Ranunculus Cut Flower Production Budget, One High Tunnel, Northern Utah, 2022 Shannon Rauter, Melanie Stock, and Ruby Ward This budget contains costs (preplant and site preparation, establishment and maintenance, and harvest and processing) and returns for the production and sale of ranunculus cut flowers that were grown in a high tunnel (14 feet by 40 feet). Production methods, yield, costs, and pricing were determined from Utah State University (USU) research trials, as well as feedback from Northern Utah producers. The costs and returns represent typical production in Northern Utah but should be adjusted where necessary for individual situations. Site selection, tunnel use, variety, harvest timing, pest management, and other practices will impact costs and returns to a cut-flower operation.
Farm and Production System
This publication assumes the use of one 14’ x 40’ high tunnel (see Black et al., 2008) with two beds, each 4’ x 36’ and 6.5’ apart from center to center (i.e., 288 ft2 of total production space), using color mixes of ‘Amandine’ and ‘LaBelle’ ranunculus planted in native soil with drip irrigation. Ranunculus tuberous roots (TRs) were soaked in water for 3 hrs and fungicide for an additional 20 minutes, before being ‘presprouted’ (established in trays of moist potting mix for 2 weeks) and planted in November. A high tunnel this size uses less than 2% of one acre and is assumed to be on land already owned. However, $45 is used as a proxy for the land cost (1% of a $4,550 per acre lease) with the assumption that urban land rental is greater than rural (USDA-NASS, 2022).
Crop Pricing
Stem pricing was calculated based on wholesale market testing conducted with florists across Cache Valley and
the Wasatch Front from April through July of 2021 and 2022. Average prices were used to calculate revenues in Table 1. High-quality, marketable stems were sold in bundles of 10 stems for $15.00 ($1.50 per stem). Stems were harvested when fully colored at the ‘marshmallow’ stage and graded as marketable when they were at least 10 inches long, straight, and undamaged. Cull stems were shorter than 10 inches, deformed, or damaged. Stems were sold through a local cut flower co-op located approximately five miles from the farm for a fee of 30% of revenue, which is calculated as 100% of marketable stems sold. The co-op fee and labor and mileage for delivery to the co-op are included in budget expenses.
Calculated Yield
A yield of six marketable stems per plant was scaled to account for 994 plants in the high tunnel at a 6”x6” spacing across a 288 ft2 space, resulting in 5,964 stems (596 bunches) across a 10-week harvest period. This yield represents a consistent, mid-range yield from USU trials, though ranunculus yields can be highly variable, with reported marketable yields ranging from 2 to 12 stems per plant (Bernstein et al., 2008; Wien, 2014). Local grower feedback indicates yields up to 14 marketable stems per plant are attainable with ideal conditions and management.
Supplies
Production supply costs were based on average prices available in Logan, UT, and online in summer 2022, and may vary across regions, suppliers, and time. All supplies must be purchased in year 1, but many last
USU Extension Publication | September 2022 | CutFlower/01
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