How much per LB- does your tomatoes cost to produce.

[michael johnson]

Have any of you ever worked out the actual total cost per LB your tomatoes cost you to produce at the end of the season.

Including- compost, lighting energy, heating,other equipment involved such as cages,string, wire, feed of all kinds.

My wife insists that $20 to $25 dollars a pound, is a conservative estimate.

[TomatoDon]

In my case, it's about $200 a pound, on the average, since around 1992. But , of course, I use Epsom Salts, which is more expensive, but it gives that certain tropical tangy flavor.

Get the new book about the $64 tomato. No kidding.


Don

[jerseyjohn61]

Now fellas. fellas!
It's not the cost of tomatos that gets us in trouble,
it's the cost we think tomatos are worth that gets
us there....JJ61

[timcunningham]

Michael,

Are you figuring inital setup costs? I grow in homemade earth boxes, made from 30 gal Storage Totes. The total cost of these include soil, lime and fertilizer, is about $20.00. I grow 2 plants per box. If I have to figure this cost in, I imagine it won't be so cheap.

However once I get past the "One Time" setup cost the only thing I am paying is seed, water, fish spray and 3-in-1 spray, a little extra lime and a cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer.

How many pounds of tomatoes I get per plant is not data I collect. But I am sure the cost per pound discounting the one time setup costs woudl be pennies.

And if you look at the cost that William Alexander (Author of the $64.00 Tomato) included in his "Garden" he seems to be remodeling his backyard, more than trying to plant vegetables.

I mean $16,000 to install a garden? I am sure the result was nice, but he could have gotten a way with spending less : http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5360768

[DonnaMarieNJ]

It cost me $200 so far this weekend (TG for birthday and holiday AMEX GCs!). Not to mention all of the little things I've been getting through the year. The potting soil is expensive and I don't know what I am doing. I bought the wrong size pots (12 gal) and just ordered 17.5 muck buckets (from a recomendation on the forums). Except for the soil (Miracle Gro), most of the stuff I purchased will be used over and over. But, to cut down on costs, can I re-use my potting soil and if so, how? Assuming I didn't have any disease from last year.....

I still need lots of other stuff, but what I can put off until next season, I will. Does anyone know when the gardening stuff goes on sale generally? End of season? winter? My garden center says their prices never fluctuate. They just don't restock.

[Organic_Nut]

I have not done it but it has to be way more expensive than buying tomatoes or any other veggies.
.

[QAGuy]

Growing them, tending to them and eating them brings me so much pleasure that cost doesn't factor in to the equation.

Better and cheaper than drinking, drugs or chasing after women!

Heck, if you really wanted to get carried away with the costs, don't forget to factor in the hours you spend too!

[coronabarb]

"My wife insists that $20 to $25 dollars a pound, is a conservative estimate."

That would definitely be a conservative figure for me. Water is very expensive in this area. My water bill goes up $100/mo. in the summer, easily. The cost of producing my own tasty heirloom tomatoes ~ priceless!

[Organic_Nut]

I always thought chasing women was a lot of fun too.

but now in my old age, I can sit back knowing I caught too many women for my own good. haha.
.

[Organic_Nut]

Originally Posted by DonnaMarieNJ

can I re-use my potting soil and if so, how? Assuming I didn't have any disease from last year.....

I tried it once and it was the dumbest thing I ever did. I wasted so much money growing nothing but diseased junk.

but yes you can do it.

will you be successful. well that is the 64 dollar question. by the time you get the answer it will be too late.

the problem is that if you are successful 5 years in a row and then fail. over all you lose out.

penny wise and pound foolish. that is me.
.

[Mantis]

Doesn't warrant even thinking about

[QAGuy]

When I grew in containers, I would add amendment and mix in well every year. Never seemed to have any problems beyond what to do with all the tomatoes.

I did discard old soil every 3 years though. I have absolutely no reason why I did. It just seemed right. Maybe I could have gone longer, but I didn't.

After all, many, many folks grow thier tomatoes in the same soil in the same location for years and years. Why not potting soil?

[michael johnson]

QAGuy- oh" I dont know, chasing woman is quite a pleasurable hobby, but like George O-N, I cant run fast enough to catch them these days-ah" if only I was 18 again.

Tomatoes is my main hobby now - i live in hopes of cultivating the ultimate perfect tomato each season ( Big and fat and sassy ) with bags of flavour.

I suppose- what I am actualy searching for is a big heirloom tomato- that tasts like a good sweet cherry tomato, that hang in long strings like they do, and dont suffer BER like cherries dont, etc,etc.

So far there has been only one that came even close- that is a variety called (Red Pearl ) tall indet- with long trusses of mostly ten to twelve toms on it, salad size tomatoes, strong cherry tom flavour, but still not quite as big as I would have liked.


Flavour- the problem with flavour is that it all depends who is actualy growing them, regarding strong deep flavour, ten people can all be growing identical toms out of the same seed packet, and perhaps only four of them will produce good deep strong flavour, its the feeding,watering etc, that is the secret.


I find personaly- that in order to get a strong deep flavour, one must feed only strong organic manures-animal or fish, then cut back drasticaly on watering about two to three weeks from ripening, this then concentrates the flavour into the tom flesh rather than be big and watery, its a bit like semi-drying tomatoes, pre- harvest, I only water mine about once a week during that critical time- unless its very hot at the time- the tomatoes seem to keep better on the vine and last longer too.

I also use a lot of organic liquid feed during the main growth sprint early in the season.

[valereee]

I add my used container soil to my perennial beds. As an amendment it's expensive, but at least I'm getting some good out of it!

Val

[PaulF]

The expense went up this year to buy chicken wire to keep the rabbits out. I am on my last round of standby replacement plants because I didn't think fast enough to wire the cages.