Hey, friends who garden: I'm going to try to pull together a small "victory garden" style veggie garden, but I need help. My budget is basically $0 - I'm hoping to maybe get some plants and supplies through the #BuyNothingProject. I'm on SSDI and SNAP, so I have to be thrifty. 1/2 - ThreadSky

michaela717.bsky.social • 3 days ago

Hey, friends who garden:

I'm going to try to pull together a small "victory garden" style veggie garden, but I need help.

My budget is basically $0 - I'm hoping to maybe get some plants and supplies through the #BuyNothingProject. I'm on SSDI and SNAP, so I have to be thrifty.

1/2

Comments

littleoldladywho1.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yayy. Would happily send you some seeds. Anything else is too expensive for another #Frugalist. Best wishes. Home grown food is not cheaper. it IS healthier for both body and mind.

angrytardigrade.bsky.social•2 days ago

There are a lot of veggies that you can essentially grow for “free” by using what you buy at the grocery store. Pick a few seeds out of your tomato before you eat it, and plant them. Got a potato that’s sprouted eyes? Chop it up with one eye per chunk and plant them. Each should grow a new plant.

angrytardigrade.bsky.social•2 days ago

You can use the seeds from cucumbers, squash, anything you’re already eating. You may be able to regrow lettuce, if you get some fresh enough where the stem is still viable. Chop the bottom off and plant it. It should hopefully regrow into a whole new head of lettuce.

angrytardigrade.bsky.social•2 days ago

Also, check with any friend who gardens. If they buy seeds, chances are they have some left over. A person only needs one or two zucchini plants, for example, but seed packs will come with a dozen or more seeds. And nobody eats that much zucchini.

michaela717.bsky.social•3 days ago

2/2
Also my plant knowledge is low and I tend to kill every plant I touch.

I was considering large container gardening.

If anyone has resources or advice on how to get started, please let me know. I'd be eternally grateful 🙏🏻

danihere.bsky.social•3 days ago

What state are you in? Biggest gardening mistake is trying to grow things not in full sun

michaela717.bsky.social•2 days ago

NY, unfortunately

danihere.bsky.social•2 days ago

Farm stores are also great for local advice. They can tell you everything you need to succeed! Find the oldest guy or gal there 😂

danihere.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’m in NC used to have a big garden Tomatoes, spring onions, lettuce, squash, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapeños and I canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa, pickles Saved 100s in food. I never had any luck starting tomatoes from seed but everything else👍🏻 Go to your local farm store for best prices

brookshire.bsky.social•3 days ago

The biggest cost is soil & fertilizer. If you can start composting food scraps (ie onion/potato/carrot etc peels, old veggies/fruits not citrus) is the best way to help your soil. Any bucket will do. Collect rain water. Some libraries have free seeds. You can DM if you want amateur advice.

brookshire.bsky.social•3 days ago

I say amateur but we started in buckets on our porch. 10 years later we have 5 raised beds 🦋

oncewassage.bsky.social•3 days ago

Michaela where are you located? I'm in SoCal could off some tips and supplies if you are anywhere near me.
I do container gardening mostly, have successfully grown just about everything but cilantro. If anyone has tips on growing cilantro, I'm all ears!

michaela717.bsky.social•2 days ago

Western NY, sadly. I can't get a year-round grow season and my backyard is basically a swamp until June, hence wanting to container garden 😅

oncewassage.bsky.social•2 days ago

You got it, containers are going to be your best bet!
https://youtu.be/Gj_tc0TnxIc?feature=shared
She covers the most important keys to potatoes here.
Harvesting: When the foliage starts to die back, carefully dig up the container to harvest the potatoes.

michaela717.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thank you so much!

oncewassage.bsky.social•3 days ago

I literally plant my potatoes that have grown eyes, and end up with tons, you cannot really mess those up at all if you like them.

brookshire.bsky.social•3 days ago

Same! Potatoes are great & easy and cilantro is not 🤷‍♀️ We started out with a few tomato & pepper plants in buckets and now have a decent garden as long as it doesn’t get too hot. My composter grows its own pumpkins each year with no help!

oncewassage.bsky.social•3 days ago

Love that you have volunteer pumpkins❣️

brookshire.bsky.social•3 days ago

It is a nice treat every year (for the last 3) It makes me happy ❣️

oncewassage.bsky.social•3 days ago

All volunteers make me happy, but those pumpkins are special 🥰

ripspicks.bsky.social•3 days ago

Also, regrow things like onions. Cut the root-bottoms off to eat, plant the rooted bottoms to grow another onion.

ripspicks.bsky.social•3 days ago

First, you can buy seeds on snap. Any bean seed you can buy at the grocery store can be planted. Carrots like deep sandy soil. Composted manure is a friend. If something eats the leaves of your starting plants, more leaves will grow. Plant tomatoes deep, the stems above the roots will sprout roots.

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply