Because I believe in doing everything as cheap as possible I had to find the absolute cheapest way how to start a garden and share it with you guys!
And I figured it out for you! This is THE recourse on how to start a garden for way cheap or even for free! I am sharing with you where to get all the supplies you need and shortcuts on how to get started!
This is one activity your whole family can do, even if you are pinching pennies and are living on a tight budget!
The very basic necessity is going to be seeds. Starting a garden from seeds is going to be way cheaper then buying starters. It’s a little trickier and of coarse is going to take a little more time. But, it is cheaper!
Not to mention that when you grow an entire plant from a seed and are able to eat the food that it produces, you get dang proud!
If you are in need of building some garden beds, you can read this article here on how to build garden beds for FREE! In this article I share with you the best way to get all the wood you need for free.
With these 3 simple tips you will know everything you need to know on how to start a garden on a budget:
Find the Containers
This is my biggest tip for planting seeds! There are so many different ideas on what to plant your seeds in. You can use plastic or paper cups or any leftover containers you have lying around your house. But to find something completely free I went to Lowes and Homedepot and asked for their left over plant containers.
They usually have a “recycling” shelf somewhere in their gardening department. Both stores in my town were happy to let me just take as many as I needed. But make sure to ask before you take.
Get the Dirt
Obviously if you have good soil in your yard you can use that for free. But if that’s not an option for you I have a tip on where you can get really great dirt for free!
Ask around your town to see if your local waste department has a green recycling program. Some cities will recycle their green waste to create rich compost that your plants will love! They even heat treat it to make sure that all weed seeds are killed.
In most places you can get it for free, depending on how much you need. We actually used a similar program in our city to fill all six of our raised garden beds! We got 3 truck beds full of fresh compost and only had to pay a total of $10! We did add in some natural fertilizer but that only costs about $2 a bag at Lowes or Homedepot.
Get the Seeds
Did you know that it is pretty easy to find good seeds on Craigslist? It is surprising how many people get rid of their gardening supplies on there! I have seen on a regular basis people selling their left over seeds on Craigslist. Usually they are selling them in a bundle with other gardening tools. So if you are a beginning gardener this will be perfect for you!
You can also look online if you are in search for some specific types of seeds. Seeds are pretty inexpensive to buy and if you store them correctly you can save your leftovers for next year. Two years for the price of one!
Are you starting a garden this year? I am brand new to this whole gardening thing so I would love to hear your tips! Please make sure to leave all your tips, comments and questions in the comments below! Let’s chat!
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Bethany Magnie
April 27, 2015 at 6:30 amOur garden is coming along too! Genious idea to get our flats at Lowes! I never would have thought of that. We have been saving moola everywhere we can and have finally been using the soil at the bottom of our compost pile! I can’t wait to see how your garden turns out!
brita
April 27, 2015 at 6:50 amI have 3 large raised beds and I LOVE your advice to get free dirt/ compost. I’ve never heard of this before and I’m SO going to look and see if they have this in Nashville. We used mushroom compost in our beds. It has worked great but it’s been a few years and I’ve been wanting to buy some more soil to add to the beds and to hopefully make some more plantable areas in my yard.
Sarah Koontz {Grounded & Surrounded}
May 6, 2015 at 9:09 amI love recycling old yogurt containers to grow my seedlings in. Also, once the plants go into your garden, disinfect the pots and save them for next year. Love your ideas Brittany, now GO GET YOUR GARDEN ON!
suck a dick
April 25, 2020 at 9:07 pmThis is a great tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere. Simple but very precise info… Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read post!