The Costs of Gardening.

So I'm not going to include the "labor" costs of raising a garden, but I am curious as to how much money I spend each year on my garden.  Now granted, I have a few materials from my previous community garden, so I'm going to count those as "free".  Not counting previously owned materials, this running total is in reference to all things gardening I buy throughout the year.

March 2, 2014
Pepper, California Wonder - $1.35
Broccoli, de Cicco - $2.70 (2 pack)
Tax - $0.28
Total - $4.33

March 9, 2014
Pellet Refills - $3.98
Tax - $0.27
Total - $4.25

April 4, 2014
Tomato Planter (16 ct.) - $6.47
Beefsteak Tomato Seeds - $1.34
Roma Tomato Seeds - $1.34
Jalapeno Pepper Seeds - $1.48
Crimson Giant Radish Seeds - $1.34
Caesar Lettuce Seeds - $1.48
Scarlet Nantes Carrot Seeds - $1.18
Mammoth Dill Seeds - $1.34
Sugar Baby Watermelon Seeds - $1.18
Picklebush Cucumber Seeds - $1.88
Kitchen King Garden Bean Seeds - $1.64
Tax - $1.45
Total - $22.12

Starting with the Seeds

When March Madness comes around, the first thing that comes to mind is "Go Tarheels!"  The second thing is making sure I have seeds started.  At the bottom of this post is a table that helps me remember to start seeds around March 15.

So far the broccoli was planted on March 15th, and I'm planting the cauliflower today.  I still need to buy the other seeds, so I'll update the blog when that time comes.  Ideally I would have started them at the same time, but I didn't have the seeds (other than cauliflower).  I'll get the cauliflower in the dirt today and get the others sometime this week.

Starting Seeds around March 15th
Seeds to Start	Spacing Plants/Rows	Days to Harvest (as Plants)
Broccoli	18/24	60-70
Early Cabbage	12/18	60-70
Cauliflower	12/24	50-60
Celery	6/30	100-110
Head Lettuce	8/15	60-70

 

Introductory Post

Wowza!  Finally into our new (and hopefully forever) home, it's time to plan our garden.  I have a general idea of what will go in it (i.e., broccoli, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, peas), but THIS year I really want to make the most of it.  For the past two years, our garden was part of a community garden, and I had to drive 10 minutes away to get to it.  Doing that three times a week was awful, so this year (and many more time come) should be a BIG relief.

Using this blog, I hope to share with you progress and tips learned along the way.  My main resources are Month-by-Month Gardening in Iowa and Guide to Iowa Vegetable Gardening.  Of course I'll be using others' blogs and videos, but I'll link them here as well.  Ultimately as I share this progress, I'll have a main skeleton for the year, adding and revising as the years go by.  Good luck, and happy gardening!