With spring (finally!) almost here, it’s beginning to get into planting season. While you may think that growing your own fruits and veggies at home is just too much work and takes up too much time, there are so many benefits to home gardening that it’s more than worth it in the long run.
A Way to Save Money
Home gardening can help cut down on your grocery budget by lowering the amount of money you need to spend on fruits and vegetables. The initial cost of the plants or seeds is outweighed by the amount of money you can save in the long run. Growing your own garden can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run, especially since the price of organic vegetables from the store is so high.
A study done by Iowa State University compared the price of buying vegetables from the store against the price of growing your own. The tomato, the most popular vegetable to grow at home, would cost you about $15 for four plants. The average yield for a row of four tomato plants is 60 pounds, and the average retail price per pound of tomatoes is $1.77, while growing your own at home would only cost about $0.25. This is true for all vegetables grown at home: while you do have to pay a bit up front for the plants or seeds, the yield of produce will pay you back tenfold.
Gardening Time Spent With the Family
Gardening is an activity that people of all ages can participate in, and it’s never too early to start teaching your kids how to grow their own food. Letting the whole family participate in the planting and care of a garden is not only a fun project, but a way for everyone to unite towards a common goal and see the results of working together. Younger kids can help out too – give them small tasks to do alongside you in the garden and they’ll be excited to get to help!
So Many Health Benefits
The obvious health benefit to organic gardening at home is organic fruits and veggies. Growing them yourself ensures that you know exactly how they were grown, and you don’t have to worry about pesticides or other chemicals.
Gardening is also a great way to exercise, and being outside gardening in the sun is a great source of Vitamin D. (Just remember to wear sunscreen!) And not to mention the mental payoff of knowing you’ve grown your own fruits and veggies – the results speak for themselves!
