Growing your own produce at home instead of buying it from a market or supermarket is good for both, your nutrition and your food budget.
In this post, we will talk about what are the best crops to grow at home that will save money on your grocery bills.
Is gardening to save money possible?
The quick answer is yes if you grow the right crops. Of course, there are plenty of other benefits to gardening, such as spending time in nature and eating healthy.
When choosing what to grow, you should look for plants that aren’t prone to pests and diseases, that you have the space for, that your family enjoys eating, and that are easier to grow.
Here is a list of vegetables, fruits, and herbs that are high-yield, low cost and easy to grow:
Herbs
Herb seed packets are not expensive and most of them grow year after year.
Herbs are easy to grow and they are rarely bothered by pests. Some good examples are basil, thyme, mint, parsley, and chives. Remember to choose the ones that you enjoy eating.
Lettuce and greens
Salad leaves when harvested little and often, single sowing should continue to produce fresh leaves for months. Expect an abundance of high-value leaves from even just a few containers.
If you pick the larger outer leaves first, a couple of leaf lettuce plants will produce enough for your family’s salad and then, in a week’s time, the same plant will be ready to harvest again.
Leafy greens like kale and chard can be a steady supply of leaves for many months, making them a great option.
Tomatoes and Cucumbers
Fruiting vegetables that climb, or that can be trained to grow vertically, will produce a lot from a relatively small area. Tomatoes and cucumbers fit into this category, they will give you lots of flavorsome fruits from just a few plants.
Place them in a sunny spot and choose varieties that are suited to your climate. Home-grown tomatoes taste so much better than supermarket-bought ones.
Zucchini and summer squash
There are so many different types of squash to grow depending on your preference. They can be used in a variety of ways including roasted, baked, and in salads.
Zucchini is popular for its heavy cropping habit. And like squash, it is versatile in the kitchen, it can be used in everything from stir fries to cakes. Try to grow companion plants such as marigolds nearby, to attract pollinators and get even more fruits.
Green beans
Like the zucchini, beans are well known for high yield, once they start cropping they will continue to produce their pods in abundance all summer long. The best part, they are easy to grow and tasty.
Spring onions
Spring onions are easy to grow and add so much taste to your dishes. Furthermore, it’s cheaper to grow it than it is to buy it from the local supermarket.
Celery
Celery is a key ingredient in many soups, stews, and salads. Its compact shape and the fact that you can harvest it one stem at a time means none of the waste associated with purchasing a whole head of celery. Water well in dry weather and get ready for a beautiful intense flavor. Plus, this is one of the vegetables that can be grown from food scraps.
In conclusion, be patient with your garden and you will soon be enjoying its rewards. Remember, choose fruits, vegetables and herbs that your family enjoys eating, nothing tastes better than home-grown food. Check out this post for tips on how to start your vegetable garden at home.
