Growing your own vegetable garden can be cheap or expensive depending on how much you invest into its foundation and whether you choose to grow from seed or starter plants. Soil investment is a MAJOR key. My soil is a mixture of mushroom compost, perlite (for aeration and drainage), and mixed bags of organic garden soil. I started this garden in 2012 which netted me decent harvests over the years, but I didn’t add the mushroom compost and perlite until this year (due to availability/budget). I have also been throwing in the peels of the many bananas I eat a day. I am expecting MUCH more from this 4’x4’ plot this year despite the crazy inconsistent weather patterns. I also added something called cocoa mulch on top to help retain moisture and it smells AWESOME (like cocoa).
This year’s garden gains:
Organic kale, green okra, pimento, green bell sweet peppers, rosemary, cilantro, edamame, Chinese cabbage, beefsteak tomatoes, hula berry white strawberries, and cucumbers (in the gallon containers).
I’ve definitely spent more on the garden than what I’ve gotten in return (so far), but I find it therapeutic and fascinating to see everything growing by the day.