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So, does anyone know how cost effective it really is to have a garden and grow some of your own food? Is it cheaper? Or do people do it because they enjoy it? (Because if it is for enjoyment, I am out!) Or do you need to grow food in a larger scale then my small outdoor garden in order for it to be cost effective?
I am just curious, given the amount we have spent on the stuff for our garden lately. Now, to be fair, we have been stocking up on the nice tomato towers that can also be used for vining plants, at $5 a pop, and they will last for at least a few years, so they are an investment. Also the owl scarecrow to keep the birds from eating our strawberries. (Sebastian helps with that, too.) But by the time we buy all the seeds, and a few plants (I tried growing some tomato and pepper plants from seed on my windowsill, but I think it is much more effective to get plants from the store for those), and then mulch, it adds up... And yes, the mulch is necessary - I have to do something about the ground covering weeds that take over my garden if I am not in it every day pulling them up. I swear there is more green in my garden after a couple days non-weeding than in my lawn.
Anyway, do any of you gardeners have any input into cost analysis of gardens??
I am just curious, given the amount we have spent on the stuff for our garden lately. Now, to be fair, we have been stocking up on the nice tomato towers that can also be used for vining plants, at $5 a pop, and they will last for at least a few years, so they are an investment. Also the owl scarecrow to keep the birds from eating our strawberries. (Sebastian helps with that, too.) But by the time we buy all the seeds, and a few plants (I tried growing some tomato and pepper plants from seed on my windowsill, but I think it is much more effective to get plants from the store for those), and then mulch, it adds up... And yes, the mulch is necessary - I have to do something about the ground covering weeds that take over my garden if I am not in it every day pulling them up. I swear there is more green in my garden after a couple days non-weeding than in my lawn.
Anyway, do any of you gardeners have any input into cost analysis of gardens??
exhausted
Also, as you have observed, some of your cost can be considered investment (like the tomato towers).
Things like raspberry & strawberries, you have to buy the plant the first year and, unless specific issues, it's going to grow several years after that (depending on the strains you might need to change it after several years) so again, it's an initial cost.
For your ground improvement, again it's more at first. Then you can use your own things (don't remember the name of what you do with your leftover greens for that (and that also reduces trash).
(and yes, IMO, tomato & peppers are more rational to grow from bought little plants, unless you really want to play)
Another warning about the tomatoes-my mom found out the hard way-they apparently cross pollenate very easily. She planted jalenpo (wow I so can't spell) pepper plants in that same plot of land and some of those tomatos had a heck of a zing to them, and some were green pepper flavored. It was kind of cool but messed things up for Fried Green Tomatos.
Just my comment on what I've seen in the life of my family gardeners. I personally just want to grow flowers when I have ground to do so, and let the grocery store do the veggies-except tomatos, just so I can make green fried tomatos-LOL
You might want to check out the concept of companion planting, lasagna gardening and squarefoot gardening. They are all good ways to control weeds and plant more in a smaller space.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.htm
http://www.bconnex.net/~carolw/lasa
http://www.squarefootgardening.com/