[Marcie]

I was curious, so I have calculated how much money I have saved by gardening already this season. I planted in February (in my greenhouse and outside) We have about 300-320 growing day here in Texas. So here is What I have picked so far. Weights are approximate, but pretty close. Cucumbers 40lbs, Tomatoes at least 50lbs, Green Beans at least 20 lbs, Zucchini at least 20 lbs, Yellow Crookneck squash, at least 10 lbs, and I picked my first cantaloupe today Then we have all of the Herbs I grow. Dill, parsley, onion, garlic, basil, chives, oregano, coriander. (I know I am missing some) Then we come to leaf lettuce and spinach, radish and carrots, of which I have no idea how much I have picked.
So by looking at the cheapest prices and comparing my vegies and herbs, it looks like I have about a $300.00 savings so far! I did count for seeds and watering (I have a well) and I do have water reserves that run off of the greenhouse eves.
So, I'm thinking, I'm pretty happy about now.
I will be happy to keep picking and putting up my crops the way this is going I sure am busy tho!
BTW, I lost my corn to the grasshoppers

 

[willow]

Way to go, Marcie! Aren't you the one that gardens in kiddy pools, too? If so, was everything in the pools?

 

[Marcie]

Yes, I do garden in the pools! I do grow everything in the pools except for tomatoes and corn. Also, my herbs are in longs planters from General Dollar Store

 

[Vectorwoman]

Yes, I do garden in the pools! I do grow everything in the pools except for tomatoes and corn. Also, my herbs are in longs planters from General Dollar Store

Kiddie pools? Hm great idea. :thumb:

 

[Marcie]

I have a couple pics in my albums. I have done this for 5 years now

 

[Marcie]

here is another one

 

[hedgerowpete]

i have a standard allotment plot and because i dont have the ability to store all the years worths for produce i select a better return by growing foods that are more out of season and or higher prices , so spuds say(potato) we use about 500kg 1000lb a year but i cant store more than 100kg 200lb for a long term so we grow smaller potatoes and eat when fresh rather than stores so i plant three times rather than once,

tomatoes are the same, the lack of space limits the amount i can grow or store so we grow small ones more as they grow in hanging baskets on top of my fence posts,

we used to have a much larger set up at our old house so we did grow almost all our own food, savings wise for me is higher at about £100 per month from lack of shop brought goods

 

[Marcie]

Have you tried dehydrating? That is what I do with most of my food that is extra. My dehydrated tomatoes are the bomb! I mostly grow what we eat, but I can not grow potatoes here to safe my life. but they are cheap enough. I grow a cold weather crop too, and I don't get to dehydrate as much of those items, but it keeps me and my BFF and neighbor in most things.
I bet you miss your big garden, I know I would

 

[Emerald Eyes]

I have a couple pics in my albums. I have done this for 5 years now

I went to your profile page. What albums?

 

[Emerald Eyes]

here is another one

another what? (is my computer screwing up?)

 

[Marcie]

Aww, i have been having problems with some people being able to see my pics and some not. grr. I don't know what it is. If you go to my profile and look at my bug out ranch photos, you can see them, they are my pool gardens. One with squash and one with lettuce, onion and radish

 

[Kansas Terri]

Marcie, what do you do with your dehydrated tomatos? I have a lot left over from last fall, and I need to use them up because my tomatos are beginning to bear again!

I got a lot of salad greens, but the rest are just beginning to bear. We have eaten tomatos as a vegetable twice, okra 3 times, broccoli, and 2 very small but ripe watermelons.

I like this type of melon. It is a Hime Kansen melon from a Japanese seed company on California. I only got 2 melons from 2 plants but the plants are very healthy and I bet it will bear until frost. It is a hybrid but I am saving seeds anyways. It is red and crisp and sweet and juicy, and large melons are over rated unless you have a crowd to feed instead of 4!

The main plants are just beginning to bear, and I hope to have a harvest of everything until frost.

 

[Marcie]

Your plants sound great kansas Terri. As for my tomatoes, I do lots of things. First I dehydrated them and put some in canning jars and put them in the dark cabinet with my spices. I rehydrate them and use them for making sauces, I eat them as a snack, I add a little olive oil to a few in a jar and use it for tomato paste, I vacuum seal some and then put them in a ziplock freezer bag and put them in the freezer, you can put them on pizzas, sandwiches, etc. I can always find a use for tomatoes, I love them

 

[Marcie]

OK, on round 2 of gardens for the year. Then it will be time to plant the cool weather crops! Whoooohooooo!