Shiloh Acres
Lovin' The Homestead
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- Jun 29, 2010
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My garden absolutely saved me money this year.
I didn't measure it. Let's just say it's small. It was going to be four small raised beds and I merged them into one. I planted around 40 tomato plants, 16 peppers (bell, jalepeno, and habanero), and 11 strawberry plants.
The strawberry plants cost the most ($7) and were a total loss. I spent a total of $21.50 on all the other plants (including a bunch that never made it into the garden, like my heritage tomatoes that died). Most of them were 6-cell starters from Wal-Mart that I bought for $1.50, later for $1.
I spent $3 on pots at the dollar store to size up my heritage tomatoes before planting them out. I spent $10 on a bottle of BT to spray for hornworms. And whatever gas went into the tiller. Probably less than $3.
So total cost was $44.50? I could knock most of that off if I didn't buy the heritage tomatoes or strawberries, which produced zero for me. But how can you know in advance? I plan to try them both again next year.
I dug soil from the old barn floor, which was probably highly organic-type (meaning decomposed manure of some sort). And I have a compost pile going which will continue to provide. I have LOTS of animal poop LOL. There were pieces of fencing and cut down hog panels lying around that I used for support stakes, along with extra t-posts. I was lucky I guess to have useable "junk" on the premesis. I used a roll of old plant tie tape I found lying around. It wasn't too pretty at first but the plants cover it. I will probably work out something more permanent next year, but all this can be reused. I even use recycled water from the goose pond to water everyday. Which does use electricity in a pump for a minute to pump out but I like that better than toting all that water. If I had a long enough spare hose I could do 90% of it via siphon. That waters and fertilizes
I thought I should get an idea of how much produce I got, but I have never weighed it. I have put up dozens of bags on frozen cooked tomatoes though, and I'm sure I was getting over ten pounds many days, and over 20 for a while. Fewer peppers, but as many as I will need for a year anyway. And I would have bought tomatoes, for sure. At only 99 cents a pound, which I almost never find, I'd need only 45 pounds to break even.
Oh. I did buy the freezer bags at Costco. But if I'd get brave enough to actually CAN them, which I really do intend to do, I have enough jars to put up a few dozen at least. The freezer bags were only a couple dollars cuz I bought a large 4-pack. The quart bags were essentially free, given what I pay for gallons normally.
I'd like to know what the garden did for me financially, but I KNOW I'm ahead. Now, this morning I was trying to figure out if my herdqueen doe, who is most susceptible to worms, has tiny teats, is worth keeping just for crossbred kids she might produce if I decide she's still too much trouble to milk with her 2nd freshening next year. I can't charge much for the doelings with her tiny teats, though she produces well. I eat goat meat, but I have yet to actually butcher a buckling I've raised.
I didn't measure it. Let's just say it's small. It was going to be four small raised beds and I merged them into one. I planted around 40 tomato plants, 16 peppers (bell, jalepeno, and habanero), and 11 strawberry plants.
The strawberry plants cost the most ($7) and were a total loss. I spent a total of $21.50 on all the other plants (including a bunch that never made it into the garden, like my heritage tomatoes that died). Most of them were 6-cell starters from Wal-Mart that I bought for $1.50, later for $1.
I spent $3 on pots at the dollar store to size up my heritage tomatoes before planting them out. I spent $10 on a bottle of BT to spray for hornworms. And whatever gas went into the tiller. Probably less than $3.
So total cost was $44.50? I could knock most of that off if I didn't buy the heritage tomatoes or strawberries, which produced zero for me. But how can you know in advance? I plan to try them both again next year.
I dug soil from the old barn floor, which was probably highly organic-type (meaning decomposed manure of some sort). And I have a compost pile going which will continue to provide. I have LOTS of animal poop LOL. There were pieces of fencing and cut down hog panels lying around that I used for support stakes, along with extra t-posts. I was lucky I guess to have useable "junk" on the premesis. I used a roll of old plant tie tape I found lying around. It wasn't too pretty at first but the plants cover it. I will probably work out something more permanent next year, but all this can be reused. I even use recycled water from the goose pond to water everyday. Which does use electricity in a pump for a minute to pump out but I like that better than toting all that water. If I had a long enough spare hose I could do 90% of it via siphon. That waters and fertilizes
I thought I should get an idea of how much produce I got, but I have never weighed it. I have put up dozens of bags on frozen cooked tomatoes though, and I'm sure I was getting over ten pounds many days, and over 20 for a while. Fewer peppers, but as many as I will need for a year anyway. And I would have bought tomatoes, for sure. At only 99 cents a pound, which I almost never find, I'd need only 45 pounds to break even.
Oh. I did buy the freezer bags at Costco. But if I'd get brave enough to actually CAN them, which I really do intend to do, I have enough jars to put up a few dozen at least. The freezer bags were only a couple dollars cuz I bought a large 4-pack. The quart bags were essentially free, given what I pay for gallons normally.
I'd like to know what the garden did for me financially, but I KNOW I'm ahead. Now, this morning I was trying to figure out if my herdqueen doe, who is most susceptible to worms, has tiny teats, is worth keeping just for crossbred kids she might produce if I decide she's still too much trouble to milk with her 2nd freshening next year. I can't charge much for the doelings with her tiny teats, though she produces well. I eat goat meat, but I have yet to actually butcher a buckling I've raised.
