UTILIZE SCRAP WOODS
Use scrap wood, or skip the raised beds all together! Raised beds are one of the most popular ways to garden, and for good reason. They’re beautiful and effective. BUT they can get really expensive to build! Especially with current lumber prices. There are lots of ways to save money on lumber – go to your local lumber mill and ask if they will sell you the rough ends, find used wood on craigslist or marketplace, or even use unconventional items like bricks, rocks that you may be able to get for cheap or free! You can also just skip the raised bed all together and plant right in the ground – although this can be tricky depending on your soil!
UTILIZE FREE SOIL AMENDMENTS
Utilize free soil amendments. One of the most expensive parts of gardening can be purchasing soil amendments and fertilizer. But instead of purchasing the fancy bags of soil from the store you can utilize aged manure and compost! Call a local horse or cow farmer and ask if they have a pile of aged manure (fresh manure will burn your plants – it needs to be several years old). Start your own compost pile! There are tons of ways to do this depending on the space you have available, and your preference. I have an old-fashioned compost pile that I turn with a pitchfork a few times a week. Some people bury food scraps right in their gardens, or you can do vermiculture with worms!
START YOUR OWN SEEDS
Start your own seeds. Starting plants from seeds is by far the cheapest. A package of 100 tomato seeds cost $4, while ONE tomato plant costs $4 or more. Of course there are pros and cons to starting your own plants, but there’s no doubt that it’s cheaper. And I believe really anyone can do it!
DIRECT SOW
Direct sow whatever you can. Often times people think they need to start all of their seeds ahead of time, but that’s not the case. Even where I live where we have a very short growing season, I start 80% of my crops directly in the ground as opposed to starting them inside weeks earlier! Many plants actually prefer this and will quickly catch up to and surpass the seedlings that have been transplanted. The last few years I’ve only started my tomatoes, peppers and some flowers indoor. Everything else like cucumbers, leafy greens, carrots, beets, and squash gets directly planted into the gardens.
FIND LOCAL GARDEN GROUPS
Join local gardening groups or Facebook marketplace! These are a hidden gem in the gardening world. I know everyone these days hates on Facebook, but it is worth it for the free stuff you can find! People will give away extra plants, mulch, soil, manure, etc.
SWAP PLANTS
Swap perennials with friends. Perennials like rhubarb, raspberries or mint tend to take over the garden so people are often eager to split them! I recently traded a friend a loaf of homemade sourdough bread for about 10 raspberry plants!
SEED SAVING
Save seeds at the end of the season. Seed saving is a skill I hope to get more into this year. I’ve always saved my sunflower seeds to plant again, but never much else. But this can save you so much money when it’s time to purchase seeds next spring!
USE ITEMS YOU ALREADY HAVE
Use items you already have for trellising. It’s tempting to go out and buy new tomato cages, trellises, etc. But you can often use items you already have. You can trellis tomatoes with just a few steel fence posts, or cedar 2x4s and twine.
BORROW TOOLS
Borrow gardening tools from friends or neighbours. I was shocked when I started purchasing gardening tools like a rake, shovel, hose, etc. They can add up fast! Of course there are ones that you’ll need to use everyday so borrowing isn’t practical. But other items like a wheelbarrow or ladder you might be able to just borrow from someone! Don’t forget to check yard sales or marketplace for these things as well!
COLLECT RAIN WATER
Collect rain water. Collecting rain water is a great self-sufficiency skill, plus it can save you a few dollars if you pay for city water!I also find that plants thrive when given rain water instead of tap water which can be high in chlorine and other chemicals.
