Reality Check

This is my first year having the greenhouse here in early spring. Throughout the winter I had visions of pure joy this season starting seeds both downstairs in my grow room and in the greenhouse. I was going to have so much room I could double my quantities with room to spare. Reality struck.

My first "ah ha" moment was when we actually started using the Modine heater in the greenhouse around mid-March. Night after night the dollar signs were overshadowing my prior visions of greenhouse bliss. The stress of storms, blown fuses, and running out of propane has literally robbed me of sleep for the entire spring season. Keeping temperatures cooler to help with the cost of propane is robbing my seedlings of those much-needed warmer temps to thrive. My calculations thus far are approximately $1k in fuel for 1 month and we still have nighttime temperatures in the low 30's in our ten-day forecast.

I must keep moving forward. I'm out of room, I'm moving plants out earlier then they'd like, and new trays of seedlings are popping faster than I can count. Vine crops, and thousands of zinnias are overtaking the grow room as I type. This is the last round of seeds to be sown until succession planting seeds need to be started. Thank goodness.

So, when I see all these growers unloading their plugs of healthy seedlings - I get it now. The cost of one month of propane (and still counting), furnace repairs, soil, and seeds would have allowed me to purchase some amazing plugs - healthy and delivered right to my door.

It will be interesting when I have time to sit and run the numbers as to whether or not I will come out with a profit this spring. Perhaps the answer will help me "choose a lane" for the future.