1

Task Seconds per Pot / Dollars per Pot 
Planting 20.7 / $0.045
Irrigate and Fertilize 19.0 / $0.042
Spray Florel 0.80 / $0.001
Clean Plants and Apply Insecticide 24.0 / $0.052
Harvest and Treat Botrytis 70.9 / $0.154
Total 135.4 / $0.294

1 Time: 16 weeks; spacing 6" by 6".

Table A2: Overhead Costs1

Item Annual Total/Cost per sq.ft.-week of Bench
Overhead Labor & Benefits $60,000 / $ 0.075 
Utilities  
Heating Fuel (13,140 gal.) 13,420 / 0.017 
Electricity 1,843 / 0.002 
Telephone 1,212 / 0.002 
Depreciation 23,887 / 0.030 
Interest 14,848 / 0.019 
Insurance 4,621 / 0.006 
Repairs 11,818 / 0.015 
Property Taxes 732 / 0.001 
Advertising 682 / 0.001 
Dues & Subscriptions 328 / 0.000 
Travel & Entertainment 1,616 / 0.002 
Office Expenses 758 / 0.001 
Professional Fees 960 / 0.001 
Truck Expenses & Equipment Rental 13,333 / 0.017 
Land Rental 1,490 / 0.002 
Contributions 379 / 0.000 
Miscellaneous 2,651 / 0.003 
Bad Debts 631 / 0.001 
Total $155,208 / $0.194 

1 20,000 sq.ft., double layer, polyethylene greenhouse.

Table B: Production Costs per 4" Pot from Unrooted Cuttings.

Item Dollars per Pot
Variable Costs  
Fertilizer $ 0.013 
Insecticide $ 0.001 
Fungicide $ 0.003 
Unrooted Cutting $ 0.240 
Oasis Rootcube $ 0.023 
4-inch Plastic Pot $ 0.074 
Rooting Medium $ 0.037 
Labor 1  $ 0.159 
Interest on Materials and Labor $ 0.025 
Total Variable Costs $ 0.575 
Overhead Costs 2  $ 0.257 
Loss Allocation 3  $ 0.044 
Total Costs per Plant $ 0.876 

1 See Table B1 for more details.
2 See Table A2 for more details.
3 Based on 5% of total production.

Table B1: Labor Inputs per 4" Pot from Unrooted Cuttings

Task Seconds per Pot/Dollars per Pot
Stick Cuttings 15.0/$0.033
Pot 5.5/$0.034
Irrigate and Fertilize 14.6/$0.032
Apply Pesticide 3.3/$0.008
Harvest 23.7/$0.052
Total 62.1/$0.159
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