Infographic: Home gardening in the U.S.
As more and more Americans grow their own fruits and vegetables, MNN digs up some dirt on this DIY food revolution.
- A guide for the first-time gardener
- Easy vegetables to grow
- How to protect urban gardens from air pollution
- 5 delicious garden-to-table recipes
- See more MNN infographics
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Comments
I hear that the feds are going to put the kibosh on growing your own vegies. If they catch you giving away vegies to your neighbors they can charge you with treason under Homeland Security.
Show us where this claim is located in any Federal Code, copy and paste for all to see. I don't buy it.
Why is there always that one person who has to clarify that vegetables are FRUITS?
Many of our "veggies" (tomatoes, cukes, squash) *are*, botanically speaking, fruits. However, in culinary terms, as most of speak, they are vegetables. Botanically, when a plant produces something to carry its seed, it is a "fruit." Touche', you win. But, in the everyday world of the average gardener/cook, they are vegetables. Please, give it a rest.
You left the Upper Peninsula of Michigan off your map. Jeez oh man!
They should have left off the entire state of Michigan, cuz we're from O-HI-O!
Why waste a lot of water on a back lawn? Most of mine is vegetable, and my financial return is far above this article's average. It doesn't take a huge garden to grow a few thousand dollars worth of veggies at today's store prices; the average suburban back yard could do it. Isn't always healthy, though; all those bacon-tomato sandwiches I have in late summer and fall with still warm from the sun tomatoes probably wouldn't be recommended healthwise, but the flavor can't be bought from a.... More
Because it is hard to play catch with your son in a vegetable garden.
Do some research on bacon on www.westonaprice.org and you will be thrilled to eat BLT's not on only guilt-free, but knowing you are doing something good for your body. Not all bacon is created equal, however. Find some bacon from pastured pigs.
I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have a garden. I also grow in pots on the back porch.
The best and cheapest soil amendments I've found are leaves in the fall and grass clippings in the summer. I mow the leaves and collect them in 4' diameter wire compost piles. Then I put them on the garden after the season is done and till them in. If there are any left I use them the next year as mulch. They will get wet and compact, so you might want to keep them dry. Grass clippings.... More
Forget the percentages, yield, money saving-- it's not that much! It's the joy of growing something-- just like our ancestors. Everyone should know how to grow something. It's ingrown in our souls. It's antidepressants in the dirt. It's relief from the world. That's what gardening is
We have 60 sq feet, including paths. We grow fancy hot garlic, and tomatoes, basil, red onions, and more tomatoes! We let the pros grow the squashes and the corn. It's about density, for a small garden. Just grow those foods that take less land per fruit, are most expensive, and/or most delicious.
I agree, it's not just saving money, but a lot of what I grow, even tomatoes and peppers, are getting so expensive I consider them a luxury purchase and seldom buy them - but in late summer and fall, I indulge in them, and share with family and friends, and fill a chest freezer for healthy food till next summer. Yes, it's a big garden, but since I retired, I can take care of it. "Antidepressant" - absolutely.
:))
We have had an urban garden for almost fifteen years and every year we have some success and some loss. Last year was a banner tomato year.
I can, grow herbs and try to stretch my garden into the other seasons by doing a number of things. It's such a great thing to teach your children and to do for yourself.
This year I am keeping track of the financial investment to see how much I get back. No matter what - growing your own food is a great thing to do.
My husband and I have ample vegetable gardens & I don't think we spend any 5 hours per week taking care of it. As long as we repurpose newspapers or shredded paper for mulch to keep the weeds down, all it needs is an occasional watering during a dry spell. At the end of the season, the repurposed papers just till right in.
I think growing your own food is absolutely wonderful. Being a senior citizen, I have grown my vegetables and fruits for years. One of the best aspects of this is the exercise it gives the body. What a great way to begin the day heading to the garden early in the morning to see to the crops. I agree, one can grow herbs, tomatoes, almost anything in pots on the deck, balcony or patio. It is fun!!! Grandkids love it too.!!
Growing my vegetables for the two years now. I simply love it. What's better than growing and eating your own artichokes, corn on the cob, fresh garlic, lettuce, squash, broccoli, califlower, cabbage, green onion, tomatoes, grapes, peaches, apples, and herbs?
You don't have to have a yard to grow veggies. Many of them, like tomatoes, grow well in pots on an apartment patio. Just add sunshine and water.
depending on the amount of direct sun: lettuces, mustards and other greens, peppers, herbs, radishes . . .
The numbers tell me that gardening is a better investment than the stock/bond market. Put in $70 and have a net profit of $530.
We're encouraging millions of Americans who grow food in home gardens to donate their excess garden produce to a local food pantry... easily found at www.AmpleHarvest.org.
For many people who have a hard time right now donating to charity, AmpleHarvest.org enables people to reach into their backyard instead of their back pocket to help their neighbors in
Love your organization, been following it for a long time. Great job.
By the way, home garden "net profit" of $570 is not taxed by the IRS. (yet)
Ok gardeners, remember to keep your environments as organic as possible. Pesticides, herbicides, and even commercial fertilizers can make your yard a toxic landmine. http://www.gardenview.com
http://thebayougardener.com - Click on the forum link
I'm not surprised that the number of home gardens has gone up. I travel a lot and I've noticed that a high percentage of back yards have gardens in them these days. It's a good idea to know how to support yourself to some degree.
I took up gardening again as soon as I saw Obama was going to win the election. Good thing. Food prices are predictably skyrocketing. Also, there's just something not right about not knowing how to grow your own food. You never know when it might be vital that you can do so.
OK, so you'd like to blame food prices on Obama. I have a mixed reaction to that. On one hand, you started growing your own food. Awesome. On the other hand, implying that is the fault of our current president is extreme fallacy. EVERYONE on both sides of the aisle knows Obama took office with Americas finances in the second-worst state in our nations history, second only to the Great Depression. That was due to the 8-year term of G Dub's. He cut taxes for the wealthy and got us involved in.... More
what about us who are trying but having no luck....I wanna be part of the averages!! Stupid tomatoes won't turn red and I think I cut the wrong stem on the berrie bush...aauugghhh!
Maybe we can help? Go to www.smartgardener.com. We help make it much easier and more convenient to grow your own vegetables. This product came out of my own personal frustration - just like yours! We help you create the garden according to your growing conditions and then send you weekly To Dos. Try it out and let me know if it helps you become more successful at gardening.
Kristee - Founder, Designer, CEO, Gardener,
paper bag, in the dark...give them 6 weeks (assuming they are slightly tinged orange or yellow) and they will be awesome. In NY, I ate my harvest in mid-december after 2 months almost in paper bags. Have faith. You will learn...
tomatoes don't turn red because you've got too much nitrogen in the garden, or you've not waited long enough.
you can eat them green, though
We all learn from our mistakes. That black thumb will be green in no time. Don't give up!
everybody is growing vegetables like crazy....but i"m terrible at it!! LOL....good thing people like me exist...we keep farmers' markets in business.
My garden last year took a lot of work and didn't produce very many "edible" veges. This year I bought a load of manure and tilled it in about a month before planting. Then I went to a local landscape company and bought a load of very rich dirt they use for potting plants. I put a little bit of this dirt on top of each row after I had planted and my garden is beautiful this year. I really believe proper soil preparation is the key to a successful garden. Hope this helps.
In the plant nursery were I worked the mantra was: 50 cent plan in $5 dirt will outperform a $5.00 plant in 50 cent dirt.
make sure you know the manure source and what the animals are eating. some herbicides pass through into the manure and kill your garden. it's tragic. google " clopyralid compost " for a sample of academic articles.
... and how long before local .gov gets involved and starts some kind of a control process? common folks growing their own food cuts into the corporate profit & control model. can't have that ...
got to watch the zoning laws so you don't run afoul. and make sure to reach out to neighbors and people so they don't get alienated by whatever knew gardening is going on. ounce of prevention...
Here in Tampa Florida the local gov actually tried to come in and tell community gardens that we were going to have to have all kinds of lic and regulations in place...including aerial surveys! In the “poor section” of town that we live in people have started “guerrilla gardens” where people takeover abandoned empty lots between homes and start food gardens. Code enforcement wants that to stop. I guess they like trash strewn empty dumping lots better than gardens that help people that.... More
I love that people are beginning to grow their own veggies and herbs. We have a 225 sq ft garden that produces a lot of food - enough for the two of us with some to share.
just wondering if you have an estimate of the average size of a regular family home veg garden... 600sq ft sounds way too big... Btw: i love the graphic! i'm gonna print it and stick in my cubicle at work! :)
I plant a 7400 square foot garden in spring and 4000 square feet in fall. I eat fresh, can and then give away the rest to churches and neighbors. This is timber country not farm land so not a lot of people here get truly fresh food. If I didn't give anything away I would still need 4000 square feet just to grow the varieties I need. Potatoes, turnips, corn and vining crops like cantaloupes, watermelons, spaghetti squash, cucumbers and the like need space even with trellis support. Some.... More
True. Vining crops can take a lot of space. One pumkin could easily take up 10 x 10
600 sq ft isn't that big, just 20X30. even my 12 year old neighbor's bitty garden is 10X20, and he's got only a few cabbages, tomatoes, onions, peppers,brussels sprouts and some lettuce in it.
I have topsy turvey--- the green tomatoes...see comment above and I have to berry bushes in planters...thinking waaaayyyy smaller then even 89 sqft
I have some container gardening. I am a full time RVer, and space is truly limited. We have to be able to pick the containers up and put them in the RV when we move. It has created some weird moments.
My husband built me four raised garden beds (only concrete on our side lot so they are up on blocks) that are 4x4 foot. We have grown enough in the first year that we feed the three adults in our home and give bags of produce to all our neighbors weekly. Sq foot gardening saves water (big here in Florida as we are in draught) saves time and money. Easy to make the boxes!
