I read that square foot gardening is less expensive than normal, how is that?
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My new square foot garden. 4 x 4 foot box. Planting tomorrow!
Question by Okc-Bro: I read that square foot gardening is less expensive than normal, how is that?
Once you figure in the cost of the lumber and all the other materials you would use making a raised bed (soil, amendments, etc) how can this be? Yes, it requires less work, but how is it less expensive?
normal as in in the ground.
Thanks Cat for all the details
Feel free to answer in the comment section below
3 Responses to I read that square foot gardening is less expensive than normal, how is that?
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I have no idea. It seems enormously expensive to me. I work in a nursery, and I can always tell the “square-foot-ers”, because they ask for five kinds of compost. I swear, the first year, each tomato they grow must cost about $ 25.
But to address your question – well, it’s really and truely un-answerable, isn’t it – UNLESS “normal” gardening is spelled out.
Maybe, if “normal” is considered to be gardens that are tilled regularly with rented or purchased equipment…maybe eventually that would be pricier. But I’m not sure how many home gardeners till every year…especially if you compare similarly sized gardens.
I have an enormous garden, but I only tilled the first time – to break the sod. Since then, I top dress, using my own compost (free), and put it to bed with leaves taken from the curb when my neighbors put out their bagged fall rakings (also free). My garden will be cheaper than the “square foot” method anyday – if all the materials are bought new.
But am I “normal”? What IS “normal” gardening? I’d think there are so many varied ways to garden, all perfectly legit, that defining “normal” might be tricky.
That said – it’s perfectly reasonable to set up a square foot garden using found materials, and getting composted manure from different farms, and essentially starting the whole thing up without the big outlay of money. So Square-Foot gardening doesn’t HAVE to be expensive. And I’m all for that. (I’m also not against spending the money – everyone needs a hobby, and just because I’m a tightwad doesn’t mean everybody has to be)
Cat
May 7, 2011 at 2:15 pm
It’s not and anybody who tells you it is delusional. Now it is cheaper than eating out every night for a year. Or even than buying the veggies at Vitamin Cottage or Wild Oats. But as far cheaper than regular gardening, NO!
If managed properly, (and the weather and bugs cooperate) it’ll give you great tasting quality produce.
SLA
May 7, 2011 at 2:45 pm
I just made a raised bed on top of my normal garden – though much bigger than a square foot so it’s not really the same. It was more expensive than I’d planned but because of the way my garden worked out it was a good idea, and fun. It’s 1.2m by 2.4m and the wood was about $ 30, I drilled it into place which was about $ 5, and I used some of my own compost which was free but also some bought potting mix which was about $ 20. I did it because my soil wasn’t very good and the garden has been in a pretty bad state so I wanted a clearly defined area. I saw a pre-packaged small raised vegetable box in the same shop I bought my materials and the price of the wooden box was more than I spent on everything. (BTW the $ is in Australian so it’ll be slightly less in $ US.)
I can see how one square foot garden might be cheaper and easier than making your whole garden plantable, but doing lots of them seems really expensive – the wood would be the most expensive part.
Trying to Grow
May 7, 2011 at 3:27 pm