Gardening On A Budget

​Tips for Gardening on the Cheap.
Many years ago when we started Unity Gardens, one of my thoughts was we needed to do this on the cheap, otherwise why not just buy veggies and give them away. Although there is a bit more to Unity Gardens than just free food, free food is always our first priority. Here are some tips for both new and old gardeners.
#1. Don't buy a rototiller. They are very expensive and you won't need them after the first year anyway. So check craigslist or your local garden center and ask if they know someone who rototills gardens. It is normally under $100 and rototillers cost nearly $1000 + yearly maintenance and repairs. We only recommend tilling the first year if at all. You can also go "old school" and double dig your new garden plot. Double digging is basically a matter of turning and moving your soil with a spade. This is a good time to get all the weed roots and plant matter out. It will also help if you tarp the area in the fall before digging to help smother the weeds before digging.

#2 Compost: In my book, a better name for compost is free fertilizer because essentially good compost is fertilizer. Start a compost pile and also look in your area to see if there is any free compost available. Here in South Bend, we have Organic Resources which is a city program that turns yard waste into beautiful compost which is free! Most homeowners do not produce enough food and lawn waste to make enough for a large garden, but you can find things for free to compost. Cardboard boxes, cow manure, horse manure, bunny manure, chicken manure, coffee grounds and so much more are readily available in most households. . Look for someone who raises animals or has cardboard to get rid of. Here is a fun website that may make you think outside of the box. What To Compost

#3 Don't spend money on fertilizer! Keep your soil healthy or build healthy soil by adding organic material and or compost. If you do this, the decay of this organic material will feed your garden.
At Unity Gardens, we add grass clippings or wood chips between rows of compost, You can also mix coffee grounds in your soil or compost pile. Think of your garden as a giant lasagna that gets better with every layer you add on.
#4 Seeds can be costly, especially if you are growing a small garden. What about a seed exchange with your friends?! If you want to grow 2 tomato plants you won't need the 20 seeds that come in the pack. Get a group of gardeners together and either exchange seeds or grow plants for each other.

#5 Grow in pots, but not the expensive pots you buy at the store, but rather what you can find for free. Check with garden clubs etc.. Many people of us with a gardening addiction have lots of pots we want to get rid of (maybe to hide the evidence of said addiction). Also check with landscapers, and garden shops that may have large pots from trees and even five-gallon buckets work. Donut shops sometimes have buckets they want to get rid of. Also, think outside the box. You can plant in about anything that can hold soil, has drain holes, and did not have toxic materials in it. Here is a website with some tips that may start you off in the right direction. Container Tips
#6 Seed Saving: As you learn to garden, you may think of saving your own seeds. It can be a great way to save money but can be a little complex. Here is a great link to seed saving.
Seed Saving Tips

#7 Grow what you use and what costs the most at the store. A good example is herbs. 1oz of fresh herbs can cost $3. One basil plant can easily produce $50 worth of basil. A tomato plant can produce 40 lbs of tomatoes and tastes great. Compared to the effort of dried beans which are cheap at the store, but cumbersome and take a long season in the garden.

​#9 Forget the rototiller and build a lasanga garden. It is not too hard or costly. Start with a good thick layer of cardboard on top of garden space. Then layer in leaves, compost, grass clippings, and other organic materials. The key is to do a layer of browns (dead things like leaves, wood chips, cardboard etc.) and then alternate in a layer of greens (grass clippings, coffee grounds vegetable waste etc).. Top it with about 6 inches or more of compost and you are ready to plant. The slow rotting material below will help feed your plants for year. You can tweak the materials to match what is available to you. Food waste, coffee grounds, leaves, straw etc..