When planning a garden, the first thing you must decide is your budget. For those who do not have much to spare, planning ahead is the most important key to a successful garden. Here’s how to get your garden started for under $10…
Step 1: Start composting
Set aside a corner of your yard where you would like to set up your fertilizer. Then start adding. Composting is a great way to create a free nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden. Pile up your organic trash (food waste, coffee grounds) and add in your animal waste**, (horses have great fertilizer). Add in your fall leaves and grass clippings. Just be sure to stir it up every once in a while with a rake or shovel to ensure proper composting.
Step 2: Choose your seed
If you want to plant items you would usually purchase, start saving the seeds now. Some can be found in the food you purchase. Any dried bean can be brought to life. As well as onions, potatoes, yams, grapes, corn, carrots, string beans, and lettuce with the stalk still attached.
Any type of squash seed could be gathered, dried, and saved for spring planting. You would be amazed at how many seeds can be planted. A few long term seeds could be planted as well like apples, pears, walnuts, and cherries.
After gathering what you already have on hand, try branching out to find seed swap. Various clubs will swap seeds from previous years and many are willing to help out a newbie with a few seeds and lots of advice.
Try garage sales for old and expired seeds. The secret is… they still work!
Also, look into the option that many places which accept SNAP and food stamp will let you purchase gardening seeds as well.
Step 3: Turn the soil
This might be where you would have to spend some cash. If you have zero tools, you will need at least a shovel. This can be picked up at garage sales, dollar stores and even swap meets. Making the choice to have fresh soil and mixing in your compost will make or break your garden.
Step 4: Plant!
Enjoy your frugal garden! If done well, you should be able to plant next year’s garden for free! Just save your seeds from this years batch and continue the cycle.
A note regarding animal waste- do not use cat or dog waste in your garden. A good rule of thumb to remember is not to use any waste from “meat” eating animals.
What are your favorite Frugal Gardening Tips? Feel free to share them in the comments below!
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / Jcomp
thank you. i’m ready to start thinking about my garden for this year. i try to keep a gardening journal, but haven’t done super at it.
i love the ideas of saving money by using seeds that we already have. thanks!
if you are just starting out with gardening many things can be grown in containers! lettuce, carrots, radishes, even potatoes and onions! bush type beans and tomatoes do well also in containers!
i’ve even grown zucchini in low wide pot.
recycle containers, old plastic storage containers that might be cracked or have lost their lids can be used. just place bricks or rocks in the bottom, put in some drainage holes and you have great container to use for patio gardening.
i’m ready to start my garden. i have been thinking of ways to make raised beds to plant my garden in. i have trouble with certain four legged family members walking through and taking naps in my vegetable garden.
i put border fences around my flower beds and they seem to walk right by them, so i think if i plant my vegetable in raised beds i’ll have better success.
:tulip-icon:
dont have much space but going to give this a whirl. growing up my family always had a garden but now that i live in a subdivision that will make it a little tricky. but i am gonna try!!!
what about container gardens
i try to do a garden every year, but can never decide what to grow – we have limited space and ..well, i don’t have that green of a thumb .. some things just don’t come thrive well under my care! i hear starting the seeds in egg shells is supposed to give them a good start..
i think i’ll try that this year..any thoughts?
i tried container gardening year before last. i actually got more tomatoes from the containers than the ones i planted in the ground. i compost and each year i add 40 lb. bags of manure and 40 lb.
bags of soil. Where I used to live, the tomatoes just “volunteered” to come up. I would move them where I wanted them.
My herb garden did quite well and this past summer I began another herb garden.
it is my best article that i read
Thank you for the advice, but me too, I don’t have sufficient area for the garden.
Great article. I am hoping to start a garden next year.