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!
Potato gun ammo is an easy grower :)
I can relate to the $64 tomato; I am a garden noob, and, last year, I grew potatoes in grow bags for the first time. Don’t tell my husband how much our potato harvest cost. But it was a good experience, and, this year, I am growing some more with little cost.
My wife talked me into buying a big 21hp riding lawnmower and trimmer so I can do my own yard instead of paying to have it done. It will take me at least a year to break even.
The original plan was to buy a tiller and plant a garden but the one that attaches to the tractor is way too expensive and the “plows” you drag behind the tractor are worthless.
Bottom line, I can’t wait for the vegetable stands to open up. Hopefully I can find some South Carolina tomatoes here in Houston.
By the way, I actually need the exercise of taking care of the lawn. Not from riding the tractor but from trimming. Riding the tractor is the fun part.
I inventoried my canned goods the other day so I know what to concentrate on this summer. 324 quarts including tomatoes, salsa, green tomato relish, sweet peppers, hot peppers, sweet hot pepper relish, pork, cabbage soup, green beans, pickles, dilly green beans, vegetables, and sauerkraut.
In my neck of the woods a garden does not save money. It just gives you something to do and tomatoes that taste good.
I had 27 fruit trees in my backyard in SoCal..and a 60 x 16 garden.
Had mulch in the drip zone on the trees, ( less watering..)....Pruned them once a year.
Had a timed auto-watering system in the garden. Raked between the rows 2-3 times a week....Pretty low physical stuff...once it was in place.
Actually therapeutic..after all the work. HA!!!
Since a tiller would be used only about one or two times a year the best thing to do is to rent one when you need it. No storage no upkeep.
How did the cheery bushes do and what kind of taste are we talking about? What type of shade/sun mixture. We live in Memphis is summers are brutal. I’ve thought about getting some from Gurney’s.
My problem is I was going to have to till a yard that’s never been tilled. And that’s too much work.
I am growing potatoes in buckets and containers. This will be my first attempt at them.
Prophetic words. There are three or four bills (mebbe more) pending (backed by the agricultural conglomerates) that are so loosely written that they will give the USDA authority to inspect/close down your backyard garden. All to protect you, of course. (cough)
These were the Hansens from Gurneys. They had them on sale, 3/$4 back last April or May. I couldn’t resist LOL. They’re ‘pie’ cherries. Not ‘sweet’ ones. Ie, canning cherries. They get mixed reviews online but it’s a privacy hedge for me now so the taste will be negotiable. Hubby set them out, I mulched around them by laying down a couple feed sacks and then covering that with grass clippings. To about 2ft out each direction from the shrub itself. Kept them watered (but not too wet, they hate wet feet!) during the driest spells and put triple 13 around them a couple times during the summer/fall too.
These get 2/3 day sun. The ones that get more sun are actually doing better (of course). We live about 200m south of you in Memphis. I understand that during the warmer winters they might not get enough chill hours to bloom down here so you’d have more luck with that.
Try ‘Lasagna Gardening’. I did that last year with my tomatoes and watermelons. Worked splendidly. No tilling. Just ‘cored’ out (with one of those bulb planter thingies) a small hole for my melon seeds, put in a couple cups of potting soil, then my seeds, then covered with more potting soil. Around the dug out place I put down some feed sacks, and newspapers. Covered those with grass clippings and watered everything in. Put triple 13 on the general area a couple times. When the melons got started I put each one on a styrofoam piece saved from packing. Easiest melons ever. No weeding, no tilling. Just eating.
Now, having said that you still need to till after. It’s easy then because the ground is softer. The newspapers and grass clippings just till right under as well.
No idea what Houston gumbo would do. Wouldn’t hurt to try it somewhere though. I’m lazy. I always try the lazy way first LOL.
I bought some cheap seeds and grew them side by side in the greenhouse with the expensive seed. Surprisingly, they grew just as well - now I will have to wait and see if the produce as well. If so, I’m sticking with the cheap seeds.
LOL!
As Hubby was wheel barreling bags of soil to my new raised bed today, he said "I can't help thinking how many vegetables we could have bought for this."
Lol, keep trying! What have you tried to start?
But that’s another thing about a home garden. It’s great exercise!
My gardens don’t pay but I enjoy it, it’s good exercise, the food tastes much better, I get a healthier diet because I’m always looking for recipes to use my over abundance of produce. It’s all good.
Diana in Wisconsin has a "Beneficial Bug Mix that she swears by -- a combination of pretty flowers that attract good bugs that eat the bad bugs. No EPA inspectors required! :)
I got mine all planted yesterday—and then it went and rained like crazy today. In Bakersfield. In April.
I think everything survived.
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