Cheap Container Vegetable Gardening Ideas To Save Money And Maximize Space And Harvests

A brief look at the internet will show you many cheap container vegetable gardening ideas. Encouraging us to live more sustainably, commercials and ads show home gardeners joining hands with current movements, like recycling and upcycling. For anyone looking to design a container vegetable garden, affordability and sustainability go hand in hand – and it’s reassuring to know you can do something good whilst saving a bit of cash along the way.

Creating your own cheap DIY vegetable container garden is just one way to join the environmentally responsible vanguard and do your part in reducing consumerism and waste. Your cheap vegetable container gardening space is also an opportunity to express your personality and add decor to the garden. Try these cheap vegetable container garden ideas and enjoy bountiful harvests that don’t cost the earth.

1. Grow Cut and Come Again Crops

Looking to save money at the grocery register, but also want to nurture your inner lazy gardener? Plant cut and come again plants for small spaces and big savings! These are varieties of vegetables that regrow at least once after harvesting. Examples of these crops include lettuce and many other greens. Cut the leaves off, leaving the crown intact in the soil. Plants sprout new leaves in just a few days.

Amaranth, cress, kale, Swiss chard and mache will all work in this way. Greens or the leafy tops of vegetables may also be harvested for use and will regrow. Carrots, turnips, collard, beets and mustard are delicious greens. Super veggies broccoli and asparagus may be cut several times during the growing season. Many of our favorite herbs can be harvested over and over with no ill effect on the plant as it grows more leaves and stems.

2. Save on Soil, Use Pot Fillers

Commercial soils are great, but unless you find an awesome bargain, they can get pricey. Cheap potting soil for vegetables may be made up from garden soil and homemade compost, but you can also save on soil by using pot fillers. Pot fillers are displacement items that will reduce the depth of soil necessary and bring the level to the top of the container. Adding inorganic materials to the base of the container will enhance drainage and make the vessel lighter.

Examples of suitable pot filler materials include broken pottery or bricks, packing peanuts, old broken pots, or crushed soda or milk bottles. You can also add organic items that are basically detritus in the garden. Pine cones and sticks or small pieces of wood will break down slowly and add nutrients to the soil.

3. Create Compost (Even in an Apartment)

Composting is an excellent way to make your own soil amendments and repurpose kitchen scraps and organic garden debris. If you are looking to compost at home, you have a few options. There is the bin method which takes up some garden space. You could use a tumbler, which is costly and also requires someplace to set it up.

If you have no outside land except maybe a patio or lanai in which to garden, sacrificing even a small portion of that space for composting is not always ideal, so why not use a home composter instead? One great example of a composting unit is the Reencle Composter, available at the Gardening Know How Shop. These are small, efficient, quiet and odor-free. They make beautiful small batches of compost perfect for making your own soil mixes.

4. Pot Up Old Kitchen Scraps

On your path to a no-waste lifestyle, consider re-growing your kitchen scraps. The base of celery that remains after you use all the stalks is still useful. Plant the root end into the soil and it will produce new stems for your use. Lettuce cores work the same way.

Sitting on my counter all the time are the white ends of green onions. They keep producing tender, green shoots for months. Many of us have sprouted an avocado or pineapple top. This not only makes for a fun houseplant, but can lead to future food.

5. Reduce Water Costs With a Self-Watering Planter

Municipal water costs money and the dollars can add up annually. Reducing your water costs by practicing recycling, reducing usage and water capture can help – but you can also use an item like a self-watering planter. Options like the Self-Watering Tomato Planter Pot with Trellis from Vego Garden, available in the Gardening Know How Shop, save money by preventing evaporation and allowing the plant to use only what it needs.

There are many styles and sizes of self-watering planters from which to choose, depending on your growing space and choice of cropping plant. Most have a wicking system at the bottom. You fill the base with water and the wicking will deliver moisture only where the plant requires it, at the roots.

6. Plant Perennials for Years of Fresh Produce

Going through those seed catalogs is definitely fun, but the resulting list can become expensive if you keep buying indiscriminately. Instead of relying upon annual veggies for your dinner table, plant some perennial vegetable plants that will produce for years. Many of these are also cut and come again, which means they can provide for months. Rhubarb is a classic perennial vegetable for the garden. Artichokes provide delicious buds, while sunchokes are an earthy, nutritious vegetable.

Asparagus grown just outside your home allows you to enjoy the delicate crunch or freshly cut spears. Bamboo shoots, nettles, French sorrel, Jersey cabbage, Welsh onions, Ostrich fern fiddleheads, skirret and water celery will fill your table for years.

7. Start Veggies Early With a DIY Greenhouse

Among the many possible cheap containers for growing vegetables comes the humble plastic bin greenhouse. All you need is a clear plastic bin with a lid to get started. You are essentially using the tote as a cold frame. If it has a clear lid, simply place seedlings inside the container and reposition the lid. If the lid is colored, use it as the base and the main body as the cover. Open your greenhouse daily to let excess moisture escape – it’s as simple as that.

8. Don’t Waste Money on Unnecessary Tools

We all have our favorite garden implements, but some of the tools we buy are single-use and not effective. Experts have certain tools that not only have many uses but are of excellent quality. Spending a bit more on your pruners or spade is a money saver because good quality will last, while cheaply made items will require replacing.

There are certain things expert gardeners never buy, preferring long-lasting quality and multifunction over short-term options. For instance, instead of using a bulb planter, which has only a single function, use a hori hori like Vego Garden’s Hori Horo Knife Kit, available in the Gardening Know How Shop. This is my favorite garden tool and has many uses during planting and maintenance. There are many multipurpose tools made to last that can be your lifetime garden pals.

Other Great Ideas for Veg Growers

• Living in an urban space and wondering how to grow vegetables on a balcony or restricted space? These crops for urban growing are perfect for urban growing.
• Fancy adding a few ornamentals to your potted edibles? Here we guide you through the process of foodscaping for oodles of color and flavor.
• Want to grow cut and come again crops in small spaces? These easy-grow vegetables will reward you with a rich bounty and keep you coming back for more.
• Buckets aren’t just for collecting water, and for the cost-cutting and adventurous amongst us, they are a great way to grow crops! Here’s how to grow vegetables in buckets the easy way.

This article features products available from third party vendors on the Gardening Know How Shop.