5 Tips for Gardening on the Cheap

Gardening is a fun pastime, a good form of exercise, and an excellent way to add fresh produce to the dinner table without a trip to the market. However, gardening can also require a steep investment from the outset, which can deter even the most devoted, yet budget-minded individual.


1. Share and Share Alike

If you are lucky enough to know others who also have a desire to garden, it is possible to share some of the expense. I missed the boat this year when I learned that a neighbor had soil delivered; we could have gotten a better deal had we ordered it together. Flats of plants are cheaper in bulk, why not purchase them with like-minded friends? You can also split the cost of rent for a community plot, buy bulk seeds together, or even split the price on renting a garden tiller.

2. Think Outside the Pot
When I was cleaning out the garage, I found a crate that would easily, and gorgeously, double as a plant container. Take a look around and you'll find all sorts of creative planters, from spare tires to wheelbarrows to old shoes. I later found out that crate was once my husband's nightstand in his bachelor days. That is truly recycling at work!

3. Don't Jump the Gun
Anxious to get your garden out? Don't be. Wait until mid-May and you will find many resellers have perfectly viable plants at bargain-basement prices. Yesterday, I purchased two flats of tomatoes and one flat of jalapenos for 50 cents each. I also bought an already producing tomato plant for the same price. They are priced down not because they are unhealthy but because they are outgrowing their containers. By waiting just a couple of weeks, you can pay up to $3 less per plant. If you're planting a dozen crops, like me, that adds up significantly. If you're planting even more, well, I don't even have to tell you how worthwhile it can be to wait.

4. To Seed or Not to Seed
Some garden plants do just as well, or even better, when started from seed. Watermelon, most squash, cucumbers, lettuce, and peas are well-known direct-sow plants. The cost of seeds is generally under $2 per packet, and each packet can produce several plants. If you have little space or light to start seeds indoors, like me, then try to be patient and wait for purchased plants or to direct sow in the garden. Otherwise, you could end up wasting a lot of time and money on seedlings that can't thrive, also like me.

5. Reap What You Sow
Of course, gardening doesn't end once the plants or seeds are in the ground. The garden requires constant care, which I hate to admit is something that I generally lack. I get very excited about my garden every spring, and when the newness wears off, I tend to focus in other directions. This is a huge mistake and one I hope that I, and you, will remedy this year. A well-tended garden is one that produces well and can provide nourishment for weeks or even months with very little expense from the outset.