Moms Need To Know ™

Moms Need To Know

  • Recipe Index
  • Gardening Tips
  • The Mom Life
    • Life As A Mom
    • Frugal Living
    • DIY Projects
    • Etiquette and Manners
  • Essential Oils
  • Saving Money
    • Grocery/Drug Store Coupon Deals
    • Coupon Insert Preview
    • Coupons.com
    • RedPlum Coupons
    • SmartSource Coupons
  • About & Contact Me
    • Contact
    • Terms & Conditions

How To Start A Vegetable Garden Inexpensively

July 3, 2014 by Mindi Cherry

How to Start a Garden Inexpensively

If you know how to start a garden, you can grow vegetables in your backyard garden on the cheap and not only feed your family, but you can afford to feed your community as well. Vegetable plants can be a bit pricey if you purchase them one plant at a time, so here are some great tips to start a vegetable garden inexpensively.

To start a vegetable garden you will need quality plants or seeds and great potting soil. Even if you are in an area where you can garden right into the ground, you will need to amend the soil to give the plant all the nutrients it might need.

If you will be gardening in containers or a raised bed, you will need a good potting soil mix. Buying organic potting soil can get expensive, so here is a great inexpensive recipe for organic potting soil. Now, you will have to purchase everything initially, but the bags of fertilizers go a very long way and are a great bang for the buck.

Use this mix to amend your garden soil too and watch your plants thrive.

Organic Potting Soil

  • 1/3 Potting Soil
  • 1/3 Vermiculite
  • 1/3 Compost or Earthworm Castings
  • 1 cup Bone Meal
  • 1 cup Blood Meal

When thinking about what you want to plant in your garden, plant 80% of what you family normally eats on a daily basis and 20% on veggies you would love to try. You can buy plants that are ready to be transplanted into your garden once all dangers of frost have passed. Better yet, you can get a head start and start seeds indoors if you have the garden bug early or sow them directly into the garden once it has warmed up.

The most cost-effective way to garden is always going to be buy purchasing seed packets and growing them yourself. A vegetable seed packet runs less than $2 each and tends to have 10-50 seeds per packet. That is just pennies per seed! One of the best things about gardening with seeds is that you can try different varieties of the same vegetable and see which one your family loves better. If you are a fan of tomatoes, you can try five different kinds of seeds and have spent less than $10 for over 250 seeds – that is a ton of tomatoes growing in your yard!

If you want to use starter plants you find in the nursery, the best way to go is to look for those that are in 4- or 6-packs. These are usually $1-2 per 6-pack making each plant less than $0.50. One thing to remember is that if you plant 6 squash plants you will have more squash than you will know what to do with and will be able to give some to every neighbor you know! Whereas a 6-pack of spinach will give your family enough new leaves to eat a salad a few times a week. Make sure you know the yield of the plant before you plant more than a couple plants!

Only buy 1-2 single plants that are $2-10 if it is something that will either yield a lot of vegetables or is your favorite vegetable. This can either be an artichoke plant in a gallon container or a rare variety of basil that is already 10” tall. Don’t impulse buy on these individual plants or your will blow your vegetable garden budget in under 10 minutes flat!

Keep your expenses down when starting your vegetable garden with making your own organic potting soil and using seeds. For plant markers, use popsicle sticks. If you need containers, use everything from an old wheelbarrow or anything that can have drainage holes. I’ve seen the most creative veggie gardens come out of using inexpensive containers and a little imagination.

Happy gardening!

You might want to check out these other gardening tips:

  • How To Grow An Herb Container Garden
  • 10 Most Popular Vegetables to Grow in Containers
  • Square Foot Gardening in Small Spaces – Coming soon!

Related

Filed Under: Frugal Living, Gardening Tips

This post may contain affiliate links which might make me money. I promise to only use the money to buy wine, male strippers and glitter-pooping unicorns (and maybe to donate to starving orphan puppies in Africa) or whatever the heck I want. If you think I shouldn't make money for the 60+ hours that I spend on this site each week, please go away and never come back. Read my disclosure policy.

« Simple Homemade Fabric Softener Recipe
Blueberry Mint Infused Water »

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by! As a busy mom. I just want to put healthy and flavorful meals on the table quickly without having to rely on processed foods, while still trying to maintain a household. Read More…

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Keeping This Site Free For You!

Most Popular Posts

  • The Best Dip For Doritos
  • Oreo Truffles Oreo Cake Balls Recipe
  • Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe in the Crockpot
  • Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Recipes Crockpot Dr Pepper Pulled Pork
  • Companion Planting What Not To Plant Together
  • Easy Cherry Thumbprint Cookies Christmas Cookies
  • Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup Easy Chicken Recipes
  • More Deliciousness!

    Easy Homemade Soft Pretzels Recipe

    I am slightly addicted to fish tacos but don't like the way that so many places fry the fish. Blackening the fish gives these fish tacos so much flavor!

    Blackened Fish Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

    Easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe | Homemade Cinnamon Rolls!

    Mexican Lasagna | Freezer Friendly and Absolutely Delicious

    Mindi has been blogging since 2008 sharing her best frugal living tips, recipes and more. When she isn't writing, she spends time as an unpaid cook, maid and chauffeur to her 3 children!

    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Privacy Policy

    Just 4 ingredients are needed to make this fabulous pumpkin sugar scrub. This scrub will polish and moisturize your skin - and with a wonderful scent!
    A creamy dijon and mushroom sauce make this my absolute favorite pork chops recipe! Simple to make and you can even substitute chicken for the pork!
    This quiche recipe can be whipped up very quickly and is full of flavor! They're quick and easy (and gluten-free), and the variations are endless!
    This limoncello cake is perfect for dessert or even for breakfast. The light sweetness of the limoncello glaze gives the perfect added sweetness.
    This fettuccine and sausage recipe is full of flavor, yet so simple to prepare and made from ingredients that you probably have in your pantry!
    A homemade taco seasoning mix give these lettuce wrap tacos plenty of flavor (and if you children want to use regular taco shells - let them!)
    Built on the Genesis Framework
    Copyright © 2021 Moms Need To Know. All rights reserved.