Before I got into gardening (many, many years ago) one of the first questions I asked was how much does a vegetable garden cost? And of course – being super frugal – the next question I asked myself was how to do it cheaper! So in this post I’ve broken down the costs for my most recent garden! Keep in mind that this garden is only 60 square feet total, which is a perfect raised bed garden for beginners. We decided to build this garden to maximize the backyard space since we’re living with family while our dream homestead is being built!
Vegetable Garden Costs:
- Garden dimensions & details
- Vegetable garden start up costs – $203.02
- Cost to maintain a vegetable garden – $50-$225
- Ways to save money on gardening
- Is starting a garden worth it?
- Raised beg gardens vs in-ground gardening
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How Much Does A Vegetable Garden Cost?
If there’s a will, there’s a way!
So of course, you can build this exact same garden for much cheaper using only scrap materials. But since we bought most of our materials, I’ll assume you will to!
Now, these costs don’t include the cost of seeds, water, or regular maintenance. But I did add in another section (right below) which gives you an estimate on how much you can expect to pay for your garden upkeep.
Also, keep in mind that you can totally build a bigger garden, a smaller garden, a garden with more/less trellis space, etc.
So these costs will vary depending on the size and features you add!
My last garden costs upwards of $700, but was much larger as well. And it allowed us to grow all our own herbs and vegetables!
If you’re just getting started, however, you can always make your garden smaller and cut costs until you decide to expand later on. And if you’re looking for a step by step guide on starting your own vegetable garden, check out my gardening workbook!
Garden dimensions & details
This garden is 30 feet long by 2 feet wide, and 11 inches deep. So 60 square feet of gardening space.
This will be enough to grow a significant number of herbs, lots of vegetables, and tons of salad greens. Plus, I’ll be using square foot gardening and succession planting to maximize the space!
Total, it is made up of 5 “boxes” which are connected with supporting beams in between. Each “box” is 6 feet, with a trellis that runs the entire length of the back 30 feet.
However, if you don’t grow as many trellising vegetables as I do, you can definitely reduce the trellis space, which will significantly reduce your costs!
We decided to use pressure treated pine fence pickets, mostly because they are inexpensive.
Now, I know that some gardeners may take issue with the “pressure treated” part, but in all the research I’ve done and my own experience the amount of chemicals that get into the soil is microscopic so I’ve never been too concerned about using these fence pickets!
If you wanted to skip the pressure treated part, just know that cedar is your next best choice and it gets very expensive to build a raised bed garden using cedar.
I also decided to make my own raised bed soil mix instead of buying the pre-mixed bags.
This was (again) mainly for cost, but since I started mixing my own soil I’ve also noticed my plants doing much better!
If you want to buy pre-made mix, be prepared to spend a lot more on soil. Or you can use my formula which is basically half organic compost, half peat moss. And then topped with an inch or two of compost!
Vegetable Garden Start Up Costs
| Quantity | Item | Cost | Notes |
| 2 | 2x4x8s | $7.36 | I actually used scrap 4x4s, but I priced it out anyway to give you an idea. These get cut into 11 inch lengths to be the corners and support posts (2 of the fence pickets stacked equals 11 inches) |
| 24 | Fence pickets | $35.52 | These measure 5.5″ wide and 6′ long. 20 of them didn’t need cutting at all since they make up the front and back of the boxes. The rest got cut into 2 foot lengths for the sides and middle supports. |
| 1 box | Decking screws | $12.98 | I used the exterior self-drilling screws. I didn’t use the whole box, but these are always good to have around! |
| 8 | Large cardboard boxes | $11.84 | I bought these at Walmart. Great first layer below the soil to kill the grass and weeds. |
| 3 | Peat moss | $34.37 | You can substitute this for coco coir instead. |
| 20 | Organic compost bags | $37.40 | I always get the cheap bags of organic cow manure at Home Depot. They’re less than $2 a bag! |
| 2 | Plastic mesh netting | $43.98 | This is used for the trellis which is 30 feet long by 5 feet high. You can totally cut this out if you don’t grow any trellising vegetables – but that’s no fun! |
| 11 | 1x2x8s | $19.58 | To build the frame and supporting beams for the trellis |
Items I already had:
- Homemade compost
- Drill & drill bits (this will be difficult to build with only a screwdriver!)
- Staple gun & staples
TOTAL VEGETABLE GARDEN COST = $203.03
Phew! That was a lot of adding!
But about $200 isn’t bad to start a whole garden from scratch! Especially if you already have some of the materials laying around!
And think about it – fresh herbs and vegetables at the store are expensive! I probably saved myself money just in herbs alone by building this garden!
And if it sounds more on the expensive side to you, this about it this way.
In this 60 square foot garden you can plant out 60 roma tomato plants. And on average every plant will yield about 10 pounds of tomatoes. That’s 600 pounds of tomatoes in a single season!
Which amounts to more than $600 in tomatoes at a very conservative estimate of $1 per pound. And if you shop organic then you know it’s definitely way more!
So in only one season you’ve managed to recoup your total investment, and then some!
Psst…want to fast track your garden? Get access to my FREE gardening resource library and start maximizing your garden today!
costs to maintain a vegetable garden
| Item | Cost | Notes |
| Water | $0-10 per month depending on season | The cost for water will depend on what type of system you use for water at your home. For example, well water will be free to use (minus the upkeep of the well), but city water you will have to pay for. The amount you pay for water will also vary by season. And if you want to get really creative, setting up a rain barrel to water your garden using rain water is a great way to reduce costs! |
| Compost | $10-20 per season | Top dressing your garden with compost at the end of every season is great for keeping your garden well maintained. I add homemade compost to my garden, which really cuts down on costs. But if you only bought compost at the store, it would run you about this much for this 60 square foot garden. |
| Soil amendments | $15 per year | As a rule, fertilizer should be used sparingly on your garden, and really only at the beginning/end of the season – or if your garden is showing signs that it’s lacking nutrients. I mostly use blood and bone meal. And one bag lasts me pretty much all year. |
| Pest control | $0-20 per season | The amount of money you spend on pest control will vary depending on your gardening methods. For example, I practice organic gardening and last season I limited my pest control to allow more predatory insects to control the pests. In general I try to stick to only the basics to allow for a more permaculture inspired garden! |
| Tools | $0-20 per season | I keep a pretty minimalistic garden setup. Which means that I don’t spend too much on tools. But in this category you can include: trellising, new hand tools, harvest baskets, etc. |
| Seeds | $15-50 per season | Out of all the things I spend money on for my garden, this one is by far my favorite! And even though I do try to save a good portion of my seeds for next season, I always end up buying new varieties, or forget to save a certain type of seeds. Generally I recoup this money by starting extra seedlings and selling them to people in my neighborhood! |
Total garden maintenance costs: $50-$225 per year
After you’ve already set up your garden, there will definitely be some maintenance costs.
But these costs are way lower in comparison to the amount it takes to do a full garden set up!
This isn’t too bad considering the goal of your garden is to feed you. So if you’re getting most of your produce from the garden, this cost doesn’t seem like a lot!
And if you do decide to use some of the ways to save money on gardening below, you can reduce these to almost nothing!
Ways to Save Money On gardening
If you’re like me, the first thing you’ll ask yourself is how to further cut down those set up and maintenance costs!
And throughout the time I’ve been gardening, I’ve definitely tried (and mastered) a few key ways to garden on a budget.
Here are some of my absolute favorites:
- Save your seeds – instead of tossing the seeds from your crops, learn how to seed save and never have to buy those seeds again!
- Make your own compost – using a kitchen countertop compost bin and then tossing all those scraps into my outdoor compost barrel saves me so much money on top dressing my garden with compost at the end of each season!
- Use scrap materials – this has saved so much money on setting up the garden, building out chicken coop, and so many other homestead projects throughout the past few years!
- Set up a rain barrel system – using a barrel to catch rainwater is a great way to save on garden maintenance costs! Plus it’s super cheap to set up and basically maintenance free!
- Propagating cuttings – what if I told you you can make new plants from the ones you already have? Well you can and it’s so easy to learn! I even have an entire video on how to propagate herbs!
Is Starting a Vegetable Garden Worth It?
In my opinion, starting a garden is definitely worth the investment – both in time and money!
Not only does a vegetable garden feed you, it also provides so many benefits! It’s a relaxing hobby that lets you connect with nature, it teaches kids (and adults) patience, gives you healthier options to eat, and is beautiful to look at!
So for me, those $200 to get this garden set up was well worth the money! In fact, my last garden was almost $800 to set up and I would totally do it again! Since that garden provided 100% of our herbs and vegetables, and I even had extra for the chickens!
But if you’re not into the time investment, aka the amount of time it takes to care for a garden, consider planting out low-effort crops like root vegetables, drought tolerant plants, and herbs that basically grow themselves!
Raised beg gardens vs in-ground gardening
Since we live in an HOA regulated community right now, we’re not allowed to plant fruits and vegetables in the ground.
That right there is the determining factor to build raised beds!
But if you can plant in-ground, you’ll be able to save on the start up costs of building a garden since there will be way less materials to buy!
Plus, you won’t need nearly as many tools – if any!
Growing an in-ground garden also has many benefits. For instance, the plants have way more space to grow since there’s no bottom or sides to the ground.
This makes for better, healthier roots.
Plus, planting in ground will save you on water costs since ground soil will hold in more water than raised bed soil!
So if you can, consider planting an in-ground garden!
Gardening and homesteading finances are two areas that come together super well. So naturally, I really enjoyed writing this post on how much a vegetable garden costs! And since there are so many ways to save money gardening, these costs can be cut even more to suit your budget!
I hope this was super helpful! And for more gardening resources, get access to our free gardening resource library! It will help you fast track your garden and it only takes 5 seconds!
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