Does Growing Your Own Produce Really Save Money?

Purchasing fresh fruit in the supermarket, even while "in season," can give the shopper a serious case of sticker shock. Buying organically produced fruit is a healthy option but can be even more costly. Buying from local farmers’ markets is a wonderful way to support local growers but it too can be expensive.  

Growing your own vegetables sounds like the ideal solution for the escalating price of fresh fruits and vegetables. Tomato seeds are only $2.99. At the supermarket, tomatoes are $2.99 a pound. When the math adds up, growing your own fruits and vegetables can save a lot of money, but you need to do the math carefully, making sure you get the most bang for your garden buck. Growing your own only saves you money when you grow the right plants.

Cost Versus Benefit

 To save money with a garden, you need to do a little groundwork (yes, pun intended ;). It’s likely you have limited space to work with, so you need to make the best use of the garden area. Do a soil test first to be sure your soil is the proper environment for the plants you want to grow and make adjustments as needed for the crops that will save you the most money. 

 Don’t waste money on garden tools if you can help it. Beg, borrow, but please don’t steal. Think about ways to reduce water usage from the tap as well. A storm drain barrel connected to a system of soaker hose is the most convenient way to keep the garden moist. 

Making It Work

 So, there are some modest costs in setting up your garden. As long as you can break even on year one, it’s probably worth a go. The easiest way to find out which fruits and vegetables will cost the most is to go to an online grocery delivery service and look at all the fruits. Sort by price and see which ones are most expensive, but can still be grown in your local climate. Watermelons are pricey.  So are strawberries. Both of these would make smart choices. Cherry tomatoes are one of the more expensive vegetables. Even buying a $15 cherry tomato plant may yield you about $50 worth of cherry tomatoes. Snow peas and sugar peas are also expensive but easy to grow.

 Don’t waste time on potatoes, garlic, onions or cucumbers. Even green bell peppers are cheaper during the summer. Squash might be worth your while, depending on how much space you have and how much your family eats. With fruit, some items just don’t make sense to grow. Tree fruits take years to get going. Tropical fruits won’t do well in most climates. But blueberries, watermelons and strawberries, and any other kind of berry for that matter, are all excellent choices. 

Protecting Your Hard Work

 Few things are more frustrating than losing the time, money and effort you put in creating a money-saving garden, only to find the animals are stealing your crops. Deer, rabbits, gophers and birds are the worst culprits.

 For deer, your best bet is to plant Echinacea, daisies, and oregano all around the perimeter of your garden. Deer hate these plants and fences are impractical for animals that can jump eight feet high. Rabbits are a little easier to deter. A 24-inch chicken wire fence should do the trick. The easiest way to keep gophers out is to lay down chicken wire on the floor of the garden. Plant your garden 18-24” deep and the gophers will not be able to access the roots from beneath the garden.  

 From above, you need to worry about the birds because they love berries. The good thing is birds hate shiny things that flutter. You can put up shiny Mylar flash tape or try a few shiny pinwheels in the garden. Bird netting works well when your other efforts fail. Just be aware that you will still suffer some losses. 

 Dedicating a small part of the yard to a garden can be very cost effective, providing you with affordable fresh foods through summer and into early fall. Freeze your produce as it ripens if there is too much for your family to eat. Better yet, share the love with friends and family.  Others always appreciate fresh garden produce.