I think 40 pounds of cucumbers is enough. I’ve marinated them, tossed them in salads, stuffed them with herbed goat cheese and pickled them, and I confess, I don’t know what else to do. I did see online that they’re good grilled, which I may try this weekend (with the ten that I still have in my crisper drawer). The plants are still loaded with flowers and baby cukes, but it’s time to be done. I said this last year, but this time I really mean it: Next year I’m only growing one cucumber plant. Even two is too much to keep up with.
Variety: Homemade Pickles. Two plants, direct seeded in the garden the first week of June, Final Yield: 39.99 lbs. (though it could have been much more)
These plants show no signs of slowing down!
I think I’ve had enough eggplant too. Ten pounds is more than we usually eat in a year, and I’ve harvested that in the last month. This year I planted three, next year I think one will suffice.
Variety: Black Beauty. Three plants, started indoors, under grow lights in mid-March, and transplanted into the garden the first week of June. Final Yield: 10.38 lbs. (though it could have been more).
While I’m not tired of the beans, the plants do seem to be slowing down. I don’t think I gave them enough room. They grew up the trellis, then down the trellis, then up the trellis again. They’re looking a little scraggly, so I’m going to take those out too, and give the sweet potatoes room to grow. Next year I’d like to plant twice as many beans, so I have plenty to freeze. This year I only had one 8 foot row, and a sparse one at that.
Variety: Seychelles. One 8′ row direct seeded in the garden the first week of June. Final Yield: 11.31 lbs. (though it could have been more).
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
2020 garden yield
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.
