Can't afford to buy things for your garden?
*Re-posting, with new information
A store-bought bag of topsoil, a roll of landscaping fabric, or a bag of cedar chips doesnāt go very far if you have a large garden or a very limited budget. Here are some ways to create the materials you need for a beautiful, organic, productive garden, by both re-directing household waste, and foraging in your local area. I use a lot of these tricks in my garden to make it almost completely free for me to continue growing new things, and expanding the workable area every year!
Save your food scraps to create a richĀ compostĀ for growing veggies and amending your soil. There are numerous options for every size of dwelling and yard. Small space solutions such asĀ BokashiĀ andĀ vermicompostĀ work indoors and donāt produce bad smells, so you can keep them underneath the sink.Worm towers, compost heaps, andĀ outdoor compost binsĀ are a great solution if you have more space. The more you add, the more rich, nutritious material you can make for your garden. I like composting because it means I donāt have gross smelly garbage bags to deal with, because food waste is diverted. It seems like a lot of work at first, but it actually saves time, money, and transportation.
Seaweed or kelpĀ is one of the best things for your garden, with over 70 essential nutrients, and acting as a weed barrier and a moisture-retentive mulch. I collect seaweed nearby on the beach with my bike trailer, or, when I go for a walk I bring a little home with me each time. Itās an absolute miracle for your soil.
There are three things that are essential for plant growth. These areĀ nitrogenĀ for leaves and vegetation (N),Ā phosphorusĀ for roots and shoots (P), andĀ potassiumĀ for water movement, flowering, and fruiting (K). Commercial fertilisers will give the relative concentrations of each of these compounds with and āNPKā rating.Ā Plants like tomatoes also need calcium to produce healthy fruit. You can create amendments for your garden and soil at home so that you do not have to purchase fertiliser.
Grass clippingsĀ contain 4% nitrogen, 1% phosphorus, and 2% potassium (NPK = 4-1-2).
Human urineĀ contains 12% nitrogen, and itās sterile. Dilute before adding directly to plants.
LegumesĀ such as beans, clover, peanuts, and alfalfa fix inorganic nitrogen into the soil withĀ mycorrhizalĀ organisms and nodules on their root systems. Plant these crops every few years in rotation with others to renew the soil organically.
Human urineĀ is also a great source of phosphorous and trace amounts of potassium.
Ground up bones or shellsĀ add a slow-release phosphorous to the soil
Had a baby recently?Ā Bury the placenta in the garden.
Break down all of yourĀ eggshells, or seashells you have found, in a plastic bucket, using vinegar.Ā This creates a soluble calcium solution you can add to a watering can.Ā
Many plants are particular about what theĀ soil pHĀ should be.
To make soilĀ more acidic: addĀ oak leaves, pine needles, leaf mulch,Ā urine, coffee groundsĀ orĀ sphagnum.Ā
To make soilĀ more alkaline: addĀ wood ash, shell,Ā orĀ bone.
Mulch is decomposing organic matter that adds nutrition to the soil, while simultaneously keeping out weed growth and retaining moisture. It also attracts worms, fungi and other beneficial creatures to your soil. Free sources of mulch include:
StrawĀ (often straw bales are given away after being used for decoration in the fall. You can also plant vegetables directly in straw bales using a technique calledĀ straw bale gardening).
Wood chipsĀ (if you can borrow a wood chipper after youāve collected some wood you can have attractive wood mulch for free)
When mulch isnāt enough to keep the weeds down, many people opt for landscaping fabric. It can be quite expensive and inorganic-looking. Free solutions that both attract worms and can be replaced in small segments as they break down include:
Printer paper, looseleaf, etc. in thick layers*
*try to make sure you are using paper that has vegetable-based dyes, so you arenāt leeching toxins into the soil.
If your soil is compacted and you have plants that require low levels of water, or excellent drainage, addĀ sand. I donāt recommend stealing it from the beach, but ask around and youād be surprised at how easy it is to get for free.Ā SawdustĀ also improves drainage. Adding organic matter and mulch encouragesĀ worms, who also till and aerate compacted soil.
If the area still needs drainage, dig a hole and fill it with bricks or rocks to create a ādry wellā
For drainage in pots, addĀ crushed bricks,Ā terra cotta pot fragments, packing peanuts, small stones, marbles,Ā orsandĀ to the bottom under the soil layer. I find these in construction sites, on craigslist, or at flea markets.
Pots and growing containers
If you have space, raised beds are a great no-dig way to establish growing space. If you are pressed for space (like working on a balcony) there are many cheap or free options for container gardens.
CreatingĀ raisedĀ bedsĀ allows you to build up the soil without digging. Free ways to do this include usingĀ rocksĀ orĀ lumberĀ (like myĀ DIY ālasagna gardenā made with the sheet composting technique), using the āwattleā method with sticks and posts you have found, usingĀ discarded straw bales,Ā old bricks,paving stones,Ā cinder blocksĀ or really anything else you have lying around.
Hugelkutur raised beds, which fix carbon and provide drainage, can be made by stacking sticks and untreated wood, and then piling soil or compost over it. (Thanks milos-garden)
Rubber tire gardensĀ retain heat in the night and allow for great drainage. They can also be painted in fun ways.
Herb spiralsĀ (here is mine:Ā 1,Ā 2,Ā 3) can be built with stones, bricks, and other found materials.
I often use oldĀ cooking pots,Ā barbecues,Ā teapots, or other found objects as planters.
Making wooden planters is easy,Ā and scrap or salvaged wood is also easy to come by.Ā Iām not a fan of using wooden pallets for DIY projects,Ā but they are also a free source of lumber for things like planters.
If you can track down peat moss, cement, and vermiculite, you can make an easyĀ Hypertufa planterĀ in whatever shape you would like, provided you have a form in which it can dry.
Iāve madeĀ hanging gardensĀ out ofĀ soda cans.
You can build aĀ self-watering container with a 2L pop bottle.
Make biodegradable pots out of newspapers.
Hanging gardens in cansĀ (2)
Many plants need external support, such as stakes of trellises, to thrive.
RebarĀ can almost always be salvaged cheaply or free and makes a great trellis, arch, or purgolaĀ
Build trellises and supports out of the pliable young stems of plants like willow
Living willow arch/trellis
Paving often requires a foundation of sand or another stable and well-drained substrate, and a covering of stones, bricks, or other weatherproof elements. Slowly collect stones over time, or free paving stone fragments to create a mosaic-type walkway. Often people give these things away on craigslist.Ā I made a patio and fireplace out of free salvaged bricks, for example.
Greenhouses and cold frames
Here is a gallery of greenhouses made out ofĀ salvaged windows and doors
AĀ cold frameĀ is easy to make with salvaged lumber, and plastic sheeting.
Swap seeds with other gardeners
If you see a plant you like at someoneās house,Ā ask for seeds or cuttings
Save seedsĀ every year and build a library of options.Ā Here is a great guide to seed saving.
Save seeds from foods you like from the grocery store: consider growing peanuts, ginger, garlic, peppers, or a walnut tree: all of these and more can be planted from store-bought produce.
Learn to take cuttings. There is a tonne of info on the web about basic cutting propagation,Ā layering, (like I do with rhododendrons)Ā air layering, and numerous other techniques to take clones of plants you like. This saves going to a nursery and shelling out big bucks for all the variety you want.
For cuttings, willow tea and honey are great rooting hormones/antiseptics/anti-fungal agents, which can save you $40 if you were thinking of buying commercial rooting hormone.
You can root cuttings in a potato! (See my methods for rooting āborrowedā plants here)
Rooting cuttings in potatoes
I hope this helps you build your garden outside of the usual capitalist channels! It can be a cheap or free hobby if you are willing to think outside the box, and maybe put up with things that donāt look as clean or crisp as a hardware store catalogue.
If you have any further ideas, please add them! The more information the better.
