I’ve always assumed that vegetable gardening saves money. But does it? Last winter I spent a few hours, one day, online and in stores getting what I thought I’d need for the year. When I was done I added it all up: $102.66 on seeds, innoculant, fertilizer, seed starting trays and extra soil. That’s a lot of money! Would I see a 100% or more return on my investment? There was only one way to find out. I decided to weigh what I picked. The results are as follows…
| Vegetable | Total (Pounds) | Price per pound | Total Value |
| Radishes | 0.85 | $1.00 | $0.85 |
| Mustard Greens | 1.58 | $1.59 | $2.51 |
| Snow Peas | 4.81 | $4.99 | $24.00 |
| Carrots | 10.11 | $1.00 | $10.11 |
| Beets (& Greens) | 4.23 | $1.99 | $8.42 |
| Kohlrabi | 48.00 | $1.00 | $48.00 |
| Green Onions | 2.25 | $5.00 | $11.25 |
| Onions | 16.34 | $1.00 | $16.34 |
| Zucchini | 30.50 | $1.49 | $45.45 |
| Tomato | 28.79 | $2.99 | $86.08 |
| Cabbage | 18.11 | $0.79 | $14.31 |
| Golden Pepperoncini | 0.62 | $1.49 | $0.92 |
| Eggplant | 13.68 | $1.49 | $20.38 |
| Bell Peppers | 14.92 | $1.49 | $22.23 |
| Green Beans | 6.46 | $2.49 | $16.09 |
| Sweet Potatoes | 18.88 | $0.99 | $18.69 |
| Leeks | 1.35 | $1.99 | $2.69 |
| Winter Squash | 24.00 | $1.99 | $47.76 |
| Chard | $0.00 | ||
| Lettuce | $0.00 | ||
| Broccoli | $0.00 | ||
| Corn | $0.00 | ||
| Cauliflower | $0.00 | ||
| Peanuts | $0.00 | ||
| Total pounds | 245.48 | Total Value | $396.08 |
| Plus 29 cukes @ $0.66 each = $19.14 | $19.14 | ||
| Total Value | $415.22 |
250 pounds of vegetables in 195 square feet of growing area. That’s 1.28 pounds per square foot. I don’t know if that’s good or bad (I guess it depends on what you’re growing). I am disappointed in the dollar value of what was grown. $415.22 – $102.66 = $312.56, which isn’t much for 8 months of work. Although, the third column in the chart above displays the price for conventionally grown produce. I grow organically, which can cost 20 to 100% more. Factoring in the low end yields a more respectable profit of $395.60 (415.22 x .20 = 83.04, 83.04 + 415.22 = 498.26, 498.26-102.66 = 395.60).
Still, there’s much I can (and must!) do to improve those numbers for next year:
Weigh everything! Turns out I’m a lazy weigher. A few of the zeros in the above chart shouldn’t be there at all. The leafy greens grew well, I just didn’t have time to throw them on the scale. The lettuce was picked and tossed in the rabbit cage, the chard was rinsed and tossed in my morning smoothie. Some veggies were under-weighed. The mustard greens, scallions and radishes often bypassed the scale, called upon at the last minute to perk up a frittata, sauce or salad.
Grow more hybrid and disease resistant varieties. I’m a big fan of heirlooms, but they’re not always the most productive. The golden pepperoncini plants were riddled with disease and had to be ripped out by the end of July. The broccoli cultivar I chose, De Cicco, was not well suited to my growing conditions and bolted before forming a decent size head. From now on I’m sticking with (mostly!) hybrid varieties.
Bug and critter control. The corn was eaten by bugs and the tomatoes were eaten by small animals with big teeth. Groundhogs? Squirrels? The seedlings of cauliflower and peanuts were nibbled to the ground by critters. The garden fence has to be secured so small furry mammals can’t wriggle in for a quick snack.
TIME! That’s really what it all boils down to. Succession planting and year-round gardening take time. Time to start seeds and transplant them on time. Time to pick squash bugs and earworms off of affected plants. Time to install row covers and cloches and cages and netting and fencing. Most of all I need to be out there everyday looking for issues and nipping them in the bud, I changed my work schedule so I can do just that. I expect great things from 2021.