Gardening to Save Money, Grow Your Own.

Groceries are getting expensive, and if you’ve never gardened before, you may be wondering if growing your own food actually gardening to save money and Eat Fresh. I tracked my produce harvests last year, and I have found the answer to that question. We’re going to delve into that and ways to make gardening free or a bit more expensive, depending on your budget and your needs.

gardening to save money

Green economy jar with money and growing plant

Last year, I calculated my leafy greens harvest and found I harvested 56 pounds worth of leafy greens. This includes everything from lettuce to collard greens and everything in between. So, is it worth growing food? Is it actually worth the cost? I didn’t separate how many collards, lettuce, and callaloo I harvested, but if I were to calculate it based on organic boxed salad greens, which are $5 each at the store, I grew enough greens to equal 179 of those plastic tubs, saving $895.

So, is it worth it? My personal answer is always yes. When you grow your own food, you’re actually growing nutrient-dense food that feeds your body the nutrients it needs rather than the stuff from the grocery store, which I like to call “dead salads.” But purely from a budget perspective, it could be a yes or it could be a no. Let’s look at some ways to have a budget-conscious garden and for those looking to get growing fast, no matter the cost.

If you have a larger budget and want to grow food fast, here are three ways to make things easier and speed up the process:

  1. Pay for a garden growing center: Green stocks are a wonderful way to maximize the amount of food you can grow in a small space. They’re also super easy to manage, especially for watering. Yes, they cost money, but they get the job done well. If you’re looking to grow in raised beds, I recommend something with more depth. While cheaper beds have about 8-12 inches of soil, plants, especially in Florida, prefer deeper root systems, ideally 12-17 inches. Getting a solid base for your raised bed gardens costs more in soil and bed materials, but it will lead to happy plants with deep root systems. I have a link for the container system and if you use my code, you will get 10% off your purchase for the Green Stalk vertical gardens.

  2. Purchase your soil amendments: You can certainly go to the beach and harvest your own seaweed, but if you want to get growing fast and have some extra money, purchase your soil amendments. My go-to for soil amendments is worm castings. They provide all the good nutrients like NPK and micronutrients like calcium, essential for plant growth. Worm castings are a living product, providing beneficial bacteria and soil life, unlike many bulk soils which can be relatively “dead.” Adding worm castings floods your soil with beneficial life. You can make your own worm castings at home, but if you need to get started fast, I recommend Simple Grow for purchasing worm castings. They come at a good price and don’t use fillers. For more recommended soil amendments, click the link in the show notes.

  3. Start with live plant starts: Starting with live plant starts rather than seeds can reduce errors and get you growing food much quicker. You pay more upfront, but you have a higher success rate and can start harvesting sooner.

To make gardening to save money more budget-friendly, consider the following:

  1. Use recycled materials for raised beds: Everyone thinks you need to spend money on a framed bed or a vertical gardening system, but you can use recycled materials like giant PVC culverts from construction jobs. You can even mound soil on mulch without any construction costs.

  2. Create your own soil: Buying soil can be expensive, especially if you’re just starting. When I moved into my house, I wanted to fill my beds for free using my compost. I started a massive compost pile and within a few months, had 3 yards of beautiful compost to fill my garden beds with. You can also collect compostable materials from breweries or grocery stores.

  3. Grow from seeds: Seeds are much cheaper than live plant starts. A pack of seeds can yield hundreds of plants for a few dollars, while live plant starts are more expensive. Community gardens often provide free seeds, so check local resources.

In conclusion, whether gardening to save money depends on your particular situation and spending choices. You can absolutely have a cost-effective garden, but setting things up quickly might cost more initially. Keep in mind, the quality of food from your garden is much better than store-bought, so compare accordingly. For more gardening tips, check out my articles on varieties to plant, starting from seed, and everything in between.