Growing your own veggies certainly does save you money. However I've been reading some articles that suggest the opposite. They list a number of reasons why shouldn't bother growing your own food because you'll need to buy fertilizers, herbicides,, pesticides, guess-what-cides. . .and he just kept going. But when you add up the costs, calculate what you'd spend buying veggies from elsewhere then crunch those numbers, don't you think the cost of maintaining the garden would be very small compared to the dough you'd spend obtaining vegetables from elsewhere which means if you can grow your own potted veggies at home, you should freaking do it!
I own a push mower, a rake and some shears. So until they break in 10-15 years the cost of maintenance is free. I only own a few pots and make my own compost, so I actually make a small profit out of my garden from the radishes, carrots and tomatoes.
Can you really put a price on eating healthy? You don't need a freezer - just plant less crops. Fertilizers aren't required once you get a compost going, and you definitely don't need to add anything that ends with -icide. Let them grow naturally. The may not end up as large or pretty as the veggies you get at the supermarket, but they will be much healthier.
Yeah, I agree. If you have the means and can grow your own greens then you should go for it. Growing your own means that you have control over what you do to your vegetables. Also gives you the satisfaction and piece of mind because you know what they are since you grown them.
Some gardeners can spend a lot of money on supplies and implements, it's true. But, I grow plants like tomatoes and cucumbers, spring onions, etc. in containers and it doesn't cost very much. I also am experimenting with sprouting indoors so I can have crunchy greens for sandwiches and salads year round. (I haven't been too successful with growing lettuce in the past.) My gardening doesn't cost a lot and really adds flavor and nutrients to my meals. Next year, I'm thinking of trying potatoes, large onions or leeks and cabbages in the fall because I haven't ever tried those.
I love this and fully agree. If you want farm fresh and local produce, you cannot beat growing it yourself. Start up costs are going to be the biggest price (building beds, collecting seeds and plants, initial soil prep)... but if you are a "seasoned" gardener (no pun intended) you can be fully self-sustained. The real cost is the price of your time and energy. Crop rotation and composting is free fertilizer. Saving seeds from one harvest to plant the next is free start up the next year. Sun and water? Well, come on. And don't forget the cost implications of trading with others, preserving excess, or even selling the stuff you won't eat yourself.
It sounds to me like there might be a hidden agenda in what you are reading. Gardening is work, and there is a cost associated with it. If you need to buy containers etc then the costs can add up. If the articles cost it out over a year, for example, it really is expensive, but how often do you need to go out and buy a shovel? Once you are set up you are only buying seeds or new plants and soil amendments. If you compost that will help as well. The sooner you eat something after it has been picked, the more nutritious it is. The exercise you will get is good for you. You might even get a psychological boost as well when you harvest your own produce.
