How to Plant a Garden On a Budget
Gardening can be a therapeutic and relaxing activity, but it can also put a little extra money in your pocket if you grow the right things (and grow them well). A seedling might cost you just a dollar or two but yield vegetables and fruit throughout the season that would otherwise cost you many dollars a pound.
Like anything else, gardening can be done on a budget, or you can get carried away and spend far too much.
Here are just a few ways you can save on your garden this year.
Start small. If this is the first year you're trying to grow a garden, it's OK to start small. If you don't have a lot of room, or time, to build a raised bed, begin with a few pots and try container gardening. You can grow produce almost as well in pots as you can in a raised bed, and it requires a lot less time to get started. With a smaller garden, it will also be easier to plan and you can always expand it next year.
Skip fancy planters. If you're going to work with a container garden, don't buy the expensive planters at the hardware store. IKEA and your local dollar store can be great places to look for chic containers on a budget. Any container that offers drainage will work (or you can drill your own holes). Drainage is crucial, or you might get too much moisture and cause the roots to drown and the soil to mold.
If you want a cheap option, buy a painter's bucket and drill holes at the bottom for a five-gallon planter for just a few dollars. You'll even get a handle as a bonus, so you can easily move the container.
Pots will be expensive, even if you skip fancy planters, but it's an upfront fixed cost that you won't have to pay each year. Buy a sturdy bucket or container, and use it for years.
Only plant what you'll eat. This sounds silly, but when you visit the store, you might be tempted to plant all these incredible vegetables you've always wanted to try. Avoid that temptation! You'll be spending good money and time on your garden, and you'll want to maximize your enjoyment. So don't plant something unless you know you'll eat it. You can always experiment later, once you have a handle on things.
When deciding what seeds to buy, choose vegetables that are more expensive. Tomatoes and peppers are good choices because they're some of the most expensive vegetables to purchase (and they're not difficult to grow yourself).
Start from seeds. Take a stroll through the outdoor department of your local home improvement store or the greenhouse of your local market, and you'll see a lot of plants -- all of which have been growing for weeks. These are good options if you're late into a growing season, but you can save a lot of money by starting with seeds.
To begin, take some potting soil, and put it into a cardboard egg carton. It's important you use fresh potting soil because it'll be full of nutrients your seeds need to grow. For bonus points, try a seed-starting mix of compost, perlite, vermiculite and coir -- there are plenty of recipes online.
Next, put the seeds in the dirt, and place the carton somewhere it will get sun. Use a spray bottle to keep the dirt moist, and within a week or so you should see sprouts. Keep watering until they get their second set of leaves. Then they'll be ready for transplant to individual containers or your garden.
Make your own compost. Compost can provide valuable nutrients for your plants, but it can be expensive if you buy it. Why not take advantage of your yard and food waste by composting it yourself? Many municipalities offer free or reduced cost compost bins that you can use to produce food for your garden.
Water the garden in the morning or in the evening. It's best to water your garden, and even your lawn, during cooler temperatures. Water your garden in the morning or in the evening -- not when the sun is at its peak and more of the water evaporates.
After a few weeks, you'll start to see the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor. Good luck on your garden this year!
Jim Wang is an entrepreneur, who founded microblogger.com. For actionable advice on how to build your own business, join his free newsletter.
