How to calculate cost?

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 9:30 pm

I'm not a big math person, so can someone please tell me how to calculate the cost per square foot of my garden based on what I have invested into constructing my garden beds? To date I have spent roughly $275 for two 4'x4' beds.

myhouseofBOYS 4/8/2011, 9:33 pm

275 divided by 32 will tell you how much each 12 inch by 12 inch square costs but to be technical each "square" if 6 inch deep in only half a square foot.

boffer 4/8/2011, 9:34 pm

cost/number of sf=cost per sf

275/32=$8.59

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 9:37 pm

Thats what I came up with...isn't that a bit high?

boffer 4/8/2011, 9:48 pm

buttaflie143 wrote:Thats what I came up with...isn't that a bit high?

As compared to what?

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 9:55 pm

Yours? :scratch: I don't know....Maybe someone elses post I read...

boffer 4/8/2011, 10:00 pm

On the west coast, it appears we pay considerably higher for vermiculite than the east coast.

Did you buy pre-fab boxes, or lumber cut to size? Did you buy new lumber or used lumber?

Did you buy all your compost or make some of your own?

My cost per square foot is a lot lower than yours, but that doesn't necessarily make your costs 'a bit high'.

dianamarie03 4/8/2011, 10:00 pm

I put about $120 into my three beds (16 sq/ft each). That's for the lumber for two of them (made one out of some old landscape timbers) and my weed cloth, compost, vermiculite and peat. Add about $24 for two trellises. Your prices will vary greatly depending on where you live though.

myhouseofBOYS 4/8/2011, 10:15 pm

I believe OP bought a melz mickx (a "mel's mix" subbing coir for peat moss) so that would probably account for much of the cost as she said it was $20/2cuft iirc).

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 10:18 pm

boffer wrote:My cost per square foot is a lot lower than yours, but that doesn't necessarily make your costs 'a bit high'.

I did purchase prefab boxes and and a premixed blend. I understand what you are saying.... How to calculate cost? 109486

Lindacol 4/8/2011, 11:10 pm

Blocks & rebar for my 2 block high(with about 10-12" MM) 4x8 bed were about $50 and I had a couple of extras plus several I found to make a small bed for squash., about 4 sf.

Vermiculite, peat, one bag of compost and one bag of premixed MM (for the small bed & 2 old trash cans for potatoes) about $80.

4 kinds of compost FREE from my compost pile and a friends.

Trellises are made with materials I already had, as is the wire for the bottom of the beds.

But next year the cost should be very low for these beds as I have a large compost bin and will soon be filling another.

GloriaG 4/8/2011, 11:59 pm

buttaflie143

My cost is about the same as yours because I live in an HOA and have to "landscape" everything or I will have to remove it. So I bought the regulation SFG boxes in white and some pots in terracotta and matched everything to them. I've hidden about 150 sq ft of SFG in my flower beds, etc.

Goosegirl 4/9/2011, 5:19 am

GloriaG wrote:buttaflie143

My cost is about the same as yours because I live in an HOA and have to "landscape" everything or I will have to remove it. So I bought the regulation SFG boxes in white and some pots in terracotta and matched everything to them. I've hidden about 150 sq ft of SFG in my flower beds, etc.

Sponsored content

How to calculate cost?

How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?

Yikes

Re: How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?

How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?

Re: How to calculate cost?


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.