As the weather begins to warm up, many look forward to getting their hands in the soil and beginning their gardens for the growing season. One of the most important steps to having a successful growing season is to set goals for your garden. This can be as simple as: “plan to grow bell peppers and harvest 10 pounds to process for salsa.” As you set goals for your garden, you may also want to consider setting a budget for your garden.
What your garden budget includes depends on what you plan to grow, how much, and your gardening methods. For example, if you are planning on growing in raised beds and need to build the beds and add soil, your budget will need to be higher to account for that. However, if you are planning a traditional garden in the ground, you may only need to include weed barriers, plants, and any fertilizer you may apply,
There are a few categories of items you may need for your garden that are important to consider when budgeting. Some areas will be more costly than others, and it will depend on what supplies you have on hand as well. If this is your first garden, expect to invest a little more in equipment than someone who has been gardening for years.
Here are some of the supplies you will need for your garden, listed in order of most to least expensive.
1. Gardening equipment
Equipment is another essential part of building your garden. Your equipment costs will be highly dependent on your gardening experience. If this is your first garden, you will need to purchase more equipment than someone who has had a garden previously. This includes pots and containers, trowels, shovels, and any other garden tools you’d like.
2. Watering methods, soil amendments, and pest/disease control
Once you get your garden planted and growing, there are still a few more items that may need to be accounted for in the budget. You will want to think about your watering method, if you want to use fertilizers, and how you will manage disease and pests.
For watering, you will need to decide if you want to use a watering can, a hose, or even install drip irrigation. For your first garden, hand watering is likely your best bet, but be sure to add the purchase of a hose or watering can to the budget, if you don’t already have one.
You can also decide if and what kind of soil amendments you need for the crops you choose, including fertilizers, special potting medium, or compost. Another consideration is whether you want to use biological, chemical, mechanical, or a combination of the 3 methods to control pests and plant disease.
3. Weed barriers
Weed barriers are another area for flexibility in the budget. Having some kind of deterrent for weeds is best practice, but there are a few ways to achieve this. You can buy an artificial weed barrier, like a black plastic sheet from the garden center, or you can use organic materials like mulch or straw.
4. Seeds or transplants
Decide whether you want to start your own seeds or purchase transplants, or a mix of both. Transplants show results sooner, but are usually a more expensive option. If you choose to use seeds, sow what you need and save the remaining seeds for next year to get the most bang for your buck!
Although this seems like a long list, especially if you are a new gardener, starting small will make it more manageable. This will not only help keep your budget in check, but it will also keep you from getting overwhelmed with your garden. If it’s your first garden, try starting in a small area to see if you enjoy it, then expand as you’d like in the next growing season.
Considering your garden as an investment is a good way to be conscientious about how you utilize it. One way to maximize your investment and garden space, no matter how small, is by utilizing succession planting.
This means strategically planting and rotating out your crops so the garden is continually in production. One of the simplest methods of succession gardening is done by using the seasons. For example, you can plant snow peas at the start of the growing season, then plant summer squash, and finally plant a crop of kale at the start of fall. Not only can succession gardening allow you to plant multiple crops, but it also helps stretch your budget by allowing multiple harvests.
Setting goals and a budget for your garden will help set you and your garden up for success. By having a plan in place, you can avoid becoming overwhelmed with your garden and stick to your financial goals.
Jennifer Friend, WVU Extension Agent — Harrison County
Financial Literacy Education Team