If the taste of working the land animates more than one gardener, the fact of being able to harvest and consume the fruit of one’s labor is also a wonderful source of happiness. On one’s balcony or in one’s vegetable garden, one grows quality fruits and vegetables, thus forgetting the insipid and often out-of-season fresh products that one finds in stores. And above all, growing your own vegetables and fruits allows you to make real savings, especially if you also grow herbs, potatoes, but also your own sponges for the household! But just how much do you need to grow to save? And above all, how much do you save?
How much do you save when you grow your own vegetables?
At the beginning, it is necessary to make some investments to be able to launch its plantations. It requires time and material to start planting. Fortunately, you can use salvaged materials to landscape the outdoor space and take second-hand or rental tools to alleviate these initial expenses. However, once the vegetable garden is started and all the right tools are in hand, the savings will finally start and never stop!
These savings will depend on each family’s vegetable consumption, but also on the yield of each plant. To make the garden more profitable, choose vegetables that you enjoy. Also think about how easy it is to grow and harvest them so you can quickly make the space profitable. Of course, yield is one of the hardest things to predict because of the different variables: soil quality, sunlight, location, diseases/pests, etc. However, it turns out that a family of three growing ten different vegetables could save up to 974$. Each year, the savings would amount to 313.18 $ on cherry tomatoes, 192.96 $ on onions, 141.44 $ on basil, 73.50 $ on celery, 65.28 $ on pumpkin and 44.74 $ on carrots. The calculation also includes lettuce, dill, kale and garlic.
Any other ideas on how to save money or even make money with your garden?
-Use a water collector to conserve rainwater for watering and garden maintenance. It is ecological and economical.
-Install a mulch to protect the soil.
-Composting your food scraps and vegetable waste is a zero waste idea to make a natural fertilizer. After decomposition, this composting will allow to take care of the garden.
-Adopt chickens! They will lay several hundred eggs per year.
-Think of trading plants, seedlings or seeds (vegetables and fruits, flowers, etc.) with other gardeners. In addition to doing a favor and avoiding losses when you have a large harvest, it also allows you to avoid having to buy them. And above all, remember to save your seeds for the following year.
-Moreover, you can make your own purins, infusions, decoctions (nettle, horsetail, elder, comfrey, mugwort…). Thus, no need to buy pesticides against harmful insects and undesirable pests, and no need for chemical fertilizers.
-Last idea for those who have a large garden: rent a part of your plot to other people so that they can start their own vegetable garden.
