Economic gardening

[wakosama]

The Economic Garden

There are many reasons to have a garden.

community.thegrownetwork.com

 

[TheDan]

You're not really going to save money gardening. Even with the crazy food inflation we're seeing vegetables are still cheap at the store.

The real value in gardening is learning how, knowing where at least some of your food comes from, and being ready if store shelves are bare.

 

[leVieux]

You're not really going to save money gardening. Even with the crazy food inflation we're seeing vegetables are still cheap at the store.

The real value in gardening is learning how, knowing where at least some of your food comes from, and being ready if store shelves are bare.

AMEN !

 

[OutlawStar]

You're not really going to save money gardening. Even with the crazy food inflation we're seeing vegetables are still cheap at the store.

The real value in gardening is learning how, knowing where at least some of your food comes from, and being ready if store shelves are bare.

Nailed it. Once you buy dirt, pay for water, maybe do raised beds (wood), and buy seeds, you're in it for more money than if you just went and bought fresh from the store. You need a lot of land and water to grow enough veggies to sustain 1 person, not to mention the knowhow. Add in the cost of jars for canning, and other money sinks for food preservation and you'll find you're not likely to come out ahead financially. I attempt to grow foodstuffs as a hobby trying to neglect how much money I spend on it. $100 of dirt, $100 of lumber, $20 in seeds and 2 growing seasons later I've probably made, eaten, and preserved about $40 of food. A negative return on investment but it makes me happy having a little garden and helping bees. If it makes you happy to grow something and eventually eat it, more power to ya but its never going to be a moneysaver.

Prior generations did food preservation when they could because veggies were even cheaper and so were canning methods, but it wasn't to save money. It was because they genuinely feared not being able to go to the store and buy food. This was before commercialization and readily available shelf stable foods like canned soups, SPAM, and dried pasta.

 

[Eastexasrick]

All the above. If the rain don't come, and if your in North or West Texas, on a water meter, your going to spend about $50.00 per pound of tomatoes, and any other water pig veggies. I have a well but it still costs to run it. I stick with winter and spring gardens to avoid the dry spells. Let it go dormant June.

 

[wakosama]

agreed. summer gardening in TX has always been a failed endeavor for me.

 

[OutlawStar]

All the above. If the rain don't come, and if your in North or West Texas, on a water meter, your going to spend about $50.00 per pound of tomatoes, and any other water pig veggies. I have a well but it still costs to run it. I stick with winter and spring gardens to avoid the dry spells. Let it go dormant June.

Don't remind me. Local city is jacking up water rates super high during the drought claiming its necessary to pay for all the infrastructure growth. My water bill has gone from $60 a month to $160 a month. I've probably spent $250 in water alone for my crummy little garden this year. Part of that is lack of rain, part of that is doubling of water prices.

 

[TheDan]

I was really hoping this thread was going to be about pulling out weeds.

 

[xsefan]

No one is doing water collection? Planting in part shade helps. Amend your soil. Texas dirt sucks. The central valley in California gets less water than central Texas. Plus its hotter. Imagin last summer every year. Look up activated charcoal. Plus compost as much as you can .

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

,,,"Texas dirt sucks. The central valley in California gets less water than central Texas. Plus its hotter...

Fee Fi Fo Fum, I smell a 'gambler-un'...

C'mon, you make it too easy to see you - No smooth at all...

You're not tryin...You can do better...

 

[Texan79423]

Go build a 2,000.00 chicken coup and chickens and get 4 to 8 eggs a week. That said nothing beats a fresh from the garden homegrown tomato.

 

[wakosama]

please tell us about crops that don't need pollinators, because there are none in my neighborhood. no bees, no butterflies, no bugs in general, even roaches are infrequent. only thing around here are flies and fleas and they never really infest even in the summer. thanks.

 

[glenbo]

Go build a 2,000.00 chicken coup and chickens and get 4 to 8 eggs a week. That said nothing beats a fresh from the garden homegrown tomato.

Now that eggs are well over $5 a dozen, that chicken coop is starting to look better and more cost effective.

 

[gll]

Now that eggs are well over $5 a dozen, that chicken coop is starting to look better and more cost effective.

I already have a coop, I really need to get some chickens, but just dread the idea of raising them from eggs or chicks...

My neighbor sells eggs... I've been thinking about incubating a couple dozen of his.

 

[glenbo]

If we had a coop, we'd have chickens. The only reason we don't is because we want to sell this house and move somewhere.

 

[wakosama]

Chickens eat insects... you know, the stuff WEF wants to feed us. So do catfish.

Raising Catfish in a Barrel - Survival Plus

RAISING CATFISH IN A BARREL The text and illustrations of this article are from Organic Gardening and Farming; October, 1973 The new...continue reading

www.survivalplus.com

 

[MountainGirl]

Chickens eat insects... you know, the stuff WEF wants to feed us. So do catfish.

Raising Catfish in a Barrel - Survival Plus

RAISING CATFISH IN A BARREL The text and illustrations of this article are from Organic Gardening and Farming; October, 1973 The new...continue reading

www.survivalplus.com

That was a really interesting article; I like reading about old ways. Thanks!

 

[xsefan]

,,,"Texas dirt sucks. The central valley in California gets less water than central Texas. Plus its hotter...

Fee Fi Fo Fum, I smell a 'gambler-un'...

C'mon, you make it too easy to see you - No smooth at all...

You're not tryin...You can do better...

I still had tomatos last year. All summer long. It took almost a year to get soil to hold any nutrition. Do it or don't my garden works . Yours?

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

Nice try...gambler.

Going back to smooth, eh...but, I know in time that'll be dispensed with.

 

[wakosama]

Good luck finding a place Glenbo... you might look into DIY 'mobile' or folding coops/runs in the meantime. two or three hens will teach you enough to transition to a dozen or more with less 'challenge'.