If you want to start a business and you’re curious about how much does a small family greenhouse business make, well, it’s ranging from $ 3,000 to $ 6,000 a year.
With the increasing trend for fresh herbs and vegetables that are produced locally, this profit estimate will most likely raise. Therefore, if you are a small greenhouse grower, you can take advantage of this rising demand.
You can take your passion for gardening as an income-generating hobby. Whether you are from the cities, suburbs, or the country, one thing is for sure, and that is there is profit in greenhouses. Just select a profitable greenhouse crop and keep the extra income coming.
In this article, we will list some of the common greenhouse crops that you can grow and how much you can make. Read on and evaluate the most profitable crop you can grow in your small family greenhouse.
Earnings In A Small Family Greenhouse Business
One of the most important steps in generating income from your greenhouse is the crop selection. If you are starting, it is best to begin with, crops that can thrive in a greenhouse environment.
In this section, you will understand how much does a small family greenhouse business make according to crops produced. These are some of the profitable crops that you can grow.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are easy to grow; they bear a lot of fruits from a few plants, making it the most common greenhouse crop. Since the greenhouse provides a better temperature, it is easier to get a good yield.
For a small family greenhouse, a bush variety of tomatoes are best. You can grow at least 250 tomatoes in an area of 12 x 18 feet. Are you excited to know about how much does a small family greenhouse business make?
Well, if you do it right, you can harvest about 5000 pounds of tomatoes in a season. This will generate a profit of about $2500 to $3000 per season.
If you are producing organic tomatoes, it can be sold at a higher premium, thereby generating up to $5000 per season. This is a huge income from a relatively small farm.
Lettuce
This plant is perfect for a small family greenhouse because it is easy to grow and can be very productive in a limited space. Also, since it is pest and disease resistant, you can generate a high volume of quality crops. The field yield of lettuce differs on the variety and how it is grown.
The main question is, how much does a small family greenhouse business make when lettuce is grown?
You can produce about 1000 heads of lettuce in a 288 sq. ft. greenhouse from field-grown lettuce. Since medium size lettuce weighs about 1 pound, this can generate about $1300 per harvest.
For heading lettuce, it takes about 75-100 days to mature depending on the variety. Therefore, a profit of $4000 to 5000 can be gained per year. If you are growing looseleaf, you can pick 7 to 8 times a year. This can give you a $9000-$10000 profit a year if grown properly.
If you grow your lettuce with hydroponics, it can increase the packing capacity of the greenhouse. This will allow you to grow about 25 heads per square foot. Aside from the increasing amount of produce, it can also lower your cost, which means great profit for you.
Pepper
Ripe bell peppers are a popular choice for greenhouse crops because it is more sustainable and organic. The fruit produce of pepper depends on some factors such as location, growing season, trellis system, irrigation, fertilizer, and cultivar.
Potential yield of up to 4 pounds per square foot can be achieved in a well-maintained greenhouse. Therefore, in a small family greenhouse of 288 square feet, you can reap about 1100 per season.
The most common greenhouse peppers are the sweet bell peppers. It comes in an array of color varieties such as green, orange, yellow, and red. For bell peppers, you can profit from about $2000 to $3000 per year.
Just come to imagine how much does a small family greenhouse business can make with peppers.
Chilli peppers are also a choice for greenhouse crops. A greenhouse helps develop its heat, taste, and flavor, making it an ideal choice for growing. Chilli pepper could give you an extra income of $1500 to $2500 annually.
With this amount of income that peppers can make, it is one of the best choices for your greenhouse.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers can make fruits continually like tomatoes making it ideal to be grown in a greenhouse. If you choose the greenhouse cucumber variety, you are sure of proper growth and quality products from your crop.
You can grow about two cucumbers per square foot. Therefore, you can plant about 500 in a small family greenhouse, which can yield an estimated 2000 pounds of cucumber.
So, how much does a small family greenhouse business make if you opt for cucumber? This can sell up to $800 in one cropping.
Cucumbers are an annual plant, which means they do not regenerate after the growing season. Since they require a long growing time of 50 to 70 days, you can only harvest 5 to 7 times a year. At this rate, you can generate an income of $4000 to $5000.
Ideally, cucumbers thrive in 24 to 30 degrees Celsius in which may require a heater, especially during the cold season. You can use different steps to protect cucumbers, such as plant variety and planting schedules.
Conclusion
Growing crops in a greenhouse require an extra effort in keeping the cost of maintenance low to prevent loss. Greenhouse growers guarantee the income that you can generate from growing these crops even in your small family greenhouse.