| Inexpensive Ideas | | Print | |
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SFG can be very economical and you can garden very inexpensively. Look for free material to build the boxes. Perhaps you can find left-over wood from a construction site. Often you can get permission from the foreman to take it for free. We recently had someone write and tell me that they just used an old bookcase, took out the shelves, laid it down and used it as a garden box. Several people have used old bed frames as their box. So, look around and see what you can find. Someone else wrote us saying they used the crates that glass comes in to make boxes. The crates generally come in 2x6 or 2x8 lumber. Remember that you only have to make Mel’s Mix one time – so the ingredients only need to be purchased once. In making the soil mix, if vermiculite and peat moss are not available in your area or you don't want to purchase them, you can grow in straight compost. You can either make your own or purchase bags already made. It is very important to remember that the compost needs to be made from several different ingredients in order to provide enough nutrients for the plants. If you are able to buy compost, buy several kinds and mix it together. If you are making your own compost, remember that the smaller the pieces you add and the oftener you turn the compost pile, the quicker you will have finished compost. Or, if money is really tight, add some good compost to your already existing soil and use that. It is important to have a prominent grid on top of your garden. You can also look around and find something inexpensive to use. We have had people use old Venetian blinds as grids or cast off strips of wood. |
