Every person who is striving for self-reliance should, and most do, plant a garden from which to raise a good portion of their own food. But how many of us really study ways to get the most food out of our money invested? Having spent a lifetime with earnings below the “poverty level,” I certainly have! And here are a few helpful tips for every gardener to ponder on.

Grow only open pollinated varieties

While the popular trend these days has been toward only growing hybrids, this is not a good policy for folks aiming at self sufficiency. First of all, the seed of hybrid vegetables does not grow true, should you save your own seed. You may get what you want, or you may not get taste, productivity, or even appearance. Only open pollinated (or “heirloom” “traditional”) varieties will produce seed which, when saved and planted next year, will give you the same results as the parent plant.

You can study your seed catalogs carefully. Any listed as “Hybrid” or “F1” should be avoided. Get in the habit of saving your own seeds. This simple practice can cut your gardening costs down by 1/4 or 1/2. Seed saving is simple and very satisfying. Many seed catalogs, such as the ones published by Native Seeds/Search and Garden City Seeds, also have extensive information on seed-saving.

An additional reason to raise non-hybrids is that most of the open pollinated varieties taste better. That’s opposite what we have been led to believe...often by seed companies, who, by the way, often hold the rights to certain hybrids they developed and/or sell.

The good old heirloom varieties taste great. True, you might not be able to ship them 1500 miles in a truck, they might not last 10 weeks in a warehouse, or they might not have thick rinds or skins to prevent bruising during rough handling, but in a home garden, or even a small market garden, who cares? I’d rather have the taste.

And cost? Where many open pollinated vegetable seeds may be purchased very reasonably, the hybrids are now selling for high prices—many more than $3 a pack where you have to carefully count your 15 or 30 seeds. And when you save your own seeds, you only buy once. The seeds you buy as a seed bank will provide generations of vegetables.

Buy with care

Even with open pollinated seeds, there is a great deal of difference in the cast of the same varieties of seeds. Early in the year, send for several seed catalogs and carefully compare prices.

If you can, get together with gardening friends and relatives, buying seed as a coop venture. Not only can you split larger packets of seed, but you save significantly on the shipping and handling.

Try not to buy seeds off the racks in stores. Here you will usually find those trusty hybrids along with higher prices. You can sometimes find seeds on sale but usually there are few seeds in the pack and you can buy and raise better varieties.

Remember you are developing your own seed bank and need to find great family favorites, not just yellow beans or sweet corn.