Posted On February 8, 2024

$500 Garden Savings in ONE Quick Season

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Homegrown Florida >> Gardening >> $500 Garden Savings in ONE Quick Season

Last Updated on February 8, 2024 by Homegrown Florida

I’m going to guide you through four different styles of gardening that are not only beginner-friendly but also cost-effective. I’ll provide details on what to buy for each gardening style, along with the expected return on investment. Let’s dive in!

Assumptions and Approach:
I made a few assumptions to simplify the process. First, I focused on easily accessible products from major retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, and Amazon. Second, the emphasis was on affordability, so I opted for non-organic solutions, like synthetic fertilizer and traditional seeds. Lastly, I used conservative estimates for harvests to account for potential challenges faced by beginners and the unique gardening conditions in Florida.

1. Individual Container Gardening:
Individual container gardening is versatile, especially for beginners. It’s cost-effective and suitable for various plants. For this style, I recommend using grow bags. Here’s the breakdown of costs:

  • 6 Grow bags (10 gallons each): $20.99
  • Soil (6 bags, 1.5 cubic feet each): $9.97 per bag
  • Fertilizer (Miracle-Gro, 4.25 pounds): $11.97
  • Seeds (for lettuce, kale, peas, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers): $1.69 to $1.99 per pack
  • Tomato Cage: $4.98
  • Cypress Mulch: $2.97

Plants: Lettuce (8 plants), Kale (1 plant), Peas (12 plants), Peppers (2 plants), Cherry Tomatoes (1 plant), Cucumbers (2 plants). Estimated total ROI: $93.52. Return on investment in approximately 4 months.

Container gardening

2. Raised Bed Gardening:
Raised bed gardening is efficient and suitable for various crops. Here’s the cost breakdown for a single raised bed:

  • Raised Bed: $54.99 to $60 (depending on source)
  • Soil (18 bags, 1.5 cubic feet each): $9.97 per bag
  • Fertilizer (Miracle-Gro, 4.25 pounds): $11.97
  • Seeds (same as individual container gardening): $1.69 to $1.99 per pack
  • Tomato Cages (4): $4.98 each
  • Cypress Mulch (2 bags): $2.97 each

Plants: Lettuce (28 plants), Kale (5 plants), Peas (40 plants), Peppers (5 plants), Cherry Tomatoes (5 plants), Cucumbers (10 plants). Estimated total ROI: $555.30. Return on investment in approximately 1.5 months.

Raised bed gardening

3. Vertical Greenstalk Gardening:
Vertical gardening with Greenstalk planters is space-efficient. Here’s the cost breakdown for this style:

  • Green Stock Vertical Garden: $149
  • Support (for Vining plants): $24
  • Soil (5 bags, 1.5 cubic feet each): $9.97 per bag
  • Fertilizer (Miracle-Gro, 4.25 pounds): $11.97
  • Seeds (same as individual container gardening): $1.69 to $1.99 per pack
  • Cypress Mulch: $2.97

Plants: Lettuce (18 plants), Kale (6 plants), Peas (40 plants), Peppers (6 plants), Cherry Tomatoes (5 plants). Estimated total ROI: $364.22. Return on investment in approximately 2 months.

Greenstalk vertical gardening

4. In-Ground Gardening:
In-ground gardening is the simplest and most cost-effective method. Here’s the breakdown for an 8×6 foot in-ground garden bed:

  • Soil Amendment (using Black Cow): $51.76
  • Fertilizer (Miracle-Gro, 4.25 pounds): $11.97
  • Tomato Cages (4): $4.98 each
  • Seeds (same as individual container gardening): $1.69 to $1.99 per pack
  • Cypress Mulch (6 bags): $2.97 each

Plants: Lettuce (16 plants), Kale (2 plants), Peas (32 plants), Peppers (2 plants), Cherry Tomatoes (2 plants), Cucumbers (4 plants). Estimated total ROI: $297.05. Return on investment in approximately 1.5 months.

In ground gardening

This gardening experiment reveals that you can achieve a quick return on investment with various gardening styles. The cheapest options are individual containers and in-ground gardening, with a 4-month and 1.5-month return, respectively. Raised bed gardening shows the highest ROI, with a return in about 1.5 months. Remember, the initial investment decreases over time as you recycle materials and build a healthier ecosystem in your garden. Happy gardening!

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