The most profitable plants in your vegetable garden
It may be impossible to put a price on the satisfaction of bringing in a basket of produce fresh from your garden. As well as the enhanced flavors from having truly fresh produce from your garden compared to that of your local supermarket. Though when I was harvesting my potatoes this summer with my daughter I did have the thought, “Would it have been smarter for me to grow something else in this space?” I estimate out of the 4-5 square feet I used for these plants I probably got about $4-5 worth of potatoes.
I did a little research first to determine yields of various plants per square foot and secondly what the value (organic supermarket prices USD) of the yielded produce at harvest. Given I am a city dweller with a fairly small footprint for my vegetable garden (about 30-35 square feet) making decisions on what to buy at the supermarket and what to grow in the garden may be a huge money saver.
Now from the results below you can see the winners for the most produce value per square foot are many of the leafy green vegetables/herbs (cilantro, lettuce, chives, dill, Swiss chard) next comes many of the larger vine plants (tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, peas) with many of the root plants taking up the rear. Now much of this makes sense where many of the vine plants grow on trellises and are allowed to spread, which I guess is sort of cheating the square foot rule but I will let it slide. Compared to the root plants whose production is entirely dependent on the space allowed in square footage they have to grow as well as these are normally inexpensive produce items to begin with.
| Vegetable | USD Value/SF |
| Cilantro | $ 21.20 |
| Arugula-Roquette | $ 20.92 |
| Green Salad Mix | $ 17.55 |
| Chives | $ 16.40 |
| Dill | $ 16.40 |
| Lettuce | $ 16.20 |
| Tomato, Cherry, small & medium | $ 15.57 |
| Turnip | $ 9.90 |
| Tomato, large | $ 9.50 |
| Squash, Winter | $ 8.40 |
| Tomatillo | $ 8.00 |
| Cucumber | $ 7.74 |
| Basil | $ 6.63 |
| Radish, Red | $ 6.22 |
| Pumpkin | $ 6.20 |
| Chard, Swiss | $ 6.14 |
| Celery | $ 6.00 |
| Squash, Summer | $ 5.96 |
| Choi | $ 5.70 |
| Peas, Snow | $ 4.50 |
| Pepper, Jalapeño | $ 4.50 |
| Squash, Summer, Zucchini | $ 4.17 |
| Onion, Bunching | $ 4.14 |
| Pepper, Bell | $ 3.60 |
| Brussels Sprouts | $ 3.59 |
| Carrots | $ 3.56 |
| Rhubarb | $ 3.25 |
| Squash, Winter, Butternut | $ 3.20 |
| Kale | $ 3.07 |
| Grass, Lemon | $ 3.00 |
| Peas, English | $ 3.00 |
| Onion, Bulb | $ 2.63 |
| Radish, White | $ 2.60 |
| Bean, Bush | $ 2.51 |
| Peas, Edible Pod | $ 2.50 |
| Artichoke, Globe | $ 2.40 |
| Cabbage, Chinese Napa | $ 2.24 |
| Squash, Winter, Delicata | $ 2.10 |
| Spinach, Spring/Fall | $ 1.80 |
| Leeks | $ 1.75 |
| Potatoes | $ 1.50 |
| Parsnips | $ 1.50 |
| Garlic | $ 1.37 |
| Squash, Summer, Yellow | $ 1.34 |
| Parsley | $ 1.31 |
| Corn | $ 1.25 |
| Squash, Winter, Acorn | $ 1.20 |
| Squash, Winter, Hubbard | $ 1.20 |
| Eggplant | $ 1.10 |
| Greens, Mustard | $ 1.10 |
| Rutabaga | $ 1.00 |
| Beet | $ 0.89 |
| Cabbage, Savoy | $ 0.80 |
| Broccoli | $ 0.80 |
| Kohlrabi | $ 0.75 |
| Cauliflower | $ 0.60 |
| Broccoli, Chinese | $ 0.60 |
| Cabbage | $ 0.50 |
Sources: http://www.mcgoodwin.net/pages/ppatch.html for plant yield information, http://shop.safeway.com for current produce prices
Now even with this information I will still plan on growing some onions and garlic since I more than likely would be forced to use dehydrated alternatives due to being too lazy to drive to the supe
rmarket to buy fresh varieties. Though I may be adding some more herbs/greens to my garden this year.
One important thing to remember is you still have to eat the vegetables, throwing $20 worth or arugula or cilantro into the compost bin is not exactly a sound investment.
Related posts:
- Planting seeds outside
- Vegetable gardening may not be "financially" profitable during your first season
- pH needs of plants in soil or hydroponics
- How to water your garden
- Earth Day in the garden
Tags: cilantro, compost, garlic bulbs, herb garden, organic vegetables, outdoor plants, pepper plants, tomato plants, vegetables
January 3rd, 2009 at 7:32 AM
Great information! This will help me in the next few week while I’m deciding what seeds to order for the coming seasons. It will also help me explain to others why I grow so much of this or that. Thanks!
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Thanks for posting this and the references to pricing. We grow two artichoke plants and have gotten at least $50 in one season from one $8 plant. After fertilizing and other costs of care, we’ll probably get a tenfold return on this little investment!
January 3rd, 2009 at 11:16 PM
Huh, wonder why so much for chard and so little for kale? Aren’t they both healthy/trendy at the moment? They take up the same space in my garden, or chard slightly more. Hm. Hey, was thinking of a Seattle garden bloggers meet-up some time here in the near future? Are you interested? If so, please stop by my blog and leave a comment about your availability. Happy New Year! – Karenhttp://greenwalks.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/seattle-area-garden-bloggers-meet-up/
January 4th, 2009 at 9:07 PM
I took a look at the numbers and Swiss Chard was $0.70 more per pound and supposedly should yeild an extra 0.8 lb per square foot. I want to do the numbers again with farmer market prices since the seasonal ones can vary.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:24 AM
Ole Timey gardener here, I feed me and the wife for the bigger part from the garden. We dry a lot of the garden, and pressure can the rest for the long Canadian winters! We also recommend brewing beer and sauerkrauting cabbage.
January 5th, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Cool cost analysis. You kind of have to figure in the cost of labor for planting, maintaining, harvesting, and preparing, which makes garlic a much better deal than, say, shelling peas.
January 5th, 2009 at 5:57 PM
Thanks for all the work! My only question is whether you checked organic or conventional prices on the Safeway website.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:17 PM
For those like me who are not from the USA/Canada and who had never seen the word “Cilantro” before, it’s what the rest of the world calls Coriander.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:53 PM
Molly, good point I don’t grow peas unless I can eat them whole. I can’t imagine making a profit shelling peas.I did use organic prices if they were available otherwise used conventional. I want to update when these vegetables are in season.Sorry always thought leaves were cilantro and seeds Coriander but your right that is just US/Canada. Just to have everyone covered also called dhania, Kothimbir, Kothimira, Kothambari, Kothamalli, kindza, Chinese parsley, and Mexican parsley
January 7th, 2009 at 7:38 AM
Thanks for posting this useful table. I’m approaching value-per-square-foot from a little different perspective because I’m planning to sell some vegetables next season for the first time. I only have very limited land in town available so I need to think about maximizing my return per square foot.I’m a bit confused by the entry on the 10th line, first column, for winter squash at $8.40. Further down the list you also have three other winter squashes listed (butternut, hubbard and acorn) at much lower values per square foot. Is the first one some kind of gourmet winter squash that is valued higher? Or a higher yielding variety?Also, as you mentioned at the end of your post, to save money you have to eat what you grow. There’s no point in filling your entire garden with high value herbs that mostly go to waste. Better to use more of the space for lower valued crops that you will actually eat.Also, I have a book recommendation for you, check out:How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons It’s all about growing more veggies in less space. (The potential yield tables are particularly interesting.)
January 15th, 2009 at 11:51 AM
There is a book by British gardening writer, Joy Larkcom, called “Grow Your Own Vegetables” (ISBN: 978-0711219632). Apart from being a mine of information – seasons, varieties, soil and temperature requirements – it has a value per space rating much like yours. That said, there are things you can grow that you simply can’t buy – ultra-fresh home-grown corn comes to mind.
February 7th, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Good information. As you mention the best value is to grow what you will eat – I would add that for best value concentrate on growing what you can eat fresh. Once you start factoring in the extra time and expense for canning and preserving returns start diminishing.Of course the thing is, since you can’t really buy an equivalent to home canned green beans (just to name one thing) you can’t make an accurate comparison.Part of the value of gardening is intrinsic.
February 9th, 2009 at 9:07 AM
To increase your potato yield in smaller spaces, you can grow vertically. Gradually add containing walls (old tires, barrel sections, open-end boxes etc) and more growing medium as the stems and leaves grow upwards. The green parts will produce more tubers when buried. Keep stacking, burying and letting the plant catch up. Eventually you’ll have a tower filled with potatoes which you can deconstruct and harvest.
February 15th, 2009 at 6:33 AM
I was looking for local hydro farms online. I came across one who grows the top 3 valuable crops for sale. They must have done their research.
March 3rd, 2009 at 7:15 PM
I would love to get all of the info but I can’t seem to get rid of the stupid ad that takes up the right hand information…I know it is most probably me but how do I get that to disappear so I can see all of the numbers. Thank you.
March 4th, 2009 at 7:47 AM
Anonymous, looks like the this was a result of the 3-column site redesign, everything should be showing up now. Sorry for the confusion.
March 7th, 2009 at 3:59 PM
“For those like me who are not from the USA/Canada and who had never seen the word “Cilantro” before, it’s what the rest of the world calls Coriander. January 5, 2009 8:17 PM ” actually coriander is the seed or spice from the cilantro plant, it’s what the rest of the world knows and is laughing at you for.
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:45 AM
Great blog post! I love learning about this online as gardening/landscaping are not only hobbies of mine but I actually do a little bit of work like that during the summer months as a second job. I appreciate your content in your blog and wish that you would keep up the good work
July 21st, 2009 at 6:44 AM
Fabulous! Anyone have thoughts about including cost of irrigation for dry zones like No. California?
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Alex, that is a good point. In general with a few exceptions irrigation is pretty consistent for most plants. The frequency might be more or less but the amounts should be similar. I would be curious what the cost to simply water a square foot of land is. Depending on the technique (drip, soaker, sprinkler, hand watering) costs could also vary.
October 25th, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Hi, I'm just wondering what the time period is per square foot… for example, in one spring/summer season you can get two root crops, one fruit crop, or an ongoing supply of kale picked bit by bit. So is this data per season, or per harvest…? Thanks.
October 27th, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Ash, these numbers are for one harvest, so if you do spring/fall crops can double the profit.
March 15th, 2010 at 2:10 PM
How can the lettuce give you so much per square foot when a head of lettuce takes up a square foot and depending on variety gets you .60 to 3.00a head???
May 21st, 2010 at 9:39 AM
[...] The most profitable plants in your vegetable garden. I don’t care, I’m still growing my broccoli and beets. [...]
May 25th, 2010 at 12:16 PM
I haven’t been following your blog long enough to know whether you grow anything besides veggies, but the most profitable thing in my Seattle garden is surely raspberries. They grow like weeds and require very little tending. The fruit is so expensive in the store, and never as good as it is at home. Takes to freezing really well, too.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:43 AM
kbz, that is a great point fruit is definitely very profitable especially for fruits like blackberries I can pick all I want from the wild.
June 9th, 2010 at 11:48 AM
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June 9th, 2010 at 11:56 AM
I find I save the most money in my garden by having a bay laurel tree. Go price fresh, organic whole bay leaves.
June 9th, 2010 at 12:05 PM
Great info. Expect more comments now that Lifehacker has found you.
What about shallots? Man those things are expensive but awfully easy to grow.
June 9th, 2010 at 12:55 PM
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June 9th, 2010 at 1:36 PM
John, I just noticed the lifehacker mention. Guess we are in for another load test
Shallots are a great example where the premature version can be grown even tighter. Actually this is on the list but under the sudo name “bunching onions”. If anyone doesn’t know what we am talking about we just did a post on shallots/green onions/spring onions… this morning
June 9th, 2010 at 5:49 PM
Hello and thank you for this excellent veggie-ROI information! I just recently expanded my raised bed, square foot garden, and while I’ll say it’s fun to grow EVERYTHING – it sure is nice to know I could be more efficient at it. Not to mention I would plant cilantro in a pot all on it’s lonesome and not take up a precious square foot… that stuff grows like crazy! According to your list, my garden is a little on the inefficient side (check it out: http://richardstep.com/2010/05/25/square-foot-garden-update-irrigation-a-tomato/), but hey – now I know. Thank you again, kind soul!
June 9th, 2010 at 8:27 PM
My veg growing has been reduced to 2 tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, cilantro, basil and kale. But I grow much more fruit than I used to: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries. All grow so well in Seattle.
June 10th, 2010 at 8:15 AM
While I appreciate the effort, I submit that your value scale is distorted by using Safeway’s prices as your baseline. Shopping produce markets and/or farmers’ markets changes the price structure dramatically, and offers fruit/veg more comparable to what you’d grow yourself in terms of freshness and quality.
June 10th, 2010 at 2:35 PM
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June 11th, 2010 at 10:18 AM
What about fennel?
June 11th, 2010 at 12:11 PM
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June 11th, 2010 at 12:55 PM
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June 14th, 2010 at 9:52 PM
absurdist, I have thought about that which probably would be the closest thing to the quality of food picked from your garden. No matter which source I pick there will still be a big descrepency. Depending on region and seasons prices can decrease (or even increase) Around here you pay a premium for local berries at the grocery store (similiar to that at our local farmers market)
Aaron, fennel is a good example I would imagine it would fall pretty high with the rest of the herbs.
June 15th, 2010 at 6:02 PM
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June 18th, 2010 at 10:16 AM
[...] Cheap Vegetable Gardener: The Most Profitable Plants in Your Vegetable Garden Good: leafy greens and herbs. Okay: cucumbers and tomatillos. Bad: cabbage. Poor cabbage. It ain’t get no love, never. [...]
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:51 AM
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June 29th, 2010 at 5:40 PM
interesting enough, but who eats that much cilantro!!
July 3rd, 2010 at 1:04 PM
[...] THE MOST PROFITABLE PLANTS IN YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN [...]
July 10th, 2010 at 5:44 PM
The value in growing your own veggies is partially the price, more valuable is knowing who’s hands have touched it in the process of it getting to your plate and what is has or hasn’t had sprayed or waxed on it.