Hey all! Real Farmer Jeff here.
The true title of this blog post article is How I would start a Garden for less than $100–and Without Even Needing a Plot of Dirt. I’m going to tell you exactly how you can do it!
If I only had $100 to start a garden, here’s exactly what I would buy (keep in mind that this blog post is not sponsored, but is my honest opinion based on my experience!):
- One GrowBox ($40+ Shipping)
- One bag of potting mix ($10)
- Two of my favorite transplants ($10)
If you have a larger budget, however, and want to go more all in on creating a garden, check out my blog post here. In this blog post I’m going to explain why I love the GrowBox. I’ll also explain an alternative way that I’d start a garden with less than $100. Let’s get to it!
Table of Contents:
My Experience with GrowBox
I first heard about Garden Patch’s GrowBox when I was in high school from my grandpa who bragged to us one summer about how many tomatoes he was able to harvest. Soon enough, my parents were convinced and converted. They bought a few GrowBoxes of their own and saw similarly amazing results.
Finally, when I bought my townhouse several years later, I was determined to create my own garden. I decided on two main types of raised beds: First, deep galvanized steel beds, and second, a few GrowBoxes of my own.
The grow boxes performed so well for the price and the square footage, that I eventually bought ten! I absolutely love them!
GrowBox’s Affordable Cost
Perhaps the biggest reason why I think Garden Patch’s GrowBox is the best option for most people is the start-up cost.
A galvanized steel bed may cost $300 while a Garden Patch GrowBox is around $40.
In my opinion, GrowBoxes are the most affordable way to have an abundant raised bed garden in the first year that you start! The funny thing is that even with only three grow beds, a beginning gardener could outgrow the average garden that is much larger.
The photo you see was of some garden tomatoes I planted in my GrowBox. It was before these tomatoes were ready for harvest, but you can see that they were vibrant, strong, and healthy. You can also purchase a trellis (also pictured) with the GrowBox, which I love and recommend.
For the record, I also love other types of raised beds, but it’s really hard to beat the price of Garden Patch’s GrowBox (seriously, this is not sponsored by them, I just genuinely love their product). When beginning a garden, there may be an upfront cost of $500+ with other raised bed options!
Four-Gallon Water Tank for Easy Watering
Garden Patch’s GrowBox is perfectly engineered. Here’s why I think so: The top half of the GrowBox holds the potting mix, while the bottom half is a four-gallon water tank. There are two holes in the top container that allow the potting mix to suck up water from the water tank like a straw. Additionally, various smaller holes at the top allow the plant’s roots to directly drink from the water when the plant grows big enough.
So why exactly does this make the GrowBox so perfectly engineered?
As long as you don’t let your water tank run dry, your plants will always have access to water without risk of overwatering! Filling up the water tank instead of needing to gauge the soil moisture level is extremely convenient.
At the beginning of the season, you may only have to fill the water tank once a week. However, during the peak of summer, you may need to fill the water tank once per day (or possibly morning and night if your plants become giant). Keep an eye on it during those hot summer days just incase!
Proprietary Nutrient Patch Mulch Covering
In my opinion, the worst part about gardening is the weeding. I have many memories as a kid going out and weeding the garden. Bleh.
Garden Patch’s GrowBox comes with a mulch covering (the brown covering pictured) that you lay on top of the potting mix. Here are some of the mulch coverings’ incredible benefits:
- You never have to weed!
- Reduces evaporation, helping your plant to stay hydrated.
- Prevents soil from splashing plant leaves from rain or hose water, which can give plants diseases.
- The bottom of the nutrient patch mulch covering has fertilizer that will sustain your plants all season! The fertilizer is far enough away from the plant that it won’t harm the plants in any way, but the plants can still access the nutrition when they need to. You can reuse the same potting mix for about five years if you simply replace the nutrient patch the following year.
Portability, Size, and Built-In Trellis
Finally, one of my favorite parts about Garden Patch’s GrowBox is that it is decently portable. For example, if an early frost is going to hit that you’re afraid might kill your plants, you could move your plants into the garage for the night.
Additionally, even though the GrowBoxes are relatively low to the ground, they are a much better height for your back than a fully in-ground garden. The GrowBox is also small enough that you could easily fit it on a balcony, a small backyard, the side of a house, or even on a concrete pad!
Finally, Garden Patch sells a trellis that connects to the GrowBox that is especially good for growing tomatoes. It’s a wide, sturdy, rectangular trellis that is 100x better than those wire conical or cylindrical trellises (I do not recommend those).
GrowBox Downsides
The main downside of Garden Patch’s GrowBox is that they are less durable than other options. However, even untreated lumber raised beds could rot out in as little as five years, which is also a short life span. Thus, for the price, I think Garden Patch GrowBoxes are extremely durable.
As a secondary downside, I think these plastic Grow Boxes could look less aesthetic to some than other options. I personally don’t think they look bad, but I will admit that my galvanized steel beds are much sleeker in terms of a clean aesthetic.
Finally, the water tanks do run the risk of causing more mosquitos in your backyard, but I have never personally had that problem. Garden Patch also sells mosquito dunks that you can put in the water tank if you are having that issue.
The Second Way I’d Start a Container Garden for Less than $100
If using Garden Patch GrowBoxes was not an option, I’d use fabric grow bags (pictured). You can buy them for less than $5 a piece in bulk, and each bag can contain a plant! They’re also portable! However, in most cases, grow bags provide a smaller harvest than a GrowBox, which is why I strongly prefer GrowBoxes! If you have good soil in your backyard, you could also create an in-ground garden with your own seeds, which would be an even cheaper alternative.
Best of luck with your garden! I hope you have an amazing harvest with minimal effort. If you enjoyed this, check out my other blog posts:
Jeff has a deep passion for gardening. Each year, he cultivates hundreds of pounds of vegetables—along with the occasional fruit—turning his garden into a thriving and productive space. Combined with Kyrié’s cooking, together, they create exciting meals using Jeff’s harvest.
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