Many garden novices seem to be overwhelmed at the time investment in gardening. I can tell you it doesn’t take that much time, but I finally realized I need to quantify it.
So last week, I recorded every moment spent in the garden. I chose mid-August because it is a typically busy time – weeding, watering, planting, and harvesting all call out for attention. If any time is busier, it might be spring, when beds need to be turned over.
Thursday: 15 minutes harvest + 20 minutes water peach trees (15 minutes idle)
Friday: 75 minutes harvest, tie up tomatoes, remove squash plants, plant beets, water
Just a little time yields all these goodies!
Saturday: 15 minutes harvest
Sunday: idle
Monday: idle
Tuesday: 45 minutes harvest, disassemble potato box and water
Wednesday: 15 minutes harvest
The grand total is 185 minutes, or 3 hours 5 minutes. Keep in mind that our garden is ~105 square feet raised beds and ~60 square feet in-ground beds. Beginning gardeners would likely start with less square footage and therefore could expect to spend less time weekly.
Many people already spend a few hours sitting on the patio or in the backyard during the week. Imagine adding just a little activity to your routine and being rewarded with tasty produce!
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Last year I had one tomato plant which I woefully kept forgetting to water. This year I had two tomato plants in a “garden success” kit I planted in late June. The success part is that it’s self watering. I just needed to refill it about once a week. I have picked almost 2 dozen (they’re grape variety). This week I’m going to see about getting some spinach started.