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7 Smart Ways to Plant A Garden On A Budget

Growing your own groceries can be an incredible way to cut costs on food. However, easy does not necessarily mean cheap. As a matter of fact, starting a garden can be an expensive venture and you may give up even before you even begin. Still, there are ways you can cut those costs and start a garden on a budget.

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If you are dreaming of owning a productive garden that will at the very least feed your family, we have some amazing DIY garden ideas on a budget.

1. Start Small and Grow As You Go

summer-garden

Forget the large beautiful gardens you see on the internet, eventually, you’ll get there, we promise. However, if you are on a budget then small, cheap gardening, is a great idea. You can get a small loan with ease if you need cash now no job. This will get you the little supplies you require.

If you don’t have enough room to start a raised garden, use a few pots or containers. It’s easy to grow some produce virtually anywhere and this will require a lot less time to start. It’s easier to plan a smaller garden as well and you can always expand it whenever possible.

You may choose to go with containers, skip the fancy ones you see at hardware stores. These are quite expensive so save up by getting some from the dollar store, or IKEA. You’ll get some chic, beautiful containers for a fraction of the cost. All a container needs are good drainage and you can always drill holes for yourself.

Drainage is important because too much moisture will translate to drowned roots and moldy soil. Painter’s buckets make incredible planters because they are large enough and come with handles that make them easy to move.

2. Design the Garden Yourself

Design the Garden

It may be tempting to get a professional designer because well, all those pictures on Pinterest are to die for. But for a small garden, you may have to part with hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, which you are trying to save on. There are so many places you can find design ideas and do it yourself.

You can actually check out books in the library and you’ll find instructions on building raised beds, gazebos, patios and anything else you have in mind. Map out your space on a paper then start drawing your ideas. Take your time and observe the seasons and visualizing where you want everything to go before you finalize your design.

3. Grow From Seeds Instead of Starts

dandelion-seeds

If you are growing your first garden, then you should know that starts are so much more expensive compared to seeds. For instance, you may get half a dozen seedlings for anything between $3 to $6 while you may get a pack of 500 seeds for the same price. You may not know this but sowing seeds in your garden without growing them indoors first will take as much time as it would to plant seedlings.

While seeds are great when it comes to groceries, they are not the best choice when it comes to fruits trees like blueberries if that’s what you want to grow. In this case, you should look for cuttings. All perennials, vines, shrubs, and trees are easy to propagate from cuttings. Find friends or relatives with the desired plant and cut a few sticks then plant them in moist perlite.

In a few weeks or a few months depending on what you plant, you should be able to see leaves and roots.

4. Go to Seed Swaps

seeds

Sweep swaps are incredible. Everyone brings the seeds they have been saving up for a year and trades them with different seeds. This will not only save you money, but it will connect you with other gardeners who may have some valuable advice and gardening tips for you. It’ll also be fun.

Gardening can also provide you with an experience that will reduce stress and improve your life. For this to happen, you need to have seeds of your own so save some wherever you can.

5. Forage for Gardening Supplies

gardening tools

Garage sales are the best place to get cheap gardening supplies. Buying brand new gardening tools, equipment or supplies will be expensive. You can get anything from shovels, hand trowels, fencing, stakes, trellises, and a lot more from garage sales, especially during summer.

You could also borrow some from friends or neighbors until you can afford to get yours. You may ask for one thing and get a few more that they don’t use. Don’t be afraid to ask: you may be surprised.

6. Make Your Own Compost

compost

You may not have your own livestock to get manure from but you don't need a lot since you are starting small. Regardless of the size of the garden, however, you can make your own mulch. You may know someone who may let you clean out their barn so do that then mix it with any organic matter like leaves, grass clippings, or even wood shavings.

You can add eggshells for more nutrients then pile the whole thing and let it stew. This is one of the best small garden ideas on a budget because it saves a lot. If you can’t think of someone who would let you have some of their manure, get some for free.

Tree cutting companies usually have piles of mulch and most of them are looking for people to get it off their hands. Municipalities also convert green waste to compost and they’ll either give it away for free or sell it for a small fee. Of course, you need to be wary of free stuff as it may contain undesirable components. Take caution.

7. Grow Organic

strawberries

Starting a garden on a budget can be easy, especially if you decide to go organic. Growing organic, or all-natural food, actually has more benefits. You’ll not only eat healthy food, but you’ll also save on chemical pesticides. You can attract good bugs that’ll eat the bad ones and remove any pesky weeds. Start using living plants, also known as cover crops that’ll return nutrients to the soil.

Garden on a Budget Now

If you have been wondering how to start your own garden on a budget, these are some easy garden ideas you can implement and eventually, you’ll grow bigger. It’s wise to grow as much as your family can eat without wasting anything, but you can always give some to the friends or neighbors that lend you their gardening tools.

Starting a garden on a budget can actually be fun to start now. Read more on our blog for more simplified gardening tips that will make your life easier.

About the Author Laura Bennett

Hello, I’m Laura Bennett. I love nature especially when it comes to flowers and different kinds of plants. I started a very small garden behind my house and I named it Humid Garden. So, I created this blog to provide aspiring and inspiring thoughts about gardening for gardeners and anyone who has the intention of keeping a garden.

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