It would be most interesting to learn what it costs to grow fig trees in different locations.

Take an example of the following parameters:

1000 trees grown to, and in 1 gallon trade pot
$7.50 base labor (paying yourself and any other friends, family, etc.)
3 acres at prevailing local real estate prices (pricing may be based on a % of 3 acres)
30 days below 32f
Price cuttings at ebay or forum prices (TC trees or liners may be used for pricing)
Prevailing Real estate and sales taxes, licenses, fees, etc.
Insurance (Property, buildings, liability, etc.)
Vehicle ($.52 per mile)
Water
Fertilizer
Grow media
Any other items that I have forgotten(Spouse Cost Manager will remind me)

The results may be a surprise and will probably explain why cuttings are sold as opposed to trees.  It will also explain why more people do not do this for a living.  You might not want your Spouse/SO to see these numbers, LOL

I work 40 hrs a week (Includes 8 hrs sales), 18-20 hrs on figs, balance on other inventory, and I allocate direct and indirect costs accordingly.

You can use this model to price your desired total income from this endeavor (how much you want to make or how much you are willing to lose)

<< You might not want your Spouse/SO to see these numbers, LOL >>

No kidding!  But she's smart enough to do the arithmetic herself.  

Unfortunately, it's more or less the same story with everything I do for fun.  

So it's a good thing she really likes fresh figs, and venison, and striped bass.  She has yet to come up with a good recipe for used tennis balls.

There is very little products or services that it seems worth doing yourself if you only look at the economics.  I continually  look at products and wonder how they can produce and deliver it for that price. I am old school and still try do much myself, but I would be much better off just working my job and paying someone for an item or service. I was just picking citrus yesterday and really don't want to know the actual cost of producing

Danny:

I have Figs, I have other exotic plants, trees and I have lots of bonsai. If I add how much money I have invested in all of them, my wife will sure kill me, LOL.

You got it right, Joe! Figs, venison and striped bass! Perhaps throw in a little upland game and some more variety of fish (fluke, tuna, weaks... even blues for exercise... come to mind)... Add some beautiful persimmon, assorted nuts like castangna, almond, walnut and life is looking kinda of grand.... Unfortunately to live it to its fullest requires a lot.... of grand....   :-)

I think about this every year, never put any numbers to the idea, quickly deduce that I lose all around, then move on. Figs, gardening, bees are a hobby for me - I have sold some things from my hobbies, but never consistently. With everything in my life, including family, I just can't focus that hard on turning a profit (although that would be ideal). My day job pays for the hobbies and my wife just says something like, "At least your not spending your time in bars." So it's all good, I guess :)

The question is how much does it cost to grow a Fig tree, not how much does it cost to grow figs.  I am interested in those that grow trees to sell, either as a hobbyist or a commercial concern.  Good thought, wrong thread, LOL

I like that math Sas! Not that I need a monetary reason to grow more trees. Growing things feeds my soul and that is good enough for me.

Wendy,

I removed my math thought, I was in the wrong place:)

Thanks, thought for a minute I imagined your post when it was gone by the time I posted. I'm not loosing it...well at least not yet. :-)

There are many things in life that are not even worth calculating their cost. Relationships, safety, education, freedom, and figs are a few that come to mind ;-)

Interesting question got me thinking..lol

As a hobby growing figs is like any other hobby uses up your spare time and you buy new figs and materials with your spending money that would have been spent on some other leisure activity. 
The richer you are the bigger your hobby.

Thanks, Joe... A nice buck for public land in NYS... I got trail camera photos of his brother or father the next year that was way bigger.... Mine taped 146"+ green and the brother / father I estimated via close up inspection of photos at about 180-185"... far as I know, that big guy is still on his feet....

lol... never gets crowded where I go... not too many folks want to put in the work needed to hike several miles into the mountains and away from roads to hunt... NY is full of road warriors....

I don't see many nurseries selling figs for less than $20. That would be for varieties that aren't rare. So their cost of production would probably be in the range of $10-15, maybe even as low as $7-10. But when you figure in everything between having a plant ready for sale and making good on people that kill their tree and want a replacement, their actual profit is probably a couple bucks. That would put cost at $15-18 per plant.

And individual can't do a 1,000 at those prices unless they charge next to nothing for their labor. Realistically an individual would need $30-40 per plant to make any real profit. Selling 1,000 per yr at $40 equals 40K gross. Return to labor might be half that. But how would a person sell 1,000 trees at $40? You'll kill yourself trying to do that on Ebay.

Danny,

We are thinking very similar this time of year, it must be because it is tax season.

Nursery licence in Texas 10 acres or less = $110/ annually 

I'm assuming all cuttings are from own trees, with 30% not making it to 6 months.

Water is very hard for me to calculate, I am on "city" water. As you are well aware of, in Texas for a minimum of 4 months I water everyday (one gallon or similar pots). My best guess would be minimum a quart a day per 1 gallon pot.

I also fertigate with 3/4-1 tsp MG All purpose + 1/4 tsp MgSO4 per gallon of water all potted plants.  Looking into hopefully cheaper fertilizer in bulk.

One gallon pots ~$0.30 each.

Media, if using straight pine bark compost ~$0.13 each pot.  Way, way more if your using ProMix.

Dolomite, 1 Tablespoon per gallon ~$4.00 per 20# bag, I don't know how many Tbls per bag...yet.

I'm not counting electricity for grow lights, heating, etc.  Not counting Ebay, PayPal fees, Fuel to acquire supplies, or to drive to market, Post office. 

Not counting labor (exercise routine?) I'm thinking costs are somewhere in the ballpark of $5.50-6 dollars a tree...minimum.

But more realistic once H2O, electricity, etc. $9-10 dollars a tree.  (I'm still not counting labor, b/c I have no idea how much time is actually invested)  Selling cuttings is more profitable IMHO.

BTW market fig tree prices are plummeting, I suspect soon only the very newest (which will constantly change from year to year) will go for over $20.

What's money amongst friends, right?

A lot of your expenses can be avoided if you are growing them on the same property that you live on.  If you have the room that saves a lot of money.   You can grow a lot of 1 gallon trees in a fairly small area.  Also, if you live in an area with mild winters you can grow trees in the ground where you will have a cheap supply of cuttings.

This model is for 1000 trees in 1gal trade pots.

Your point is a good one on the co-location of residence and growing plot but the in-ground trees do not apply, though the sale of cuttings and figs would help in offsetting costs.

The way to do it cheap is get them started and give a bunch away to the people living nearby and tell them to remember you when they start making figs.  Then you will have a never ending supply of free figs, fig jam, fig cakes. You will also have never ending supply of limbs to air layer, just stop by and stick one on and come get it in a couple months.  They won't mind.  You should also offer free pruning services and of course you will remove the brush.    

Excellent point, Charlie. That's what I do. Most people appreciate you caring about the maintenance of their tree.