Garden Tips

Can You Really Save Money on Growing Vegetables?

There are several good reasons to grow a garden.

And with today’s economy, everyone is looking for ways to cut expenses.  Lately, we can read all over the Internet and hear all the time that growing vegetables in your garden can be cheaper, more interesting, and better than buying them at supermarkets.

The biggest concern to most people is the fact that it will save so much money. Growing your own vegetables in the garden or in containers, if done properly, can reduce the amount of money you spent on groceries. But, will you succeed in doing so, depends on the costs involved in growing the crops, amounts and types of vegetables you choose to grow, vegetable yields you could expect from your garden, and many other factors. So, to answer the question from the title: “yes” – if done correctly.

It’s possible to spend a small fortune on a garden. If you go out and buy everything that you need (or you THINK you need) to start a vegetable garden, and then calculate all of the input costs (tools and equipment, fertilizers, pesticides, water, etc.) associated with gardening, you could end up with an astonishing figure. These costs can add up quickly, even for a small vegetable garden. The trick to saving money with a vegetable garden is limiting the costs, while purchasing the things you really need for your vegetable garden.

And one of the most important things that will determinate if you will save money by growing your own vegetables is choosing the types of vegetables to grow in your garden! This is done by factoring in the cost of seeds, fertilizer and water (the cost of growing vegetables) against the cost of purchasing those same vegetables in a grocery store. Some vegetables simply won’t save you much money. For example, corn; because you don’t get a high yield of corn from a small garden and because in season corn is inexpensive to buy, it doesn’t pay off to grow corn in your garden in order to save money on groceries.

So, What Vegetables Will Give You the Most Bang for the Buck?

If you want to start a vegetable garden to save money, consider growing vegetables that give a big yield and have a significant return for an investment. Good way to do this is to select vegetables that are expensive to buy in the grocery store (like tomatoes and melons) or to grow large quantities of vegetables that you purchase regularly.

If you’ve never had a vegetable garden before, take a tip from experienced gardener, and take a look at these six classic vegetables you can grow from seed and harvest throughout the summer, and save some money doing so:

* Bush Snap Beans        * Carrots
* Lettuce                        * Peas
* Bell Pepper s               * Tomatoes

These vegetable seeds are top sellers year after year, and for a good reason! Of course, the varieties change yearly, but standby vegetables like tomatoes, beans and carrots all always at the top of the lists.

Except these six vegetables already mentioned, in order to save money growing vegetables consider vegetables like broccoli, beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, summer squash, spinach, tomatoes and Swiss chard. All these vegetables will provide the biggest returns on your investment of space and time you spend in your vegetable garden.

Even a relatively small garden, say 20′ x 20′, will give you enough room for variety, without being overwhelmed. Of course how much you save by growing your own vegetables depends on the fluctuating cost of food.

Remember, growing vegetables will save you money in the long run – the first year might actually cost more if you need to buy tools, pots and all your seeds, but the second and following years will be much cheaper!

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Facts About Growing Fruit Trees

Planting fruit trees in your yard can be productive. It provides shade for you and the whole family. Birds are also attracted and may be happy in building their nest on the trees. Growing trees can give you a pleasure when they start to bear fruits.

If you plant a single-semi dwarf apple tree, in a season you can produce up to 500 apples. Its productive life can reach 20 years. There is also a tree that has a shorter span in producing fruits, and it can take 8 months up to one year depending on its harvest time.

The benefits of planting fruit trees are many, you have to consider many things including, the type and size of trees, the location of the trees to grow, the condition of the soil, and the maintenance. It’s not that easy to grow fruit trees, but you can fully enjoy the rewards when it bears fruit.

If you want to have a shady tree, an oak or maple tree is the best choice to plant. It can be grown several feet away from your home in your backyard. Make sure that your fruit trees are not planted near your fence. When they are grown, they can damage your fence and can cause trouble to your neighbors.

The soil conditions are also an important consideration. If you are in a community that always experiencing drought, you can choose a Russian olive tree, Pear tree, and apple tree. These trees are well-suited for dry land. To improve the soil conditions you can add compost, mulch, or top soil. Make sure to water the soil constantly. An arborist can recommend to you different trees that are appropriate to your soil.

All trees require maintenance, which is another consideration in growing fruit trees. During the first year, pruning fruit trees are very important to get rid of any dead limbs or branches. These limbs should be inspected for any pest infestations. Trees that are planted closer to your houses should be pruned regularly.

There are three sizes of fruit trees that you can choose from. There are dwarf fruit trees, which are ideal for small spaces. They do very well in an 8’ diameter area. They are the easiest way to prune and harvest because they do not grow tall. The fruit has a normal size; the disadvantage is, it can produce less and has a shorter life span.

The semi-dwarf fruit tree requires a growing area of 15’ diameter, and they can range in height from 10 to 16’. They need annual pruning to keep the height down and the shape balanced. These trees are very productive; it can produce hundreds of fruit in one season.

The standard fruit trees are huge, which requires more space. It is more difficult to prune and harvest. At the peak of their growth, they can reach 40’ high, if left un-pruned. They are great for grandchildren to climb on and to attach a swing to it.

In choosing the trees to plant, it is helpful to go to the local nursery to check the different varieties. There are fruit trees that do not self-pollinate, so be ready with your pollinators.

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