Does Your Garden Save You Money?

[kzhen]

Just a friendly note that I am not a professional and just garden for fun. I love home grown produce and have grown up seeing my dad tend to his garden day and night. I have recently picked up this hobby as well. Don't really see us saving money really, since we grow some of the basic fruits such as carrots, tomatoes, melons, etc. But I can tell you the taste difference is noticeable when you eat them!
Hope that helps

[thebigtomato]

Thanks for the feedback Kzhen

[kzhen]

Not a problem! Glad I can be of help.

[Mr Yan]

I asked myself this question this year and set about answering it. I logged all my expenses this year - $200 - and have been careful to weigh everything we have harvested and brought inside.

I have next to no good garden space without building it. My primary raised bed is built on/over a concrete pad. After that I have several DIY self watering planters (think OurEngineeredGarden blog or Earthtainer designs).

So far this season we have pulled 25.516 kg of veg, fruit, or herbs out of the garden for a price of $3.55 a pound.

I still have a lot in the yard including my experiments with a potato-tower, 12 sweet potato plants, and several butternut squash.

This year I hope to get close to parity with grocery store prices. Next year should be much more harvest for the seasonal cost as most cost this year is for container soil mix.

[thebigtomato]

That's really good info, thanks!

[Mr Yan]

We're now sitting at $3.38 a pound but there are some things which have been eaten directly from the plant (not recorded) and some which were recorded as 1 gram in my calculation (I recorded things like "1 radish" early on and radish is well above 1 gram)

While I love tomatoes I think the most bang for the buck comes from either my garlic or basil.

The garlic was brainless easy and has provided 3 months of eating about 1 head a week plus the seed stock for next season. Plant it in October and pull it in July.

Fresh basil was $1.75 for a small deli container at the store last week. So far I have made over a gallon of pesto this season and have another 202 grams (fresh weight) drying for winter use.

I'll give a final break down once winter has taken over. Zone 5 - Northern Illinois

[s8vm632]

Sometimes, I will sell flowers and vegetables when I have a late summer yard/plant sale.
I like to share the rewards with my family close friends and the elderly neighbors in my area.
But mostly my vegetable garden saves me money, I don't have to pay the high produce prices at the local stores. And what I don't grow, I buy from my local organic farmers.
A rewarding 3 season hobby and I just love doing it. I use approx. 1/2 acre of my 3 acre land to grow plants and veggies. That's enough work for me.

There are so many small organic business farms in my area, it wouldn't be worth my effort to start another one here.
outdoor patio furniture clearance

[Nvraider]

If one figures in labor cost I dont believe one can turn a profit. However, there is value in the enjoyment, excercise, and sense of accomplishment. So maybe it is profitable.

[Mr Yan]

Final numbers for my year:

112.68 pounds of produce
$1.7749 per pound

Cost based on what I spent this year on soil mix and amendments.

This is from a no more than 100 sq feet of traditional bed gardens and about 30 containers (mostly 5 gallon buckets with some 10 gallon, 18 gallon, and 25 gallon mixed in).

I don't count labor or time as I would be out in my gardens if they were producing food or not.

[zack0109]

I plant vegetables in the greenhouse all year old.....I love to eat what I plant myself.