Finding My Limits with Tomatoes

How much am I willing to spend to get a fresh, homegrown tomato? Today, I learned my limits.

I’ve been using the same metal tomato cages for at least 6 years, but maybe 7 or 8, I can’t remember. All I know is that they moved with us across the street to our new house, making them at least 6 years old. They still work okay, but for the past two summers it’s been harder to get the spikes where they need to be, since they’ve grown more crooked from years of use.

Last fall, while cleaning up the garden, I decided that come spring, I would buy some new tomato cages. I had my heart set on the plastic-coated cages that come in all sorts of bright colors. Wouldn’t those look great in my garden, cheerily holding up a bright green tomato plant? I’ve been dreaming about my cute little cages all winter.

colorstakesSo today I went to Lowes to buy some, and immediately had sticker shock. They were over $7 each! And I needed 8! I walked myself right around the corner to the plain metal cages, priced at around $2.50 each. I just couldn’t bring myself to spend $56 on my tomatoes, even if they would last for a few years.

For those of you saying even the cheaper metal cages were more than I needed to spend, I learned long ago that stakes and twine are not for me. I did that my first couple years growing tomatoes and never kept up with it, so by July my tomatoes were leaning all over the place and trailing on the ground.

Granted, I don’t have a garden for economic reasons. By the time you factor in the cost of all the things like Black Kow, seeds, plants, organic deer keep-away spray, and even the initial cost of building the garden, there’s no way my green beans are cheaper than a can of green beans from the supermarket. But mine taste way better! I definitely spend some money on my garden. But obviously, even after dreaming about bright-colored cages for a few months, there’s a limit to how much I’m willing to spend on my garden. After all, I can use that money I saved to buy more plants for the flower garden!

How much are you willing to spend on your tomatoes (or green beans or pumpkins)?

stakes

 

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Blending it Up
Blending it Up

Every blog has a different theme or purpose. For years I put off blogging because I couldn't find a theme. Then I decided on one: Write about whatever I want. And that’s what you’ll find here. Whether it’s an update on how my garden’s doing, goings on with my family, or thoughts on writing, editing, and working from home, this blog is where I share my views on life.