The $8 Vegetable Garden

Have you every dreamed of living on a farm? That simple way of life where you walk a little slower, grow your own food, maybe have a few animals? I certainly have - but right now it is far from a reality. We live in the city, but we do have a backyard, and we have been spending the last few dreary months of winter planning out a vegetable garden.

You may be surprised to find that everything you need for your garden (from pots to soil to seeds) can be bought from your local dollar store. In this article, I am going to walk you through a simple way to create a vegetable garden of your very own. Vegetables to last you all summer long, for less than $10!

Step 1: Make your plan

Look at your backyard, balcony, or whatever outdoor area you have. Decide how much of that space you would like to devote to your garden. Any size space will do - it doesn’t have to be large. For the purpose of this article, we will assume you have a space 3 feet by 2 feet (simply change the number of seeds accordingly for smaller or bigger spaces).

Step 2: Head to the dollar store for supplies

For your $8 garden you will need:
1 rectangular black tray with cover

Cardboard cups (pack of 26)

1 raking tool

And these other items:

• Spray bottle
• 3 packs of soil
• 1 pack of carrot seeds
• 1 pack of snap pea seeds
• 1 pack of tomato seeds (or whichever veggies you like!)

Step 3: Start your garden

You can start your seeds indoors as early as 6-8 weeks before the frost free date for your area.

For me (May 9th), I started our seeds on March 15th.

What to do next…

• Fill your cups and pots with moistened soil
• Stick your finger in the middle of the soil down just a centimeter or two and place a seed, then cover with soil.
  

  Tomatoes: plant 12 seeds in 6 cups (2 in each)
  Peas: plant up to 2 seeds in each cup (use 20 cups)
  Carrots: carrot seeds are planted directly outside

• Once your tomato and peas sprout, thin each cup to have only one sprout. Pluck the weakest one - only the strong will survive!
• Cover your tray with the clear lid. The idea is that the water will evaporate, condense on the lid, and water your seedlings again, however, we haven’t had too much luck with this, and need to mist ours regularly.

Step 4: Water and sun

Place your tray in a sunny spot and water regularly. Water by using the misting setting on your spray bottle. The top of the soil should feel damp at all times for peas. Tomatoes don’t need to be watered as frequently, but be sure to check that they are moist at least twice per week.

Step 5: Remove the lid

Once your very first seedlings begin to sprout, remove the clear lid. Don’t skip this step! At this point, your little baby veggies need oxygen.

Step 6: Get plants used to the outdoors

Starting about one week before you are going to actually plant your seedlings, start putting your tray outdoors. Find a spot that is shaded and protected from the wind. Get your plants used to the outdoor sun slowly.

Place the trays in the sun for an hour or two each day, gradually increasing the time, and bringing the tray inside each evening. Just a few hours per day is great, growing longer each day.

Step 7: Make your garden

Dig an area (3 feet by 2 feet) in a sunny spot in your yard (or find a planters box, Rubbermaid container - anything, really - just make sure you put holes in the bottom of a container for drainage).

Rake the top of your soil to ensure it is soft and free of any lumps.

Plant your seedlings as follows:

Tomatoes: Place in the Northern most part of your garden (as they get the tallest and you don’t want them to block the sun from your other veggies). Choose your 4 strongest seedlings and plant them along the Northern 3 foot side (about 10 inches apart or so).
Peas: Peas will go in the row in front of your tomatoes. Plant the seedlings only about 2-3 inches apart (peas like company!).
Carrots: Carrots need to be planted about 2-3 inches apart as well. Plant your carrots at the very front of your garden. The seeds should only be planted a centimeter or so deep.

photo

That’s it! Remember to water regularly, weed if you can, and be patient! Soon enough you will be able to enjoy homegrown vegetables from your very own garden!

Price breakdown (from Dollarama):

• 26 pots ($1)
• Tray with lid x 2 ($1 each)
• Spray bottle ($1)
• 1-2 bags soil ($1 each or less)
• 3 packets seeds (3 for $1)
• Small rake ($2)

I think this is a fun way to get your family ready for the spring and summer. My little farmers are sure enjoying it! Good luck!

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