The Surprising Low Cost of Growing LifePonic Greens

Good food is expensive, and finding a way to eat low cost greens year round has huge benefits for your health and your wallet. There are genius marketing experts out on the Internet with all sorts of misinformation. We aim to give you the whole truth and the data to support why growing your own hydroponic greens with LifePonic Towers is absolutely the lowest costs solution for providing  you and your household with a 365 day per year supply of nutritious greens.

Before we look at costs, let’s look at the total yield of some side-by-side comparison to the number 1 tower Garden and growing in soil indoors.

LifePonic Towers: The highest yield of any hydroponic tower on the market. In side-by-side testing with Tower Gardens, the LifePonic towers produce as much as 1500% more mixed greens! In another side-by-side test with kale grown in soil, our LifePonic Tower produced a 2700% greater yield.

The question is, what is the true cost of gardening to produce leafy greens? Of all garden plants, leafy greens can provide the highest return on investment of all plants. Why? The can be harvested over and over while you wait all summer for your tomatoes or cucumbers to grow.

With the help of ChatGPT, we find that the cost per pound of leafy greens is

•     LifePonic Mixed Greens:   ~ $1.92 – $2.50 / pound – 365 days per year with 100% nutrition
•     Whole Foods Mixed Greens:   ~ $5.97 / pound – 365 days per year with 40% – 90% less nutrition 
•     In-Ground: ~$0.50–$2 per pound – ~60 days per year with no greens for more than 300 days per year
•     Raised Bed: ~$1–$3 per pound – ~60 days per year with no greens for more than 300 days per year

If we look at consuming one large tub (16 oz or 1 pound) per week, the annual costs of having greens is:

•     LifePonic Mixed Greens:   ~ $100 – 130 per year (comparing our greens gown with our premium lights and our standard lights)
•     Whole Foods Mixed Greens:   ~ $263 / 44 weeks of purchases when the garden is not producing.
•     In-Ground for 8 weeks of harvest: ~$4–$16 
•     Raised Bed for 8 weeks of harvest: ~$8–$24
•     Garden plus Whole Foods for 52 weeks: ~$267 – $287

The bottom line is that gardening and harvesting for 8 weeks and purchasing Whole Foods organic greens will cost you ~167 – 187% more for less than half the nutrition on average over the year.  Plus, you don’t need to worry about hail, scorching sun, pests, and airborne contaminants in your garden, or food supply chain problems limiting the availability of store bought greens.

Here is my ChatGPT transcript for where I got the costs for gardening:

The cost to grow leafy greens in a ground-level garden vs a raised bed depends on several factors, including setup, soil, maintenance, and expected yield. Here’s a clear breakdown to help you compare the two:

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 1. In-Ground Garden

Startup Costs:

• Soil prep (compost, amendments): $20–$50 per 100 sq ft

• Seeds or seedlings: $2–$10

• Tools (trowel, hoe, watering can): $20–$50 (initial, reusable)

• Mulch (optional): $10–$20

• Irrigation (hose, drip line optional): $20–$50

 Total Initial Investment: $30–$100+ (for small plots, excluding reusable tools)

Ongoing Costs:

• Water, compost replenishment, pest control: ~$10–$30/season

• Labor: Time-intensive for weeding and pest management

Pros:

• Lower initial cost

• More growing space

• Natural drainage if soil is good

Cons:

• Soil quality may vary or require improvement

• Harder on the back/knees

• More vulnerable to weeds, pests, and poor drainage

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 2. Raised Bed Garden

Startup Costs:

• Raised bed materials (wood, metal, plastic): $100–$300 (4×8 ft bed)

• Soil + compost to fill bed: $100–$200 per bed

• Seeds or seedlings: $2–$10

• Tools (same as above): $20–$50

• Irrigation (drip system optional): $20–$80

 Total Initial Investment: $200–$500+ per bed

Ongoing Costs:

• Water, compost top-up, pest protection: ~$10–$30/season

• Less labor-intensive over time

Pros:

• Better control over soil quality

• Improved drainage and root health

• Easier access (especially for seniors or those with limited mobility)

• Fewer weeds and pests

Cons:

• Higher startup cost

• Beds can degrade (especially untreated wood)

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 Cost per Pound (Approximate)

This varies based on yield, input cost, and region, but for leafy greens (like lettuce, kale, spinach):

• In-Ground: ~$0.50–$2 per pound (after initial setup)

• Raised Bed: ~$1–$3 per pound (initially higher, drops over time)