Its amazing how little space you really need to be able to feed yourself a consistent supply of vegetables. Daryl and I are getting a salad a day out of the arugula, and we just started with 3 rows on a 2'.5"x'1.5" plot. As soon as the romaine lettuce starts getting big enough to eat, we are going to be overflowing with fresh veggies. Its only been 2.5 months since I started and laid my first seed and it could potentially last until next winter.
MARKET:
Cost of one bunch of organic arugula @ Whole Foods: $1.99
Cost of bulk baby arugula: $6.99/lb
HOME GROWN:
Cost of certified organic arugula seeds: $1.89
Cost of water: in my case, free
Cost of soil: about 2$ for that plot
Cost of fertilizer: less than $1.00
Cost of pesticides (neem oil): less than a dollar
__________________________________
Grand Total: $6.00/plot MAX for salad every night the rest of the year
(same cost as 3 bunches of arugula at the market)
And that's just the arugula! How can you afford not to?
Benefits of Home Gardening:
- Save money at the market
- Sense of pride and accomplishment
- Reduce pesticide, herbicide & GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) intake
- Freshest food in town - picked 10 minutes before preparation
- Mood enhancer, stress reducer, outdoor activity for the family, educational opportunity
- Burn calories, build muscle, exposure to fresh air and sunlight for Vitamin D
- Low in calories and high in nutrients and disease fighters
 |
| Arugula - enough for salad every night |
 |
| Radishes - already harvested half of them - 2 month cycles |
 |
| Elephant Garlic |
 |
| Carrot greens coming up |
 |
| Brandy-wine Heirloom Tomato I started from seed in January |
No comments:
Post a Comment