Tomatoes are one of the most popular plants for home gardeners to grow. As you scroll through various gardening top lists and how-to articles that undoubtedly mention this highly versatile, strikingly colorful, fruit bearer – you may be asking yourself if growing your own Tomatoes is worth it, or if you should stick to picking them up in the produce section of your local grocery store.
For the first harvest, Tomatoes are likely to break even when compared to startup costs for the square footage needed. Consecutive harvests are likely to have a positive ROI, with modest gardens easily having the potential to grow $100s in Tomatoes more than they cost to maintain after the initial setup.
| 1st Harvest 2ft x 2ft | 1st Harvest 4ft x 8ft | Consecutive Harvest 2ft x 2ft | Consecutive Harvest 4ft x 8ft | Lbs per Plant | Cost/lb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | $(10.83) | $(23.55) | $29.17 | $232.56 | 15 | $2.30 |
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a pound of tomatoes costs $~2.23 and is ~15% more expensive than a year ago. Using this information: Yes, tomatoes are a fairly cost effective crop, and I believe this is a conservative estimate. There are many types of Tomato plants that produce unique tomatoes like cherry or heirloom – or are higher yielding, such as the Better Boy. These all have the potential to produce several times more value.
Check out the table in Is a Home Garden Worth It as Produce Costs Rise? To see how tomatoes compare to other crops. Continue reading that article to learn more about the costs of having a home garden and other, non-monetary, benefits.
How much does the average Tomato plant produce?
While I admittedly have never personally weighed the produce for a full harvest of one plant, 15 lbs on average seems like a fair estimate and I suspect this is low for the heirloom and cherry varieties I grow. Also, it tends to be suggested online that varieties such as these produce on the higher end of the 10-30lb range.
That said, you can find articles and videos suggesting they can help you grow 50-80 lbs per plant. If you really want to dream big, the Walt Disney World Company holds the record for the most tomatoes harvested from a single plant in a year at 32,194 tomatoes, which is nearly 1152 lbs!
How much do Tomatoes cost?
As mentioned before, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists tomato prices in December 2022 at 2.228 per pound. This is ~$.07 less than what I use in my estimates, but I expect the actual cost per pound of tomatoes in the varieties that the average gardener grows would be significantly higher than this, more likely in the $4-$5 range.
Checking your local grocery store right now for a 10oz (less than a pound) package of cherry tomatoes will likely result in a price higher than this. As would checking for many heirloom tomatoes, if you can find them at all that is. Even the more popular globe tomato grown organically would most likely cost you more than this per pound.
How many Tomato Plants Should I Grow?
The general suggestion on plants to grow per person is 2-4 plants with the occasional suggestion for 5 plants per person.
Cherry Tomatoes – Example
If you are growing cherry tomatoes, you probably need something closer to 1-2 plants per person as they are not as versatile as slicing tomatoes. Of course, if you love cherry tomatoes feel free to aim higher.
This means if you are growing for one person, you need ~8 square feet of space to grow 2 plants. You could get by with a bit less if necessary or you could choose to buy individual containers. It is likely to cost you ~$60 for a container and soil (of course this depends highly on the choice of container). You will also likely need tomato cages for another ~$5.
If you don’t spend anything else on tools, you are likely to bring in ~26 lbs of tomatoes (usually a little less for cherry tomatoes) that are a higher cost per pound than our earlier estimate, likely closer to $4. This nets ~$39 at these numbers (~$4 at our original estimates).
The next harvest would not have the same overhead. With water costs being negligible and seed costs accounted for, the only remaining static cost is to top off our containers with new soil, likely less than ~$10. This nets ~$94 (~$59 at our original estimates) for our second harvest, and those to follow.
For a family of 4, this could be 8 plants. Which would need ~32 square feet (the size of a 4ftx8ft raised bed). This would likely cost ~$300 for a container, soil, tomato cages, and the negligible water costs for your first harvest and ~$20 for consecutive harvests (note that containers can cost $100s-$1000s, we are assuming ~$200).
If I adjust our estimates like I did above for cherry tomatoes, this would be a ~$115 gain for the first harvest and nearly ~$400 for consecutive harvests. At our original estimates this is (shown in the initial table) a loss of ~$25 in the first harvest and a gain of ~$230 in consecutive harvests.
Slicing Tomatoes – Example
If you grow slicing tomatoes, it is a little more difficult to settle on a number.
For me, 2 plants is probably plenty, but I am also not the biggest tomato consumer. We have been known to make tomato soup or use them in a curry. We also have the occasional tomato on its own or sliced for a salad or sandwich. Additionally, we give a few away here and there.
Let’s say you really love tomatoes, or you plan to store quite a few, for a family of 4. So, you grow 4 plants each (we are talking ~240 lbs of tomatoes). Using similar methods to what was written for cherry tomatoes above, we will estimate the cost for the first year at ~$500, with consecutive years costing ~$85. At original estimates this nets ~$50 for the first year and ~$470 for consecutive years.
Variety matters.
However, if you chose a tomato plant that produced just 5 more lbs, this could be an additional ~$180. Alternatively, if you chose a heirloom that was very expensive in your area, say $5/lb, this could be an additional ~$650. Variety matters.
Disclaimer: Nothing written here is meant to imply a guarantee or to provide financial advice. It is possible your entire crop fails or that your experience results that are different from the estimates provided here. Please do your own additional research before pursuing anything as a financial investment.