Gardening is not just a hobby. It is a part of life for every gardener. Some of us like to grow vegetables while others may like herbs or flowers. The outcome may differ but their intention is always the same. Every gardener aims to get the highest yield of whatever he or she is rowing. If the yield is good then we feel privileged and if it is not then we usually think- Is it really worth trying? Most of us have asked this question once or more- Does gardening really save money? Trust me there is no one perfect answer to this question. It really depends on many factors and today we are going to discuss all of those.
Check out my previous post: 8 Beneficial Garden Animals and Pests
Can Gardening Really save money?
Yes, It can. There is no doubt that Growing your own fruits and veggies can save you some bucks. Apart from money, you can get healthier fresh fruits and vegetable way better than any grocery store.
Your healthy can directly relate to your diet. And yes, a good healthy diet can also save you money that you may have to spend on the doctor and medical treatments.
Therefore If you grow your own food and you know it is fresh and healthy. Then It will definitely save you some money.
Also read: What is the Best Mulch for Raised Bed Gardens?
Now we have seen the potential but what about the reality…
Does Gardening Really Save money?
If your yield is higher than your investment then definitely growing your own food can save money. Straight, simple but not that easy.
The answer really depends on many factors. If you are experienced and know everything like what how and where about the veggies or fruits. Then probably you can save more than other hobby gardeners.
It is a fact that gardening in the urban environment is costly. You have to spend on many different aspects to set up a garden. This investment can increase especially if you grow plants in raised garden beds or in containers or grow bags.
You have to spend more if you plant to buy soil to fill these containers or raised beds. After that, you have to purchase plants, fertilizers, pesticides, and some gardening tools may be. Therefore, you can think of gardening as a minimum investn=ment of a couple of hundred bucks.
After all of this expenditure, you can only count on the overall yield of the crops you planted. If it is good then you can compare the pricing with the grocery to check whether you have a gain or loss.
Once you have done with the investment, it is your experience in gardening that determines the final outcome. There are certainly many factors that can be governed by your experience. These factors can greatly impact the yield of the crops you plant.
Investment vs Yield
These are some very common decisions that determine the level of investment with the final outcome. It is nothing about reading and learning. All you need is experience, only then you can decide what is best for your needs.
- The location for the garden. The whole chunk of investment revolves around the location of the garden. If you have a balcony or porch and you are planning for container gardening then you will definitely have to spend more. You have to be observant about what to grow best in your available space.
- Selection of plants for your garden. Now if you have your location ready then you better decide what to grow. It should be comfortable with the natural resource in your garden area. And yes, you should know what are the basic requirements for this particular plant. A good gardener knows everything about its plants.
- Staring garden with seeds or new baby plant. Now you have to decide whether you want to grow plants from seeds or you wanna buy some from a garden store. Definitely, plants brought from the store will cost you more than homegrown. So evaluate your needs, resources, and comfort before planning for gardening.
- Time of the Plantation. Now, this is something you can learn from experience. No one can tell you the exact timing for growing veggies in your specific garden. You can read about the general conventions but requirements for your garden will always differ. So keep reading and observing the outcome season after season to perfect your gardening skill. Sometimes early plantations can yield you more fruits or veggies before the actual fruiting season. This is beneficial, isn’t it?
- Preparing your own soil mix instead of buying one. Soil is an essential part of traditional gardening techniques unless you are planning for aquaponics which will eventually cost more. You will need good quality better soil mix for high yield and If you buy this from a store then it cost you anywhere from a couple of 100 to 1000 bucks depending upon your requirements. An alternative is to save money with your own garden soil mix. You have to read and learn about soil preparation with time unless you wanna spend 100s every season.
- Preparing and using Compost instead of chemical fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers are effective but they cost really high. You have to frequently reapply these fertilizers and it can also damage the soil. So why not save money by not using these chemical compounds in our garden. Preparing own compost is a good cost-effective alternative for fertilizers. In fact, compost is the safest option for plants and soil health.
- The material used for garden setup. Wood planks and sturdy plastic containers are really costly options for gardening. You have to check out for more cost-effective alternatives if you can.
How much money can you save with Gardening?
You can grow your own veggies at cost of pennies while you may have to spend $10 or more for the same at the grocery store. An experienced gardener not only saves money during the growing season but also throughout the year with proper storage.
In fact, if you store your fruits and veggie properly then you can cut out your grocery budget throughout the year. You can fridge dry the fruits and vegetables or simply canned those and store them until the next growing season. You can also share some of your yields with your friends and family members. They would definitely be proud of your achievement. And can make money simply by selling surplus yield to your local grocery store.
Everyone likes fresh green organic farm products. You can make some extra bucks by preparing your own recipes and selling those in your community. Fresh fruit jam or maybe a tangy sauce is always appreciated.
Final Words
Overall it is true that gardening these days has become a costly affair. Still, if you know what you are doing and you have a dedication for this then you can definitely save some real money. All you need is proper knowledge about the plants you choose with little gardening experience. You must learn to save move by keeping the investment low and the yield high.
You should read this before leaving: How to Grow Midnight Wine Weigela?
Good luck with your gardening. Keep reading keep exploring the Garden Facts!
