Is Growing Your Own Food Actually Cheaper? Best Vegetables to Grow

A small package of fresh basil can cost nearly as much as a whole basil plant. A bag of salad greens disappears after two lunches. And somehow, a handful of cherry tomatoes can add several dollars to your grocery bill.

These are the kinds of purchases that make growing your own vegetables seem particularly appealing. If you're already buying fresh produce every week, why not grow some of it yourself?

Of course, anyone who has spent a Saturday afternoon buying compost, seedlings, and gardening supplies knows that growing food isn't necessarily cheap. A vegetable garden costs money to establish, and even a productive one requires some ongoing investment.

So, is gardening actually cheaper than buying vegetables?

It can be, especially when you concentrate on crops that are expensive at the grocery store, produce over a long season, and don't require much growing space.

It becomes a matter of choosing which vegetables are a better investment than others - and which ones make the most sense for you to grow in your home garden.

Is Gardening Cheaper Than Buying Vegetables?

The answer depends partly on what you grow, but also on how much you're spending to grow it. Starting a vegetable garden from scratch usually means purchasing some combination of soil, compost, seeds, seedlings, containers, irrigation supplies, and gardening tools. If you're building traditional raised beds, lumber and other materials can add considerably to that initial expense.

These costs can make your first growing season more expensive than expected. A $5 tomato seedling isn't much of a bargain if you spend $200 setting up a garden to grow it. But most gardening expenses do not repeat year after year.

A well-maintained growing setup can be used for multiple seasons. Basic tools last for years, many seeds can be saved for future planting, and established soil can be replenished with compost and appropriate amendments rather than replaced entirely. Once those initial expenses are behind you, the economics of growing your own food at home starts looking quite different.

Your growing conditions matter, too. A sunny garden with healthy soil and reliable access to water has a better chance of producing worthwhile harvests than one struggling in the shade, with poor drainage, and soil that is depleted of nutrients.

It is also important to look at what your and your family actually eat. Growing 30 pounds of zucchini isn't particularly economical if your family gets tired of it after the first five. For most households, the greatest potential savings come from replacing regular grocery purchases with vegetables harvested throughout the season.

The Best Vegetables to Grow to Save Money

If saving money is your top priority with gardening, then you need to figure out which vegetables deserve a spot in that garden. The most cost-effective vegetables to grow are the ones that typically have higher retail prices, offer generous harvests, or have the ability to produce repeatedly throughout the season.

The following crops are particularly worth considering:

1. Fresh Herbs

Fresh herbs are among the easiest grocery purchases to replace with homegrown produce.

A small package of basil, parsley, or cilantro can cost several dollars, and there's a reasonable chance half of it will wilt in the refrigerator before you use it. But growing your own means that you can cut off just what you need, when you need it, with no waste and a constant fresh supply.

Basil is especially productive when harvested regularly. Pinching stems just above a pair of leaves encourages branching, giving you a fuller plant and more opportunities to harvest. Parsley is another option that can provide repeated cuttings, while chives, mint and sage can return year after year.

Thyme, oregano and rosemary are hardy enough to last the whole summer season and into the fall, and can then be dried and stored for use through the winter.

If you normally buy a $3 package of fresh herbs every other week, replacing just ten of those purchases over the growing season would keep $30 in your pocket.

2. Lettuce and Salad Greens

If you regularly buy packaged salad mixes, growing lettuce is worth considering. Loose-leaf varieties are particularly useful because you don't have to harvest the entire plant at once. Pick the larger outer leaves, leave the centre growing, and return when you need more.

Arugula, spinach, and mesclun mixes are great choices for relatively small spaces. The main limitation is temperature. Many salad greens prefer cool weather and become bitter or bolt during summer heat.

Planting in spring and again in late summer can give you two productive growing periods, depending on your climate. The financial advantage comes from being able to harvest smaller amounts as needed. Rather than purchasing a full package of greens that might spoil before you finish it, you can pick enough for that day's meal.

For households eating salads several times a week, those avoided grocery purchases can add up over a season.

3. Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes aren't necessarily the cheapest tomatoes to grow, but they're often among the most rewarding financially. They tend to be expensive when purchased in small supermarket containers, yet a healthy, well-supported plant can produce fruit steadily for weeks.

Indeterminate varieties continue growing and flowering until frost or other conditions bring the season to an end. Give them plenty of sunlight, consistent moisture, and enough room for their roots to develop. If you're regularly buying a container of cherry tomatoes for salads and snacking, even one productive plant can replace several purchases over the summer.

Of course, this assumes the tomatoes actually make it into the kitchen. Cherry tomatoes have a habit of disappearing during garden inspections.

4. Kale and Swiss Chard

Kale and Swiss chard deserve more attention from gardeners trying to stretch their grocery budgets. Both produce substantial leafy growth, tolerate repeated harvesting, and can remain productive for months with the right growing conditions.

Instead of pulling the entire plant, remove mature outer leaves and allow younger growth to continue developing. Swiss chard is particularly useful because it tolerates warmer temperatures better than many traditional salad greens. While kale often improves in flavour after exposure to light frost, extending its usefulness into autumn in cooler regions.

These are particularly worthwhile crops if you regularly purchase bunches of cooking greens. A few established plants can provide repeated harvests without the expense of buying new seedlings or seeds each time.

5. Bell Peppers

Bell peppers (especially red, yellow and orange varieties) can be expensive in stores, while growing them in the garden does require a bit more patience.

Peppers generally need warm temperatures, consistent moisture, and a long enough growing season to mature properly. Green peppers are harvested before full ripeness, while coloured peppers need additional time on the plant. Gardeners in shorter-season climates may find early-maturing varieties more reliable.

A productive pepper plant can provide several harvests, although yields vary considerably with weather and growing conditions.

The potential savings are greatest if you're someone who buys peppers regularly, particularly the more expensive coloured varieties. Just remember that peppers need a fairly long growing season, so their financial value depends on getting a good harvest.

If you only use one occasionally, another crop might offer better value.

6. Cucumbers

Cucumbers are prolific growers in the right garden conditions. Just a few healthy plants can produce more cucumbers than a household expects, particularly during peak summer growth.

Harvesting frequently encourages continued production and prevents fruits from becoming oversized and seedy. Vining varieties can also be trained vertically, making them useful for gardens where ground space is limited.

Choose varieties based on how you'll use them. Slicing cucumbers are convenient for everyday meals, while pickling varieties are useful if you preserve your harvest.

Cucumbers are a good example of why productivity alone doesn't guarantee savings. A plant producing twenty cucumbers is only saving you money if those cucumbers replace something you would otherwise buy.

7. Green Beans

Green beans are an economical choice for gardeners who want productive and reliable harvests without having to buy expensive seedlings. They're easy to start from seed once the soil has warmed, and a packet generally contains enough seeds for multiple plantings.

Bush beans are compact and produce their main crop over a relatively short period. Pole beans require support but can continue producing for longer when harvested regularly. For a steady supply, sow additional bush beans every two or three weeks while your growing season allows.

Starting beans from seed keeps planting costs low, and the ability to harvest repeatedly makes them particularly useful in a garden focused on savings. Fresh beans can be eaten immediately, blanched and frozen, or preserved for later use.

They're also one of those vegetables that taste noticeably better when picked young and cooked the same day.

Vegetables That May Be Cheaper to Buy

Some vegetables are inexpensive at the grocery store because commercial growers produce them efficiently and at enormous scale. Potatoes, carrots, and onions are good examples.

They're excellent crops to grow for flavour, variety, or enjoyment, but their relatively low supermarket prices can make meaningful savings difficult, especially when growing space is limited.

Sweet corn presents another challenge. Each stalk generally produces only one or two usable ears, and corn typically needs to be planted in groups in order for it to pollinate successfully. That takes considerable room for a fairly modest harvest.

None of this means these crops aren't worth growing. Homegrown potatoes can be delicious, and freshly harvested sweet corn is hard to beat. But if reducing grocery expenses is your main objective, crops that produce repeatedly are usually a better place to start.

How to Make a Small Vegetable Garden More Economical

While you don't need a large backyard to grow a useful amount of food, you do need to be selective about how you use the space available to you.

Start with your grocery receipts. Which fresh vegetables do you buy every week? Which ones are expensive, spoil quickly, or are frequently purchased in small quantities? Those are your strongest candidates.

Grow from seed when it makes sense. Lettuce, beans, radishes, and many herbs are relatively easy to start from seed, often for a fraction of the cost of purchasing multiple transplants. You don't need to start everything indoors, either. Many vegetables grow perfectly well when sown directly into the garden. Check your growing zone frost dates and plan accordingly.

Prioritize repeated harvesting. Crops like lettuce, herbs, kale, beans, and indeterminate tomatoes can provide food over an extended period. That's often more valuable than a crop occupying the same space for months before producing one harvest.

Plant in succession. Rather than sowing all your lettuce or bush beans at once, stagger the plantings to spread out the harvest. This will reduce waste and help to keep fresh vegetables available longer.

Invest in a growing setup you can reuse. It's easy to spend more than necessary building a garden, particularly if you're starting from scratch. Before purchasing materials, consider how much growing space you actually need and whether your setup can serve you for several seasons.

For gardeners who don't want to construct permanent raised beds, GardenSoxx offers a flexible alternative. The mesh growing system can be arranged in different configurations to suit available space, without the lumber and construction involved in traditional raised beds. Its breathable mesh also encourages natural air pruning, helping prevent the root circling commonly associated with conventional containers.

A reusable setup won't eliminate gardening expenses, but spreading that initial investment over several growing seasons can make growing your own food more economical in the long run. Since GardenSoxx can be used for 3-5 years, the already low cost makes even more sense.

Keep your soil productive. Repeated harvesting removes nutrients from the growing medium. Compost and suitable natural soil amendments can help replenish fertility, but it's worth understanding what your soil actually needs rather than adding products indiscriminately.

Healthy plants are generally better positioned to produce worthwhile harvests, making soil maintenance part of the financial equation.

And perhaps most importantly, don't feel you need every gardening accessory on the market. A few productive plants in a well-planned growing space can be more economical than a large, expensive garden that becomes difficult to maintain.

How Much Money Can a Vegetable Garden Save?

Grocery prices vary considerably, and a garden's productivity depends on weather, soil conditions, growing experience, and how well the crops are maintained.

A first-year gardener purchasing containers, soil, tools, and irrigation equipment might spend more than the harvest is worth. Someone reusing an established setup could have much lower annual expenses.

It's also important to count what you eat, not everything you harvest. Tomatoes left rotting on the vine don't represent money saved.

If you're curious about your own savings, keep a simple record of what you harvest and compare it with what you would normally pay at the grocery store. You may be surprised which crops turn out to be your best investments.

The Benefits That Don't Appear on a Grocery Receipt

Financial savings are only one reason to grow vegetables. Home gardening gives you access to produce harvested at its peak, often minutes before you eat it. You can grow unusual varieties that aren't commonly available in supermarkets and choose how your plants are cared for.

There's also a practical satisfaction in stepping outside for a handful of herbs rather than buying another plastic package. And while gardening requires effort, many people genuinely enjoy that time outdoors.

Those benefits won't reduce your grocery bill directly, but they're worth considering when deciding whether a garden is a worthwhile investment.

Start With What You Already Buy

If you're interested in growing your own food to save money, resist the temptation to plant a little of everything. Start with three or four crops you regularly purchase. Fresh herbs, salad greens, and cherry tomatoes are sensible choices for many households.

Pay attention to what grows well, how much you harvest, and which purchases you actually eliminate, and then expand strategically from there.

A vegetable garden doesn't have to replace your weekly grocery trip to be worthwhile. Sometimes the most economical garden is simply one that produces a steady supply of the foods you enjoy eating.

If you're looking for a flexible, reusable way to get started, explore the GardenSoxx growing system and see how it could fit into your available space.

Gardening Doesn’t Have to Hurt: 10 Ways to Reduce Strain in the Garden

Gardening is supposed to be enjoyable. But after an afternoon of bending, kneeling, lifting, pulling and dragging a hose around the yard, it doesn’t always feel that way. If gardening leaves you sore, or if changes in strength, balance or mobility have made some tasks more difficult, you don’t necessarily have to give it up. Often, the answer is to change how and where you garden. A more thoughtful layout, a few better tools and a growing system that works with your body can remove a surprising amount of effort from the process. Accessible gardening isn’t only for older adults or people with limited mobility. Most gardeners would benefit from doing less heavy lifting and spending less time hunched over a garden bed. The goal isn’t to remove all the work. It’s to avoid unnecessary strain so you have more energy for the parts you actually enjoy. Here are ten practical ways to make gardening easier on your body. 1. Bring the garden closer to you One of the simplest changes you can make is to put the garden where it fits naturally into your day. Grow fresh herbs near the kitchen door. Place frequently harvested vegetables beside the patio or along a walkway you already use. When a garden is tucked into the farthest corner of the yard, every small task requires another trip. Watering, harvesting and checking for pests all involve more walking and carrying. Over a season, those extra steps add up. This is one reason surface-based systems can be useful. GardenSoxx can be installed on grass, patios, rooftops, asphalt or concrete, so you aren’t limited to the places where you can dig. You can choose a location because it is convenient, sunny and comfortable to reach. 2. Raise plants to a comfortable height Repeatedly bending to ground level can be hard on the knees, hips and lower back. Raising even part of the garden can make planting, pruning and harvesting much more comfortable. You could use tall containers, a garden table or sturdy shelving designed to support the weight of wet soil. Short GardenSoxx sections can also be placed on a strong raised surface, bringing plants closer to standing or seated height. This can be especially helpful for gardeners who use a chair or mobility aid. The right height is different for everyone. Before setting up, sit or stand where you expect to work and test how far you can comfortably reach. You shouldn’t have to lean across the growing area or twist to reach the plants at the back. Keep herbs, greens and other frequently harvested crops in the easiest spots. 3. Make room to move comfortably Good garden design isn’t only about what happens inside the growing area. The space around it matters just as much. Paths should be wide enough to move through without squeezing between plants or stepping over irrigation lines. If someone uses a wheelchair, walker or garden cart, allow room to approach the garden and turn around. Firm, level surfaces are generally easier to navigate than loose gravel, deep mulch or uneven ground. Because GardenSoxx sections can be laid out in straight lines, curves or separate groupings, the garden can be arranged around the available pathways. You don’t have to reach across a wide, fixed bed. Leave comfortable access between sections, and keep hoses, tools and supplies out of travel areas. 4. Break large jobs into smaller ones It is easy to overdo it at the beginning or end of the season. There is always a temptation to plant the entire garden in one weekend or clean everything up in one afternoon. But as we get tired, we tend to lift less carefully, grip tools more tightly and stay in awkward positions too long. Divide large jobs into shorter sessions. Plant one area today and another tomorrow. Alternate between tasks instead of repeating the same movement for hours. A timer can be a helpful reminder to stand, stretch, drink some water or stop for the day. The garden itself can be divided into manageable pieces. For GardenSoxx, we often recommend sections approximately two to three feet long when easier filling, placement or movement is a priority. You can begin with a few sections and add more later instead of creating more garden than you can comfortably maintain. 5. Reduce digging and heavy construction Starting a garden doesn’t have to mean removing sod, turning compacted soil or building a wooden frame. Those jobs require strength, tools and materials that may be difficult to transport. No-dig gardens, containers and above-ground systems can all reduce the initial workload. GardenSoxx can be placed directly on many existing surfaces, with no frame to build and no ground to excavate. Once filled, the mesh keeps the growing medium contained and ready for planting. Soil is still heavy, of course. Have it delivered as close to the garden as possible and ask for help during setup. Move smaller amounts rather than one large load, and avoid lifting while twisting. Some assistance at the beginning can create a garden that is much easier to manage independently for the rest of the season. 6. Take the work out of watering Watering cans become heavy quickly, and dragging a full hose can strain the hands, shoulders and back. An irrigation setup takes a little planning, but it can eliminate one of the garden’s most repetitive jobs. Drip irrigation delivers water along the growing area without requiring you to stand and hold a hose. The GardenSoxx Home Kit includes drip tape, fittings and a hose connector, so irrigation is built into the system. Adding a timer can make watering even more hands-off and help keep it consistent during hot or busy days. Plants should still be checked because weather, plant size and soil moisture will affect how often you need to water. But checking the growing medium is much easier than carrying water to every plant. 7. Choose tools that work with your body The right tool doesn’t have to be complicated. A lighter weight, padded grip or longer handle can make a familiar task noticeably easier. Look for tools that feel comfortable without requiring a tight grip. Long-handled weeders can reduce bending, while angled handles may keep the wrist in a more natural position. Keep pruners sharp so they cut without extra force. If kneeling is comfortable, use a padded kneeler with handles to help you get up. If it isn’t, bring the work to a better height instead. Store frequently used tools near the garden rather than carrying them back and forth. A lightweight cart or caddy can keep everything together. A lower-maintenance growing setup also means fewer occasions to turn soil, repair bed edges or bring out heavy tools. 8. Prevent weeds before they become a major job Weeding combines several uncomfortable movements: bending, kneeling, gripping and pulling. It is much easier to remove a few young weeds during a regular garden check than to tackle a deeply rooted patch all at once. Mulch can suppress weeds in traditional beds, while closer plant spacing can reduce the open soil where seeds take hold. It is also worth being realistic about how much space you want to maintain. A smaller growing area that you can care for comfortably is more rewarding than a large plot that becomes overwhelming by midsummer. GardenSoxx keeps the growing medium contained and separate from the surrounding ground, greatly reducing weeds within the planting area. A few windblown seeds may still appear, but they can usually be spotted and removed early. Less weeding means less strain and more time for planting, harvesting or simply enjoying the garden. 9. Choose plants that suit the way you garden Some plants ask more of the gardener than others. Large, sprawling crops may need regular pruning, staking and searching through dense leaves. Others are compact, productive and easy to reach. Herbs, leafy greens, radishes and strawberries can all work well in an accessible garden. Bush varieties of beans, cucumbers or tomatoes may be easier to manage than vigorous vines, depending on your setup. Trellises can bring climbing plants upward, keeping the harvest visible and off the ground. Plants you harvest often should be closest to you, while crops needing less attention can go farther away. With a modular system such as GardenSoxx, plants can be grouped according to how you use and care for them. A small kitchen garden might sit near the door, while another section holds longer-season crops. 10. Let your garden change with you A garden does not have to look the same every year. Your available time, energy and mobility may change, and the garden can change with them. If a spot becomes difficult to reach, reconsider the layout. If you want less work next season, reduce the number of plants or focus on the ones you enjoy most. Scaling down is not giving up. A small garden that fits comfortably into your life is far more useful than a large one you dread maintaining. This flexibility is an important part of GardenSoxx. Unlike a permanent raised bed, individual sections can be rearranged from one season to the next. Short sections may also be repositioned when they are light enough to move safely. The garden can adapt to a patio, a wider pathway, a raised surface or a new plan without requiring you to start over. Pay attention to what your body is telling you There is a difference between the normal effort of being active and pain that tells you something isn’t right. Take breaks before you are exhausted, work during the cooler part of the day and stay hydrated. Avoid lifting more than you can comfortably handle, and ask for help with heavy materials or awkward jobs. Most importantly, don’t treat pain as something you must push through to be a “real” gardener. If a task hurts, look for another way to do it. Persistent or significant pain should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare professional, who may also be able to suggest adaptations suited to your needs. Build the garden around the gardener An accessible garden is not a lesser version of a traditional garden. It is simply a garden designed with the person using it in mind. Bringing plants closer, raising them to a comfortable height, automating irrigation and reducing digging and weeding can make gardening more enjoyable at any age. These changes can help someone continue a lifelong hobby, return to gardening after time away or try growing for the first time without feeling intimidated by the physical work. GardenSoxx was designed around many of these same ideas. It makes it possible to grow on different surfaces, avoid building permanent beds, reduce weeding and arrange the garden to fit the gardener. It won’t remove every physical task, and it doesn’t need to. Its real value is helping remove some of the barriers between people and the simple pleasure of growing something themselves. Gardening may always involve a little dirt, effort and patience. It just doesn’t have to hurt.

Learn more

What Happens to Garden Soil in Winter?

What happens to garden soil after harvest? Learn how roots, compost, cover crops and winter weather affect the soil you’ll plant in next spring.

Learn more

First Frost Is Coming: How to Wrap Up Your Garden for the Season

There’s always a point near the end of the growing season when the garden starts to feel different. As mornings become cooler, and days get shorter, plants that seemed unstoppable a few weeks ago are also beginning to slow down. This is your cue to start thinking about the first frost. Wrapping up a garden doesn’t have to mean pulling everything out in one afternoon and calling it a year. In fact, there’s plenty you can do in these final weeks to extend your harvest, preserve what you’ve grown, protect plants worth keeping and give your soil a head start on next season. Whether you grow in traditional beds, containers or GardenSoxx®, here’s how to make the most of the transition from fall into winter. Start by Knowing Your First Frost Date Your average first frost date is a useful starting point, but remember that it’s an estimate and not a deadline written in stone. Weather can vary considerably from one year to the next. As you get closer to that date, start watching your local forecast, particularly the overnight lows. This will help you decide which plants need to be harvested first and which can stay outside a little longer. Also, there’s no need to clear the entire garden just because one cold night is coming. Many cool-season crops can tolerate chilly temperatures and even light frost. Lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, radishes and other hardy crops may continue producing after more tender summer plants have finished. Instead of ending the garden all at once, think of it as a gradual transition. Harvest Your Tender Crops First Tomatoes, peppers, basil and other warm-season plants are much less tolerant of cold temperatures. As frost approaches, these should move to the top of your harvest list. Pick ripe produce first, but don’t forget about what hasn’t ripened yet. Mature green tomatoes, for example, can often continue ripening indoors. You can also embrace them as they are, as green tomatoes have plenty of uses in the kitchen. This is also a good time to make one final sweep through the garden for produce that’s easy to overlook. Check beneath leaves for peppers, beans, zucchini and anything else you might want to enjoy before temperatures drop. Meanwhile, cold-tolerant crops can stay put. There’s no reason to harvest everything prematurely simply because summer is ending. Make the Most of Your Herb Garden If your herbs have spent the summer thriving, you may suddenly find yourself with far more rosemary, thyme, parsley or mint than you can reasonably use before frost. Luckily, herbs are some of the easiest garden harvests to preserve. Woody or sturdy herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage are excellent candidates for drying. Mint also dries well, particularly if you plan to use it for tea. More tender herbs such as parsley, chives, dill and cilantro generally retain their character better when frozen. Chop them and freeze them in small portions so you can easily add them to soups, sauces and other cooked dishes throughout winter. Basil is a bit different than the others. Rather than trying to preserve the leaves exactly as they are, your best bet is to turn a large harvest into something useful. Make pesto, blend basil with olive oil, or create herb cubes and freeze them in small portions. The garden may be winding down, but your harvest can keep showing up in the kitchen for months. Don't Be Too Quick to Pull Everything Out Once a plant has finished producing, the instinct is often to pull it out, roots and all. But if the plant was healthy, consider leaving those roots behind. Cut the plant at soil level and allow its root system to remain underground. Over time, the roots will begin to decompose, returning organic matter to the soil and leaving behind channels that can contribute to soil structure. There is one important exception: diseased plants. If a plant has experienced a significant disease problem, removing affected plant material is the safer approach rather than intentionally leaving it behind. For GardenSoxx gardeners, leaving healthy roots in place is especially simple. Cut the finished plant at the mesh, remove the above-ground growth and leave the growing medium contained inside the GardenSoxx. There’s no need to empty everything at the end of each season. Give Your Soil Something Back A productive garden asks a lot from its soil. After months of supporting roots, foliage, flowers and fruit, your growing medium may benefit from some attention before the next growing season. But tired-looking soil doesn’t automatically mean you need to replace it. Start with organic matter. After cutting plants back, adding some fresh compost to the planting holes is an easy way to begin replenishing the growing medium. Combined with the healthy roots left behind, this gives organic material time to begin breaking down during the off-season. This is particularly useful with GardenSoxx because the soil stays contained from one season to the next. Rather than treating the growing medium as something disposable, you can continue maintaining and improving it over time. Think of soil health as an ongoing process rather than something you reset every spring. Save the Bigger Soil Refresh for Spring Not every garden task needs to be done in the fall. Once you’ve cleaned up the garden, left healthy roots behind and added compost where appropriate, you can allow the soil to rest over winter. Then, as planting time approaches in spring, take another look at what it needs. This is a good time to add more compost or organic matter if necessary and introduce soil amendments for more targeted support. Different amendments serve different purposes. Humic- and fulvic-based amendments can help support nutrient availability and root development. Biochar-based amendments can support soil structure, nutrient retention and microbial habitat. Seaweed extracts can also be useful as the new growing season begins, helping support plants during active growth and periods of environmental or transplant stress. For GardenSoxx growers, liquid amendments are particularly convenient because they can be applied directly to the growing medium or incorporated into the irrigation system, depending on the product. The goal isn't necessarily to pile more and more products into your soil. It’s to keep building a healthy growing environment from one season to the next. Decide What Needs Winter Protection Not everything in the garden needs to disappear before winter. If you’re growing perennial herbs, strawberries or other cold-hardy perennial plants, you may be able to leave them outside for another season. Exactly how much protection they need will depend on the plant and your climate. Plants growing in containers or other above-ground systems can sometimes experience colder root temperatures than plants growing directly in the ground. In very cold climates, additional insulation may therefore be helpful. GardenSoxx planted with perennials can be covered with a protective layer of mulch to help insulate them from winter conditions. Because GardenSoxx sections are modular, you may also have another option: move manageable sections containing valuable perennials into an unheated garage, shed or another protected location for the winter. You don't necessarily need a complicated winter storage setup. The goal is simply to provide additional protection when your climate and plant selection call for it. Clear the Spaces You'll Need This Winter This is also a good time to look beyond the plants themselves. Maybe your garden occupied part of the patio all summer. Perhaps you placed GardenSoxx along a walkway, beside a driveway or somewhere that will need to be accessible for snow removal. With permanent garden beds, there's not much you can do about that. With a modular growing system, there is. GardenSoxx sections can be moved to a more convenient location once the growing season has ended. If you know you'll need a particular walkway or patio area clear through winter, relocate manageable sections before they're frozen in place or buried under snow. GardenSoxx don't require special indoor storage simply because winter is coming. In most cases, they can remain filled and outdoors in a location where they won't be in the way. Then, when spring returns, you can decide where you want your garden to go next. Take Notes Before You Forget Before you completely close the book on this year's garden, spend a few minutes thinking about what actually happened: What grew exceptionally well? What struggled? Which plants produced more than you could eat? Which ones do you wish you'd planted more of? Think about your layout, too. Did taller plants shade shorter ones? Was one area hotter than expected? Did you discover that you wanted your herbs closer to the kitchen? Would raising part of your garden onto a table or shelf make harvesting easier? These little observations are easy to forget after several months away from the garden, so take a few photos and make some notes now. One of the advantages of a modular system like GardenSoxx is that this year's layout doesn't have to become next year's layout. Sections can be repositioned, different crops can be grouped together, and the garden can continue adapting to your space and needs. A disappointing season isn't necessarily a reason to start over. Sometimes it's simply information you can use to grow differently next time. Let the Garden Rest Once the harvest is in, tender plants have been removed, herbs are preserved, healthy roots are left behind and the soil has received some fresh organic matter, there isn't much else you need to do. And that's a good thing. Gardening isn't about keeping everything actively growing all the time. In colder climates, the off-season is part of the cycle. Your soil doesn't need to be thrown away because it had a difficult year. Your GardenSoxx don't need to be emptied because winter is coming. And your garden doesn't need to look exactly the same when you plant again. Harvest what you can. Preserve what you won't use right away. Leave healthy roots behind. Add organic matter. Protect what needs protecting. Then let the garden rest. When spring comes around, you can refresh the soil, make a few changes based on what you learned and start growing again. Because healthy soil, and a healthy garden, is something you build over time.

Learn more

Is Growing Your Own Food Actually Cheaper? Best Vegetables to Grow

Is Gardening Cheaper Than Buying Vegetables?