Start Your Garden Now for Cheap Meals All Summer

Since you want your garden to help you save money, you should focus on vegetables with high prices at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. For example, retailers charge about $1.77 for a pound of tomatoes. The price can get much higher when you buy heirloom and specialty varieties. A pound of tomatoes grown at home costs about 25 cents.

Growing peppers can also help you save money. A pound of peppers at the grocery store costs about $2.37. With the right planning, you can grow a pound of peppers for just 10 cents.

You can also save money by growing:

• Broccoli
• Cherry tomatoes
• Kale
• Potatoes
• Lettuce
• Asparagus

Some gardens cost more than others. If you want to save money while reaping large yields, contact your local County Extension Office. Many of them offer free soil testing. If you have healthy soil, then you don’t need to spend much money on fertilizers, compost, other additives. You can remove the grass with a shovel and start planting vegetables immediately.

You will save money by purchasing transplants from nurseries. If you plan to garden for more than a few seasons, though, you should consider investing in systems that let you start plants from seed. Eventually, your investment will make growing food very cheap.

To start plants from seed, you will need:

• Containers
• Potting soil
• Grow lights
• Seeds.

You may also need a heat source depending on your home’s temperature.

Overall, you can expect to spend anywhere from $50 to $150 on a basic setup. (Get more tips on landscaping on a budget here.)

The more produce you get from your garden, the less you spend per pound. Use the following tips to increase your harvest and keep your investment low:

• Buy seeds or transplants from a reliable source.
• Learn the right times to plant seeds and transplants.
• Harden seedlings by exposing them to the outdoors for a few hours a day.
• Use kitchen scraps and paper to make your own mulch.
• Stagger your plants to fit more into your garden bed.
• Choose plants that grow vertically (such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans).
• Use nets and beneficial insects to keep pests away from your vegetables.

You will get the best return on your garden by using it for several years. You can even collect seeds from heirloom plants to use next year.

Most importantly, choose vegetables and fruits that your family loves to eat! You’ll find this frugal kitchen hack can drastically cut your grocery costs over the summer and into the fall harvest, too.