Posted on 04/05/2010 11:30:57 AM PDT by Graybeard58
With today’s tight economy, everyone is looking for ways to cut expenses. Growing a garden has the potential to reduce the amount of money spent on groceries. But this “potential” depends on the costs involved in growing the crops, types and amounts of vegetables grown, yields that are derived from the garden, and other factors. So, the answer to the above question is “yes” – if done correctly.
It’s possible to spend a small fortune on a garden. The humorous book, "The $64 Tomato" by William Alexander, discusses one man’s quest for the perfect garden and how it ended up costing him $64 per tomato (among other things). This astonishing figure is the result of all of the input costs (tools and equipment, fertilizers, pesticides, water, etc.) associated with gardening. These costs can add up quickly, even for a small vegetable garden. The trick to saving money with a vegetable garden is limiting the costs while maximizing yield.
While saving money may be one of the benefits to growing a vegetable garden – let’s not forget that there are others as well. Gardens are a potential means to increase our confidence in food safety and security. We know where the food is coming from and all the history of plants grown in our own gardens. We know what chemicals were used, we know what pests were problems and we essentially eliminated the whole resource-gobbling transportation chain to get the food to your plate. And all that gardening is good for you. It is a great form of physical exercise, and I haven’t met a nutritionist yet who didn’t think that fresh produce was “good for you” too!
So, growing your own vegetables can be rewarding, regardless of the potential savings. But with a few tips, it can save you some money on a grocery bill or two. First – you have to know a couple of basics of growing vegetables.
Vegetable Growing Basics
There are a wide variety of vegetables that can be successfully grown in Iowa. As I walk through the produce section of my grocery store, there are only a few things I see that are difficult to grow in Iowa. The location of the vegetable garden is crucial. Nearly all vegetables need full-sun and a well-drained soil. The vegetable garden also should be located near a source of water. Iowa’s climate allows production of both cool and warm season vegetables.
Cool season vegetables (carrots, beets, lettuce, cauliflower, etc.) are planted in early spring and harvested by mid-summer. Warm season vegetables (tomatoes, pepper, eggplant, squash, etc.) are planted after the danger of frost has passed and harvested by early fall. With proper planning, it’s possible to grow two or three crops in a given area during the growing season. Using the same space for two or more crops is called succession planting. Other techniques, such as interplanting and companion planting, are other ways to make efficient use of garden space. The more efficiently you use garden space and resources the larger the potential savings.
Below are several other important factors to consider when growing a vegetable garden to save you money.
Select vegetables that you like. This is simple – you’re not likely to take care of …or eat things you don’t like. So don’t waste your time or money planting them in the garden.
Select vegetables that can be easily stored or preserved. Selecting vegetables that have a long storage life or that can easily be canned or frozen is a great way to stretch your grocery dollar. Potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, and winter squash can be stored for several months when stored at the appropriate temperature. Other vegetables, like beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and sweet corn, can be preserved by canning or freezing. Preserving vegetables is a great way to enjoy the “extra” produce later in the year.
Select vegetables that are expensive to buy in the grocery store. To save money, grow more expensive items, like tomatoes and melons, or large quantities of vegetables that you purchase regularly. Consider vegetables like beans, beets, onions, spinach, broccoli, peppers, carrots, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, peas, and Swiss chard. These vegetables provide the biggest returns on your investment of space and time in the garden.
Do some research and start with a plan. Decide what you want to grow and determine what will be necessary to be successful. Plan the garden on paper first. Establish a network of family members, neighbors, or friends that can help you answer your questions. Don’t forget about your local county extension office. There are more than 20 vegetable gardening publications from Iowa State University Extension that can help you (see table below). Each of these can be picked up at your county extension office. They can also be ordered or downloaded online at www.extension.iastate.edu/store. County extension offices are also the meeting centers for Master Gardeners – many of whom have the knowledge and experience to keep your garden growing successfully.
Research and consider ways to reduce your inputs. Collect rainwater for irrigation. Add compost and well-rotted manure to the garden to improve the soil and reduce the use of fertilizers. Practice the principles of Integrated Pest Management to control insects and diseases, reducing your reliance on pesticides. Start with high quality seeds – most are relatively inexpensive, and most can be stored for at least one or two years. Find ways to reuse containers, flats, stakes, ties, etc. Remember that saving money with vegetables usually means keeping the costs as low as possible while still growing productive plants.
Start small. Like many things, gardening takes practice. Plants will require regular watering, maintenance and harvesting. Growing many different vegetables in a large garden can be overwhelming for new gardeners and can ultimately lead to failure. Limit yourself to just a few types of vegetables the first year. When you become more confident in your abilities and resources, you can increase the size of your vegetable garden and grow a wider variety of crops.
Finally, have fun growing your own vegetables. Encourage your neighbors to grow a few vegetables as well. Visit each other’s gardens and trade “extra produce” regularly. It’s surprising how something as simple as a vegetable garden can impact your life...and hopefully your pocketbook as well!
Neither does my wife.
That's where "city mouse" cousins come in handy! (Knew they had to be good for something!)
Fortunately as a guy, I'm old enough to ask (or even BUY them at the Dollar Store) without embarrassment to either party; and yes, ALL my cousins are female!
‘Justa’ and I exchanged jellies this winter. What a treat! :)"
Let me tell you something, my FRiend. That raspberry jelly is waaaaay beyond 'treat'. Oh my goodness, it is divine! I don't make anything that good, but I'm certainly ready for another swap!!!
You’ve heard of ‘green’ bullets, right? ;)
Thank you!
Why, Thank You! We broke into the Mayhaw jelly this weekend. Oh, my! How yummy! (What the heck is a Mayhaw, anyway? LOL!)
And we’ve got all summer to scheme, LOL!
I plan on perfecting Hot Pepper Jelly this year using Gabz’ recipe. Spread it over a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers; HEAVEN! :) (It’s also great on any meat sandwich.)
I’ll also have enough Red Lake Currants to make you a jelly from that.
Oh, we’ll be livin’ HIGH on the hog this year, LOL! :)
I saved all my milk cartons last winter to try this. Unfortunately, it has been too cold to try this in Wisconsin and I didn’t remember who wrote about it on the other garden thread. So, I have a lot of empty milk cartons. Maybe next year. We get such a lot of wind on top of this hill that my garden would probably blow away (as did my cold frame last week). LOL.
I would love to build a solar dehydrator, but I have so much on my "to-do" list, that I may never get to it. I have a nine-tray Excalibur dehydrator that I purchased 2 years ago, after having had a smaller Excalibur before that. Last year I dried sweet potatoes, but I haven't done white or red potatoes yet. I am still learning on the vegetables, but I think I've got jerky and fruit roll-ups down to perfection! This year I am going to dry some sweet corn so that I can add it to soups or stews on the fly.
We do harvest several deer a year because it is the main source of our red meat, unless we are fortunate enough to take an elk. If we get an elk, more deer get to live another year. Between deer, elk, hogs, and turkey, we eat like kings. The only thing that is costly are the non-resident elk tags, but we never pay a guide -- all DIY hunting -- some on public land and some on private where we have permission. All other hunting is done on our own land.
We also have a number of ponds that contain bream, crappie and largemouth bass and our property boundary for about a mile is a large bayou brimming with catfish and gators. More eating like royalty, not to mention that I LOVE to fish!
We have six old pecan trees that my inlaws planted 30 or 40 years ago, and since buying the property my husband and I have planted numerous fruit trees, berry bushes and grape vines. We try to add something every year, and this Spring it is peach trees. I also have some fruit growing wild on parts of the property, and I take care of those trees and bushes.
We have goats for milk and dairy products and hope to start raising some for meat later on this year.
I am completely in love with being self-sufficient and living off of the land, even though sometimes the days are very long and the work hard. It is honest and very rewarding.
BTW, we drove across S. Dakota twice in Feb., part of our annual trek to Montana. Man, that state is brutal with the snow and short on places to stop, but it is beautiful. You are so fortunate.
For one thing, ya save gas because you won’t go anywhere all summer. :’)
There is a website on this technique (non-profit) that will explain how to do it, how it works and even shows pictures. lol www.wintersown.org It's kinda late in the season but the lady who runs the website might still have her SASE tomato seeds available. It's heirloom seeds she'll mail you if you send in a stamped envelope.
I've met people on GardenWeb (there's a wintersowing forum on there, too) who use this method in Canada and Alaska. The lady who teaches this method is in NY. My zone is warming up so I'm having to use a modified version (spring sowing) but it's probably still cold enough for you to get some pots going! It's not uncommon for people to post pics of their pots completely covered in snow. ;) Take advantage of the cold while you still can.
Boy, we love jalapeno jelly and cream cheese too! Great on Wheat Thins, but my favorite is Bagel Crisps.
If you need some bread & butter pickles, or sweet pickle slices, just let me know because I have more than plenty.
As you are fond of sayin' ... LIFE IS GOOD!
Amazingly, it’s already warm here, although I don’t dare plant outside yet. But I’m going to n\make a note of this and look into it for next year. It’s fun to try new things.
Brave lady! WE don’t even drive across SD in February! The seven mile weekly trip to town is more than sufficient! LOL
Only been through LA once, mainly meandering along state/US routes out of western AR to NOLA, while on our way to Miami. We really liked it.
I envy you the fishing, but not the gators & skeeters & chiggers. One of the places we seriously considered moving to was the Ozarks. Then we stopped in the Black Hills ‘for a day or two’ while on a vacation;10 days later we regrtfully had to leave.
A year later we owned 180 acres; less than 2 years later, we also owned the adjoining 150 acres, with the abandoned ranch house & buildings on it.
A neighbor rents dry-pasturage from us, but so far that is the only income production from the land; but it does cover the taxes. We also get all of our firewood off the place, as well as using some of the bigger logs for DIY miliing into rough lumber. So far, we’re still just cleaning up the down, dead, and dying; we’ll get around to real thinning later on.
With just the 2 of us, one or two deer/year is plenty, along with the turkeys. We have a lot of old, and a lot of not so old, apple trees, wild plums, chokecherries, and gooseberries on the ranch; also found 1 pear tree so far. We’ve planted a couple of plums, some Manchurian apricots, a peach, and one of the ‘new’ “Carmine Jewel” bush sweet cherries, from Henry Fields.
We also adjoin quite a bit of National Forest that is almost inaccessable to non-landowners in this age of “if I can’t drive there, I ain’t going” couch potatoes.
My current project is repairing an old building to use as a chicken coop and potting shed/seasonal greenhouse. It is one of only 2 buildings that weren’t entirely sound when we bought. The other is a barn that Hippies (had a commune here for a few years; the last prior inhabitants) scavenged lumber from, causing a beam to crack. That is repaired, but not really fixed. I have milled a replacement beam; just need to get some strong young help to get it placed & braced.
County Extension horticultural specialist is coming out later this month, and several other people are planning to show up, for a pruning seminar. At one time this property supplied 5 states with fruits and berries...then an idiot ran hogs on it, after the owner died.
Hmmmm...I’ll have to think of something to trade you for those pickles! Remind me again what it is that you like? Raspberry something? LOL! ;)
We have Hawthorns up here, too. Spikey devils, but the birds love to nest in them because the spikes keep the raccoons out of their nests. Pretty fruits, but I’ve never heard of anyone using them on the cultivars that grow up here for jelly...I’ll look into that. We have one at work that might be going to waste!
We also have a number of Elderberry Bushes at work; I’ve harvested the berries from those before for juicing, but they are about the size of a head of a sewing pin and quite labor intensive - the birds can have those, LOL!
It wasn’t a “Topsy Turvey” -— it was a knock off from Lowes.
I just used existing hooks; hung it like a hanging plant off the eve of my house.
Don’t have squirrels here.
They do dry out VERY quickly. You need to water far more often. Probably invest in the soil that has those water-retaining pellets it in this year.
In addition to garage sales and auctions, another good place to get free/cheap jars is from freecycle.com. Just google it - they have groups everywhere. It’s a really neat place to get rid of things too good to throw away and everything on there has to be free.
I’ve gotten free pots for the greenhouse, free canning jars, free full blood boxer (retired breeder), free books (cheats and hints for video games), etc. I’ve also gotten rid of some stuff that was too good to throw away and didn’t want to mess with a garage sale.
I have not tried Seed Savers (or seed saving yet)
I wounder if Monsanto was behind the european thing.
gardening bump!
Heh. You know, I have wondered about the viability of zucchini as hog feed. How many zucchini plants would it take to keep a hog in fodder through summer and into fall? Especially if you’re putting the hog manure back on the zucchini beds?
Hmmm.... must consider...
Okra is another on to think about for summer.
My Grandfather would plant corn and as soon as it was up he would plant pole beans between the plants. For pigs you could cut the entire row to grade as feed with a sicle mower. Should make good feed.
That would probably work great through the summer, and I’ve read about people growing pumpkins and winter squash to feed their livestock all winter. Here’s an article on a few other feed crops: http://www.countrysidemag.com/issues/87/87-3/JD_Belanger.html
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