If you found this video helpful, please "Like" it and share it to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Raised Bed Gardening Cost 1:47 My Garden Size 2:41 Phase I: My First Raised Bed Garden 4:57 Phase II: Raised Bed Garden Expansion 7:09 Phase III: Trellises, Weed Barrier, Irrigation 8:59 Total Raised Bed Garden Cost 10:20 Building A Garden In 2024 12:57 How To Save Money Building A Garden 15:37 Gardening As An Investment 19:40 Adventures With Dale
My Lowes in Middle Tennessee. You can buy Cull Pallets. That is wood that is twisted or has some kind of issues that is 50 to 90% off retail price. Just ask in the lumber department if they have any Cull wood.
I just have to tell you, that out of ALL of the gardening channels out there, just none can compare to yours. I ALWAYS know that when I click on your videos that I come away with very valuable info that can make me a much better gardener. No fluff, just great info - top notch gardener and thanks a million. Your success is very much earned and thank you.
Agreed. Especially channels that don’t do much editing, so half the video is walking and rambling on about random stuff. It’s great to be able to watch videos that are straight to the point and edited (with graphics and b roll).
I think the mental health benefit of gardening is priceless! I've never been happier or more relaxed than when I'm gardening! A humbling experience that creates joy and greatfulness.😊
@mattshorsemanship7003 Amen 🙏🏽❤ I'm still a gardening rookie. I'm in my 3rd year. Lost my Mom 3 years ago. I got closer to God gardening Proverbs 31:16 🙏🏽🙌🏽✨️
I couldn’t agree more. It’s beautiful, productive, and a soothing place to be, not to mention the self sufficiency, the clean, organic foods we can grow and preserve. I taught myself how to can, dehydrate and freeze dry also and just love it. My pantry is also a room I love. Those beautiful shelves full of home grown food. ❤
Gardening has been my savior after 20 years of running my own business and all the stresses, I now enjoy my days in the garden, sunshine and am so much happier and healthier. I’ve lost weight, blood pressure down, depression lifted. WOW! So worth the investment ❤
I started out going around to build sites and asked if I could have the wood they were throwing out. I collected old windows from FB. I ended up with a beautiful 16×10 greenhouse and 2 outside raised bed gardens. I have 6ft cages around the raised beds to keep critters out. I bought the same soil you did, which was great. I am sure the 1000 tomatoes I grew last year were worth the gardens value.
I market garden on about a quarter acre and it cost about $10,000 when everything was said and done. The entire quarter acre is fenced in with chicken wire on the bottom and electric 4 electric wires. I have spent $500 on compost alone this year and around $400 on seeds. That's how much seed it takes to plant out a quarter acre. With the mild winter I'm already almost ready to go back to market! Took me about 5 years to expand to a quarter acre, for those curious. Start small and add year by year and before you know it the grocery store is an option, not a need.
I got the 8 x 4 galvanized beds from Amazon at $40 each, and ended up with 11. By far the soil was the most expensive for me, but now I have 3, 60 gallon garbage bins from Walmart that I make my own compost in. I love my garden, and I refuse to say how much I spent on fruit trees😁 The joy and health benefits are priceless.
Zone 9b would be ideal for gardening, imo. You could grow colder crops and the tropical vegetables. Zone 9 can grow many kinds of fruit trees too. Your zone 10 is a bit tough for fruit trees that requires chill hours, but still much better than my zone 8b in the high desert which is the toughest climate for gardening in the US afaik.
@@kqdwillsI’m in 9b. I use to be in a 5/6 ten years ago. Been gardening all my life. Believe me. The 5/6 zone I could grow ANYTHING. Plus down here in sw fl. you have to REALLY ammend the SAND! When there isn’t a living worm in your soil. You know it’s dead! Taken me a good 3 years of constant work on that. Plus with humidity and heat, squashes are a trip. And about the only thing in summer to grow is okra. I have alot going now. But it’s nothing like when I lived in the north. But I love gardening. And I hate snow. So alas. I’ve had to adapt. 🤣🤣
This was super informative, including the comments by others. One commentor said he found galvanized 8x4 raised beds for $40 on Amazon. I hope to one day find such a deal! That said, although it’s years in the future, I’m looking forward to videos of you developing your new homestead in Florida when y’all finally relocate. That will truly be showing us beginning from scratch, and as someone who lived through Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne in Lake Wales in 2004, I look forward to seeing what hurricane preparedness steps you will implement into the new garden there.
Hah! Your backyard may be standard in suburban Wilmington, but I've never known anyone with a 1/4 acre yard here in CA. I've got a 50'x50' area to grow in but I've still got 10 fruit trees, 7 berry bushes, asparagus, artichokes, and lots of annuals.
This is my 3rd year of gardening at my new home. I have kept all of my receipts, but scared to add them up! Last year I spent $75.00 on seeds and thought I was crazy! But when I looked at all of the produce I grew, canned, and froze, it was a fraction of the cost, if purchased at the grocery. I also supplied my 80 yr old mother and her best friend with tomatoes, okra, watermelons, etc all summer. They were so happy to enjoy. I like your videos because they are informative and straight to the point! My next projects are row covers and rain barrels. I'm in Nashville TN.
You're such an inspiration. Im also a millennial gardener haha. I've been building my orchard for 3 years now. 5 apple trees, 2 plums. 2 peach tree's. 5 blueberry trees. 2 different varieties. Like 20 wild raspberries and another variety raspberry. I just ordered the Satsuma Mandarin tree from McKenzie farms. And i got the Chicago fig coming in soon as well AND i have a smaller yard than you. You inspired me big time. I always thought there wasn't enough land. Welllll. There is hahahaha 😆
Great information! Starting small is very wise. Start with some of the easiest items to grow in one's area, and gain confidence from that experience. And if someone can't afford to install 4 raised beds, they can always start with only 2 and then expand later. Because my backyard is small, I just downsize all the gardening tips from videos to work for my yard. I am also eating more seasonally with the fruits and vegetables from my little garden.
Exactly. It is always best to start small and grow incrementally. If you go too big, you will struggle to manage, especially if you’re new. Imagine spending thousands on wood and soil and then giving up 😑
Where I live in the CA high desert, it seemed we don't have clearance on soil from the big box stores, Fall or any season. They sometimes have mulches on sale though. I bought about 15 cubic yards from the nurseries brought in by 2 commercial trucks for my raised beds over the years. Add in the soil bags, manure bags, and the green compost from all the weeds, grass and kitchen waste... so I have enough soil for all my needs, including the pots. Soil bags went up 3-4 times in prices over the last 10 years or so.
I do the same with fertilizer and pesticides. The big box stores around me will put them on clearance and they are often discounted by 90%. I got my years supply of pesticide for $5 when the regular retail price was over $50.
The Hugelkultur Method would also help when using raised beds. Adding twigs and leaves at the bottom of your raised bed could help to keep costs down. Thanks for this info!
We get so much rain here each year that I fear it would hold too much water. We average 70+ inches a year. In a drier climate, or when gardening on a slope, I would bet it works well.
I go to a local worm farm to buy compost and mulch. They sell compost for $2/per 5 gallon bucket and mulch for $1 a bucket (must fill them yourself). So much cheaper then compost from any store
I know you mostly addressed the financials in this video, but I love what you said about the indirect benefits of gardening! I am definitely a healthier person during gardening season. I get outside early to tend the garden before the heat starts and I move my body so much more than the colder months. Eating fresh produce from our garden ensures I get tons of nutrients and fiber. Exercise, nutrition, and lots of Vitamin D collectively helps keep inflammation in check, which is something I've been challenged with in the last few years. Yes, we will save money on future medical costs AND the benefit to our mental health is priceless! PS. Thanks for the tip about skipping the concrete. I was about to start a new project and that's the part I was dreading.
Thank you so much for taking the time to compile your costs for us! My first garden bed was 4x12 and I had a local landscaping company drive around back and dump the soil right in there. They weren't very happy.😂 But since I was a 55-year-old woman at that point it saved me a lot of backbreaking work. I was very organic at that time and purchased untreated lumber, and amazingly the bed is still going after 9 years. It's rotting in places where the water piles up after a hurricane but I don't mind. It's not falling down yet! I've built three more beds but sadly I only used them a few times. I put them too far back from the house and frankly, growing in black plastic tree pots has been better especially after I learned I had to wrap the pots because they became blazing hot root bakers. I keep chickens so I've had to make cages for every pot otherwise they'd eat everything. I love them, but I'm not growing groceries for them. With your help I've gotten a lot better at starting seeds at the right time and learning what grows in the heat and cool weather here in Florida. That's been the biggest learning curve. Every year is more fun than the last and the knowledge that you share has been invaluable. Thank you for your inspiration!
THANK YOU…YOU ARE SPOT ON…- I review your videos many times over, they are informative, useful and VALUABLE. Yes, can NOT agree more, pacing oneself, carefully planning - most is attainable…on a mission. MANY THANKS to DALE - enjoy, his wrestling, fetch and smile.
When we moved here,....40 yrs ago..we decided to put in a chain link fence. Yep on our own. U hook it to ur vehicle to stretch it out, dig holes, mix concrete & its still standing. We had pieces of fencing left so we used that & some dog panels to put around the garden. When there's a will, there's a way! My garden doesn't do very good but it's therapeutic!
I want to Thank for all you do. I have gained so much information and perspective from your channel, that I have been better prepared each year. You are spot on about the health benefits of gardening, especially the mental aspect. Even if I just walk around it 4 or 5 times a day, It keeps my body moving and my brain engaged. Those are HUGE aspects to our health. My son and I puttered with vegetable gardening when he was in middle school and loved it, although we weren't very successful here in West Central Florida. When I was 59 yrs old, I went from working between 50 & 67 hrs. a week, to a medical incident that left me permanently disabled and no paycheck. While fighting for SSDI for a year and a half, I had a LOT of time on my hands,(and still do.) Prices were getting ridiculous, so I decided I was going start a garden with as little money as possible. I started with 2 recycling bins that the company never retrieved. I haven't looked back. I use cardboard boxes of every shape and size, and make compost and custom mix my soil. With the amount of resources available online now, I have been getting better & better results, and am always eager to try veggies I never see the the stores and produce stands. My "Garden" ain't pretty, but has certainly provided everything I need to look forward to every day. I have even been blessed enough to share with neighbors and friends! Win, Win! THANKS again for All you do!!
Fantastic presentation and encouragement for anyone thinking about joining us life gardeners for all the right reasons..thanks foe being a blessing for all of us and sharing knowledge and heart...and Dale, too. Eugene,Oregon
I transplanted Watercress stems from my indoor winter gardens into four 16oz size Folgers Instant hydro planters with 3 inch net cups in the top filled with expanded clay pebbles this evening and put them under the edge of my camper roof to grow. I bought a 22 variety pack of lettuces and salad greens and the seeds were in there. I really like it and how easy it is to grow and how fast it produces. It tastes odd but I don`t like bland salad greens nearly as much as very tasty types like Arugula, Mustard, etc. It`s really good for you too and loaded with nutrition. If you ever get just one sprig of it you can grow tons of it because of how prolific it is.
lol it's still bigger than my mom's backyard. But I managed to plant 10 fruit trees and two raised beds. Yup, soil cost is crazy if you buy them in bags, especially if you want ALL compost soil raised beds. If you want to buy soil in bags, don't be cheap. A LOT OF CHEAP SOIL IN BAGS contains sand, bark, and garbage.
@@1OKToni I don't get cheap mulch here and there. I used to buy mulch from Ace, but now they restrict it to at least 50 bags…maybe you were referring to Home Depot, lowers?
My dentist found out I'm a gardener and wants tips, so I'll be sharing your channel with him. I'm also gathering and copying information for him. It's so much fun to share my bit of knowledge and experiences of gardening. And, yes, my garden is my happy zen place too. Thanks for all you share with us!❤ We're in zone 4b. Weeks away from warm ground 😢
Nice one, MG!👍I grow in containers and grow enough food to bless others with, eat in season, and put up for winter eating. A big tip to help with garden cost is to ask for cash or garden products for your b-day, Mother's or Father's Day, etc. 👩🏾🌾 Good job, Dale on educating fur baby parents on the importance of heartworm prevention!👍💕
I do something similar, typically it's something garden related, a rain gauge, or a spice blender, for my herbs. I even got a canning setup for Christmas once that I really wanted. A lot of the time I send links to loved ones on things ranging from 15 dollars to 25, then they can choose based on whatever they can afford at the time. Money is tight for everyone these days.
Comment 1: Using a floor jack will get those posts out of the ground without *too* much trouble when it's time. I had to do this a few years ago. I had a scrap piece of 4x4 about a foot long. I drilled holes through both 4x4's (using the scrap piece as a template) and used some 10" long 1/2" bolts to lock them together. Then I used the floor jack, set under the scrap piece, to lift both up. I had to put some plywood underneath the floor jack to keep it from embedding into the mud, but it was pretty easy and didn't require any digging. Comment 2: Try perpetual spinach, aka perpetual chard, as a celery replacement. It laughs at hot weather - it had no problem with Houston's 2023 110 degree summer. It also survived an 18 degree arctic blast with just a frost blanket tossed over it. The texture is very similar to celery; the taste is not the same but it's a very nice green flavor. I use it exactly like I would use celery if I didn't hate the stuff. Comment 3: You are such a good dog dad. I cannot believe you didn't give Dale credit for all his help in your garden!
Thanks for the tip about perpetual spinach! I first tried to grow it several years ago when I accientally imported some toxic "garden soil" that was laden with cow and/or horse manure and some persistant herbicide as a result. My garden beds were toast for almost 3 years! I will try this again.
I have a tip for you on big savings for heartworm medication. And I have run this by five vets, all of whom have approved. The only caveat is that this cannot be used on any collie breed. (Smooth collie, rough collie, border collie, sheltie, etc.) What you do is buy cattle injectable ivermectin and a diabetic syringe so you can measure very accurately. Take the weight of your non-collie dog and divide it by 440. That is the amount of ivermectin you will pull up in the syringe. Squirt it on a piece of bread or a favorite treat, and give it to the dog once a month like you do commercially prepared heartworm medication. The vets that I have run this by have told me that it’s actually better than the store-bought, because it doses exactly to the dog’s weight, and not a general range of weights. It’s also a considerable savings! The Cattle injectable Ivermectin is available for purchase at Feed stores, Tractor Supply, etc. Do not use Ivermectin Plus, or any product that says it is a pour on. 😊🐈⬛
If you have a collie breed (in my case, border collies) you CAN give ivermectin IF AND ONLY IF you do a DNA test for “MDR1” gene. If positive, don’t give them ivermectin. if negative it’s safe. Two of my borders are negative but the third is positive, so I just avoid it anyways bc it’s easier for me. But it’s always good to know in case your animal gets heartworms, you know if they can be given ivermectin without having to wait for the dna test or paying more for other medications. Just FYI 🤠
Thank you for the reminder of how simple year 1 gardening can be. I 've been planning my dream garden all winter, knowing that it will take years to accomplish, and now this is helping me see what's most important and what can wait for future years.
Great breakdown on garden cost. I buy a little bit every year, especially when items are on sale. Appreciate when you let us know when items are on sale. I’ve saved a lot of money. I have only been gardening for 2 years. This is the first year I’m starting my own seeds. Excited to see what I’ve learned from all the people I follow on you tube. Thank you. Blessings❤️🌺
My yard is the same size. No trees in the backyard yet but planning out my trees. My yard did come with 8 large garden beds from the previous owner an award winning gardener!
Another thing, my yard had the built in raised beds and drip irrigation already installed!! I just need to buy and plant fruit trees plus I plan to install a covered patio and greenhouse over the next two years!
You don't need to mix the concrete with water. Just pour it in the post hole around the post dry and if you feel like it add some water. Very important!- never allow concrete to go under post. It will turn the concrete into a water holding container that rots the post more quickly. If you don't concrete the posts in a sandy environment everything will move.. A lot. You did the right thing.
You right about, people is healthy, because eat better , but also fill better,because the activity,walking ,also make you fill happy,when you see al veggies you made. For me is what I need after the pandemic. God bless you. Keep telling to us you experience.
This video might have summed up your passion and the benefits of gardening more than any one that I have seen. Strong work! 20 yards of soil and mulch by hand is a ton of work! And a lot of people who have half decent soil to begin with, not sand, could spend even less. What is great about gardening is that it can be as basic or involved as someone wants, and so many options in-between.
Just what I needed. For a future video if you have not already mentioned it? Can you expand on the types of citrus and which ones get ripe first and when to eat them? This would allow the selection of the owari, tengo, and kishu varieties? Excuse my spelling but I think you can see where I am going. A simple buying plan and eating plan for citrus and you can throw in whatever varieties I have left off. Thanks and glad to view your videos each time they come out .
Money well spent fellow North Carolinian 🎉 Never knew I'd love gardening ❤ very rewarding skill. Keep up the great work! You too Dale 🐶♥️💐 God Bless you and yours!
I am going to be putting in a raised bed garden at my house now that I do not travel for work. Thank you for reaffirming it does not have to happen all at once. This gives me a different approach to the task. My beds though, will be 3 feet off the ground (some will be lower for the bigger plants) because I am older and bending over not going to be easy in the later years. I will supplement the void if you will, on the bottom with hay bales and only fill the top 1 foot with soil.
My first year was all container gardening in fabric pots, and I made my own soil mix with peat moss, compost and perlite. Was a few years ago and things were cheaper, but it wasn't too much that first year and I have expanded out from there with five raised beds. This summer I'm going to clear out another area for some more raised beds in the fall. Just a little bit at a time.
I did same. I ordered a load of composted amended soil from a nursery. I had too much but kept the extra pile covered and used it all up over the next season. I always order double of whatever I'm buying knowing I'll eventually use it. Now I make tons of compost so no more spending.
Thank you! I love gardening, for all the reasons you listed. But I've been procrasting on starting to ready my garden for this spring. This video inspired me to get out there today! So thank you, again for your timely and inspiring garden! 😊❤
Ground contact posts don't last like they used to. I got ten years on a fence, then most of the posts were completely rotten and wind blew it down. You'll be glad you used cement. For manure, call up a local alpaca farm and see if you can get some manure. It's the best!
It is definitely an investment with the price of food. The quality will be better because the store bought food is processed with unknown things. Thank you for this video
Great video. The content is encouraging that anyone can strive to create a garden. I like how you break the costs of a garden down in the basic/raw form so that it can be more affordable. Thanks for sharing.
I always enjoy your videos, but I especially enjoyed this one. When you expounded on the health benefits of gardening itself and then to the produce you will enjoy, that was my one of my favorites. Then you hit the nail on the head about the health benefits of gardening itself. Thank you so much for making these videos and sharing your experiences. I greatly appreciate it.😊
I truly love your channel, your blurbs with Dale, your personality and the informative & educational nature of your channel. I literally have learned more about practical subsistence gardening from you than from all other sources combined!!! Your channel ROCKS!!! That said, I really wish you would take that original eight bed garden and include the gardening structures you built into it (raised hoop covers, 40% shade cloths, winter covers, trellises, perimeter fencing, etc.. That would give me a realistic appraisal of how much it would cost me to have a finished garden. As I am keto/ketovore, my gardening needs are different … no starches, no fruits, no corn, no grains, etc.. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for both what you do AND how you do it!!! Until your next video and beyond, happy trails, best wishes, take care, be safe, and God bless!!! Chuck Knight formerly from Buffalo, Texas and now from Atascocita, Texas. ✝️🎣👨🌾🦌🙏
For the cost of the 8 beds, just double my assumption for the 4 beds. I think that was about $400, so figure $800 total for all 8 beds. It may vary 10% depending on your market. I specifically didn't include the covers, because there are too many different ways you could do it. The garden itself, I had to pull the trigger and buy the supplies ASAP, but for the covers, I had the luxury to sit around and wait for sales, and there are hundreds of different products you can buy to cover but only one or two places to buy lumber. Just buy PVC electrical conduit at Home Depot or Lowe's. They're about $7-8 a stick. I have a dedicated playlist on how to build any type of hoop structure you want here: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIHTXtdhw3mMeOyMgLPt8pKR.html&si=9IBovrP9RvTm64E1
@@TheMillennialGardener Buddy … Thanks so much for the detailed response. Gonna do all that!!! Continued successful and happy gardening and videography!!! God bless!!! Chuck. 👨🌾
As expensive as groceries are now gardens are a great deal even buying plants instead of seeds. A $6 eggplant gave me eggplants all summer into the fall and was so beautiful I had it in the front yard and got compliments on my beautiful plant.
There's also something about gardening that is a great way to relieve stress. The satisfaction of eating something you've grown makes it all worth it. Everything we grow most definitely tastes better than what we purchase from the grocery stores.
I Straight up love this channel. You truly are a master gardener with great practical info. Your type of gardening, anyone could do. And everyone should do! Great info, no fuss, right to the point. This channel, David the good, and self sufficient me are always must watch videos for me.
You're welcome! It's such an affordable, easy step. We did a lot of volunteering work at a shelter, and literally, the rate of heartworm positive dogs coming into the shelter was over 50%. It was horrible. Those poor dogs couldn't be walked, played with or exercised for 6 MONTHS until the heart could heal. They would develop deep depression, and every year, at least a couple of them would die. People think dogs don't need the medicine because they don't take medicine in the wild, but they don't realize the lifespan of wolves and wild dogs are only a few years in nature. This is vital treatment, as essential as food or water.
I am renting for a year while we check out the area around Wilmington. We decided to start growing while we look. I made hoop houses from some 3/4: EMT cut into 10" lengths and hammered into the ground. Then using 1/2" PVC for the hoops. When I have to go taller I can get a few more PVC pipes and couplers to add onto the existing. Love your content and that its generated from the area! Hope to bump into you some time!
WELCOME to the area. I am an implant of 16 years. Right outside of Wilmington. Hope you like it. If ya not from the south be sure to look at hurricane preparedness. You will surely love gardening here! Also, look into co op extensions, not sure what county you are in but many have them. Good luck on your endeavor here!
@@justincase1152 Thank you sir! We are loving the area so far, Lived in Charlotte when Hugo came through, have a full closet dedicated to those oh sh*t cases! Thank you for the welcome and the heads up!
Thanks good advice. I chose buy raised mental bed but did over time. Some were gifted to me. Being that I do not have lot help these were best for longevity. Also had Nephew that help. I recover some cost this year. Before getting garden have now used grow bags. Now 5 raised beds. Now that I am retired time is spent wisely and add health value. Information you gave was very good. I used mesh netting and chicken wire that's helped especially with squirrels. Also purchased animal repellents ( mainly for raccoons/ground hog) and lights at night also help ( solar lights). Also use some essential oil mint in sprays. Take care Happy gardening. PS fruit tree/rain barrel/ compost method helped a lot.
I started with a couple of old 2x4s, cheap bags of garden soil found on clearence, and 50 cent seeds from walmart. Start as small as you need, then expand.
I think you forgot one thing… a big number of people who say they can’t afford it are leasing. You aren’t investing in yourself if you have to move. I’ll say majority of landlords will charge you to undo what you have done. Your deposit does not cover this. When you move, you will have to level the lawn, haul the dirt away, remove additional garden landscaping, Reseed grass that will be ready grown as soon as you leave. Maybe you can do a follow up on those costs. As for those that own the property they live on or intend to stay long periods of time, this is good content.
You're one of my favorite gardeners I-ve taken so much of your advice and put into my garden,the drip depot is a fantastic system. The drip depot Technician is on UA-cam and he will answers questions in one day or that day. Try the Pink Bumble cherry tomatoe, its amazing! We still have snow on the ground in NJ so im just waiting for my one of my beds needs mending 😢 to get ready in April. Thank you! Brad
I love this video, you have touched on so many things that makes sense. The cost versus what you get out of the garden also the continuous learning about the seasonal vegetables and exercise and mental health that the garden brings to our life its such an amazing feeling. We are also weekend warriors with 2 little kids not easy but now our kids are learning about how its to grow and eat from our own garden and how hard work pays off. My husband is also an engineer so I can understand the over engineer approach 😂
You might want to lay some weed barrier fabric, couple of feet wide next to your strawberry patch to help keep the centapede out and could spray along the far edge of the weedbarrier, away from strawberries with roundup.
Your vegetable garden is bigger than the footprint of my house. I have gardened for many years and I built it up slowly as you did. I used what was available. The house came with a rock garden which was in disrepair. Over the years the foundation remains the same but the soil has been improved. I did buy bagged soil, so that was more expensive., but for many years, I recycled soil from potted plants into the garden. I used hollow tile for building beds, mainly because, it does not require any carpentry skills which I don't have. Leveling with sand, string line, and a level and stacking tiles is what I can do, a few tiles at a time. Unlike wood, tiles don't rot. I would spring for a good quality heavy duty weed mat. Otherwise, the battle of the weeds make a lot of gardeners just give up. I don't need fencing, so if you live where you don't need fencing, it would save on costs .You used conduit for your trellises and it is a better material, but to start with PVC and rebar makes inexpensive hoop tunnels and for the unhandy, they are not hard to build. I use CRW for trellising and T posts. A post driver is worth having too. Cattle panels are not easy to find here and I have no way to transport it. For beginners even four beds may be a lot. Start with a plan and a couple of beds and figure out how much time it takes to tend them. For most people they build big, but don't realize the investment in time they need every week. The garden does not take care of itself. With a couple of beds, you can still automate irrigation on a budget using a faucet timer, garden hose and sprinklers./soakers. While I hate PVC and glue. I don't mind running sprinklers off drip main lines, and unlike a rigid PVC system, the drip system can be moved off the bed when it needs to be worked and components can be changed. People can always expand the garden if they have planned for expansion from the start. They will also find a steep learning curve in the beginning and they need to work out the kinks and gain experience and become more efficient so they can do more in the same amount of time.
Love all your vids but this one is a great one. So ture what you said at the end. Im 65 and been at it hard the last 15 yrs. Being outside with a hand tool, planting,maintaining, all the Sun etc.. Your also a great teacher MG..
I have been slowly adding to my garden every year I have added a new bed every year. This year I'm going to add fencing and one bed. This will be the most expensive year for me
Great Information but I like my 2 ft raised beds there a lot easier on the back I'm 76 and have a garden each year. LOVE to get my bok choi tomatoes green beans carrots and onions lettuce fresh from the garden i also have fig trees lemon and orange trees. I add more each year to eat healthier. Love your garden. Hi Dale
I have 4 different options for raised bed soil that I'm aware of I'm sure there are other options I paid $35 a yard and hauled it with my own 1/2 to truck, they all will deliver for a fee but do require minimum of 4 yards. If you have a truck maybe a friend does you can save a lot of money.
I live near a forest with a ton of trash and old supplies like metal, wood, and bricks scattered everywhere, so I'm trying to put together a garden completely free by scavenging. I've also been going into the woods to clear-cut some invasive species and use that to make compost to fill raised beds. And I just got a free chip drop for mulch. So far its going pretty well and I've spent close to nothing.
We've got 12 raised beds from cedar (4' X 8' X 8" high), heavy duty weed cloth (like you) - no drip irrigation, no fencing (I use hoops, row covers and nettings), compost delivered by a company...total cost was about $1,500. All done ourselves...and we're not young. That was about 10 years' ago.
More tips: use two by sixes instead of two by eights. Less soil, less water, and no difference in the produce. My county landfill makes compost and sells it cheap. Check with yours in your county to fill your boxes.
It's actually better to do it little by little. My original plan was to line my whole yard with figs. I'm *so glad* that I took my time and didn't do that. I have plenty of figs already. Now, I have enormous diversity that feeds me 365 days a year. Go slow and feel it out. I'm so glad I took my time.
Impressive! What a lot of work, but you can feel great pride in your accomplishments. It's lovely and so practical. Looking forward to see what you're planting this year. Happy growing!
My dogs get heart worm medicine on the 15th too! Just wanted you to know I’ve learned so much from your videos. I appreciate them so much. Please never stop ❤
💯 I’m no longer a pet owner at the moment, but the 15th was always a good date for me to remember to do my monthly self breast check. As I thriver of three different cancers, including breast cancer, I will always promote early detection. Setting the 15th for health checks like that for self, family, and pets, is an excellent habit to get in to.
I built my garden 1 bed at a time. Started with a single 4x4, and now have like 10 4x8. The idea of doing what you can or start where you are is something folks overlook a lot. I’ve learned that when I start making excuses as to why I can’t do something, then I don’t really want to and am looking to justify things. So I break it up.
You are so awesome. Thanks for breaking it all down. That is a good investment. And absolutely home grown vegetables and fruits are sooooo good. It’s also good to learn how to can or freeze what you grow. Thanks for sharing🙏❤
great video. My only issue is that you should not use pressure-treated lumber unless you provide a barrier between the wood and the soil. The chemicals from the lumber leach into the soil and are not healthy in any way.
Regarding the fence posts in concrete. You did it right. I didn't use concrete and the tension of the welded wire fence is slowing pulling certain ones inward. It's a hard fix now.
I also wonder about stability in the occasional tropical storm or hurricane. Having lived through Hurricane Andrew in southeastern Florida, I would definitely want to do all I can to prevent large projectiles should a storm of such magnitude come through and stall in the area for several days.
Some tips Plan your garden before buying things, it will save you hundreds or thousands over the years. Don't overspend, go to thrift shop or find things on the side of the road, most of my garden tools were second hand. Garden is a stress reliever. Enjoy the food, you will notice the quality is much better than store brought goods. Lastly learn from your mistake, I had whole crops lost to pest or two much sun and heat, you live and learn.
Your videos are always informative and insightful. Most of the ideas fizzle out when we bring money into the equation, with this at least am getting a good perspective on what should be the quintessential things to jump start a garden.
We are also on about 1/4 acre i have an 11x30 ft in ground space and 5 4x8 ft beds in the back yard. Last year i added a little 1x30 ft space in ground along the garage for tomatoes. This year im adding 3 3x6ft beds in the front yard and 5 3x6ft beds across from the inground tomatoes. Plus im fixing up my old garden space at my moms house 15x50ft to use as well. Last year we were renting but this year we have purchased the house we were renting currently trying to talk my partner into letting me fully convert the front yard to garden space as we dont really use it for anything. Everything so far has cost us a couple thousand dollars but similar to you its been spread across 2 to 3 years.
If you found this video helpful, please "Like" it and share it to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Raised Bed Gardening Cost
1:47 My Garden Size
2:41 Phase I: My First Raised Bed Garden
4:57 Phase II: Raised Bed Garden Expansion
7:09 Phase III: Trellises, Weed Barrier, Irrigation
8:59 Total Raised Bed Garden Cost
10:20 Building A Garden In 2024
12:57 How To Save Money Building A Garden
15:37 Gardening As An Investment
19:40 Adventures With Dale
My garden is my happy place, my therapy. I probably spent $ that will never be "recovered", but the joy it brings me is priceless.
The indirect costs you’ve saved are incalculable. Believe me.
I agree. It’s so great for therapy! It improves mental and physical health!
I couldn't agree more!
This is exactly what my garden is for me. Therapy.
My Lowes in Middle Tennessee. You can buy Cull Pallets. That is wood that is twisted or has some kind of issues that is 50 to 90% off retail price. Just ask in the lumber department if they have any Cull wood.
I just have to tell you, that out of ALL of the gardening channels out there, just none can compare to yours. I ALWAYS know that when I click on your videos that I come away with very valuable info that can make me a much better gardener. No fluff, just great info - top notch gardener and thanks a million. Your success is very much earned and thank you.
Thank you so much. That really means a lot to me to hear that. I truly appreciate it.
I completely agree!
Yes for sure. I totally agree with you.
I like self sufficient me as well. He's very good and funny.
Agreed. Especially channels that don’t do much editing, so half the video is walking and rambling on about random stuff. It’s great to be able to watch videos that are straight to the point and edited (with graphics and b roll).
I think the mental health benefit of gardening is priceless! I've never been happier or more relaxed than when I'm gardening! A humbling experience that creates joy and greatfulness.😊
Definitely. I feel like I'm connecting with God's creation, too, like God wants us to do.
@mattshorsemanship7003 Amen 🙏🏽❤ I'm still a gardening rookie. I'm in my 3rd year. Lost my Mom 3 years ago. I got closer to God gardening Proverbs 31:16 🙏🏽🙌🏽✨️
@Sam-ny9tz wow. Same situation here except I lost my dad.
I couldn’t agree more. It’s beautiful, productive, and a soothing place to be, not to mention the self sufficiency, the clean, organic foods we can grow and preserve. I taught myself how to can, dehydrate and freeze dry also and just love it. My pantry is also a room I love. Those beautiful shelves full of home grown food. ❤
Gardening has been my savior after 20 years of running my own business and all the stresses, I now enjoy my days in the garden, sunshine and am so much happier and healthier. I’ve lost weight, blood pressure down, depression lifted. WOW! So worth the investment ❤
I started out going around to build sites and asked if I could have the wood they were throwing out. I collected old windows from FB. I ended up with a beautiful 16×10 greenhouse and 2 outside raised bed gardens. I have 6ft cages around the raised beds to keep critters out. I bought the same soil you did, which was great. I am sure the 1000 tomatoes I grew last year were worth the gardens value.
I market garden on about a quarter acre and it cost about $10,000 when everything was said and done. The entire quarter acre is fenced in with chicken wire on the bottom and electric 4 electric wires. I have spent $500 on compost alone this year and around $400 on seeds. That's how much seed it takes to plant out a quarter acre. With the mild winter I'm already almost ready to go back to market! Took me about 5 years to expand to a quarter acre, for those curious. Start small and add year by year and before you know it the grocery store is an option, not a need.
I got the 8 x 4 galvanized beds from Amazon at $40 each, and ended up with 11. By far the soil was the most expensive for me, but now I have 3, 60 gallon garbage bins from Walmart that I make my own compost in. I love my garden, and I refuse to say how much I spent on fruit trees😁 The joy and health benefits are priceless.
Loved the video. At 67yo I am fulfilled by my gardening. Just me, so I don't need much. Zone 10, so it's not easy. Keep up your amazing channel.
It’s just so rewarding. It’s only me, Brittany and Dale, but I just love pushing myself to do more. And the neighbors don’t mind the extras 😂
Zone 10 in paradise compared to zone 6. No matter what zone you are in, remember every zone has its challenges and no such thing as a perfect zone.
Zone 9b would be ideal for gardening, imo. You could grow colder crops and the tropical vegetables. Zone 9 can grow many kinds of fruit trees too. Your zone 10 is a bit tough for fruit trees that requires chill hours, but still much better than my zone 8b in the high desert which is the toughest climate for gardening in the US afaik.
@@kqdwillsI’m in 9b. I use to be in a 5/6 ten years ago. Been gardening all my life. Believe me. The 5/6 zone I could grow ANYTHING. Plus down here in sw fl. you have to REALLY ammend the SAND! When there isn’t a living worm in your soil. You know it’s dead! Taken me a good 3 years of constant work on that. Plus with humidity and heat, squashes are a trip. And about the only thing in summer to grow is okra. I have alot going now. But it’s nothing like when I lived in the north. But I love gardening. And I hate snow. So alas. I’ve had to adapt. 🤣🤣
I’m in south Louisiana, what area are you?
This was super informative, including the comments by others. One commentor said he found galvanized 8x4 raised beds for $40 on Amazon. I hope to one day find such a deal!
That said, although it’s years in the future, I’m looking forward to videos of you developing your new homestead in Florida when y’all finally relocate. That will truly be showing us beginning from scratch, and as someone who lived through Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne in Lake Wales in 2004, I look forward to seeing what hurricane preparedness steps you will implement into the new garden there.
Hah! Your backyard may be standard in suburban Wilmington, but I've never known anyone with a 1/4 acre yard here in CA. I've got a 50'x50' area to grow in but I've still got 10 fruit trees, 7 berry bushes, asparagus, artichokes, and lots of annuals.
He's had fruit trees as well but guess he wears n such but it always looked like a very large garden
That’s why I put in my true garden dimensions. I’m growing on 0.0281 acres. Nearly anyone with a yard can spare that if designed correctly.
Hah! This is why people don't like Californians 😆
This is my 3rd year of gardening at my new home. I have kept all of my receipts, but scared to add them up! Last year I spent $75.00 on seeds and thought I was crazy! But when I looked at all of the produce I grew, canned, and froze, it was a fraction of the cost, if purchased at the grocery. I also supplied my 80 yr old mother and her best friend with tomatoes, okra, watermelons, etc all summer. They were so happy to enjoy. I like your videos because they are informative and straight to the point! My next projects are row covers and rain barrels. I'm in Nashville TN.
You're such an inspiration. Im also a millennial gardener haha. I've been building my orchard for 3 years now. 5 apple trees, 2 plums. 2 peach tree's. 5 blueberry trees. 2 different varieties. Like 20 wild raspberries and another variety raspberry. I just ordered the Satsuma Mandarin tree from McKenzie farms. And i got the Chicago fig coming in soon as well AND i have a smaller yard than you. You inspired me big time. I always thought there wasn't enough land. Welllll. There is hahahaha 😆
Great information!
Starting small is very wise. Start with some of the easiest items to grow in one's area, and gain confidence from that experience.
And if someone can't afford to install 4 raised beds, they can always start with only 2 and then expand later. Because my backyard is small, I just downsize all the gardening tips from videos to work for my yard.
I am also eating more seasonally with the fruits and vegetables from my little garden.
Exactly. It is always best to start small and grow incrementally. If you go too big, you will struggle to manage, especially if you’re new. Imagine spending thousands on wood and soil and then giving up 😑
If you buy bags of soil, do it in the fall when they are on clearance.
Where I live in the CA high desert, it seemed we don't have clearance on soil from the big box stores, Fall or any season. They sometimes have mulches on sale though. I bought about 15 cubic yards from the nurseries brought in by 2 commercial trucks for my raised beds over the years. Add in the soil bags, manure bags, and the green compost from all the weeds, grass and kitchen waste... so I have enough soil for all my needs, including the pots. Soil bags went up 3-4 times in prices over the last 10 years or so.
I do the same with fertilizer and pesticides. The big box stores around me will put them on clearance and they are often discounted by 90%. I got my years supply of pesticide for $5 when the regular retail price was over $50.
The Hugelkultur Method would also help when using raised beds. Adding twigs and leaves at the bottom of your raised bed could help to keep costs down. Thanks for this info!
We get so much rain here each year that I fear it would hold too much water. We average 70+ inches a year. In a drier climate, or when gardening on a slope, I would bet it works well.
I started 60 years ago and the cost is nothing compared to the benifits
Many people can start for much less if you have ground you can grow in. Raised beds are nice but aren't always necessary.
I go to a local worm farm to buy compost and mulch. They sell compost for $2/per 5 gallon bucket and mulch for $1 a bucket (must fill them yourself). So much cheaper then compost from any store
My garden is my reason for getting up and going outside and moving. The delicious fruits and vegetables I get to eat are the icing on the cake.
I know you mostly addressed the financials in this video, but I love what you said about the indirect benefits of gardening! I am definitely a healthier person during gardening season. I get outside early to tend the garden before the heat starts and I move my body so much more than the colder months. Eating fresh produce from our garden ensures I get tons of nutrients and fiber. Exercise, nutrition, and lots of Vitamin D collectively helps keep inflammation in check, which is something I've been challenged with in the last few years. Yes, we will save money on future medical costs AND the benefit to our mental health is priceless! PS. Thanks for the tip about skipping the concrete. I was about to start a new project and that's the part I was dreading.
Thank you so much for taking the time to compile your costs for us! My first garden bed was 4x12 and I had a local landscaping company drive around back and dump the soil right in there. They weren't very happy.😂 But since I was a 55-year-old woman at that point it saved me a lot of backbreaking work. I was very organic at that time and purchased untreated lumber, and amazingly the bed is still going after 9 years. It's rotting in places where the water piles up after a hurricane but I don't mind. It's not falling down yet! I've built three more beds but sadly I only used them a few times. I put them too far back from the house and frankly, growing in black plastic tree pots has been better especially after I learned I had to wrap the pots because they became blazing hot root bakers. I keep chickens so I've had to make cages for every pot otherwise they'd eat everything. I love them, but I'm not growing groceries for them. With your help I've gotten a lot better at starting seeds at the right time and learning what grows in the heat and cool weather here in Florida. That's been the biggest learning curve. Every year is more fun than the last and the knowledge that you share has been invaluable. Thank you for your inspiration!
THANK YOU…YOU ARE SPOT ON…- I review your videos many times over, they are informative, useful and VALUABLE. Yes, can NOT agree more, pacing oneself, carefully planning - most is attainable…on a mission. MANY THANKS to DALE - enjoy, his wrestling, fetch and smile.
Great video. It’s like my story. I also took 3 years to build my garden and I’m still adding to it little by little
When we moved here,....40 yrs ago..we decided to put in a chain link fence. Yep on our own. U hook it to ur vehicle to stretch it out, dig holes, mix concrete & its still standing. We had pieces of fencing left so we used that & some dog panels to put around the garden. When there's a will, there's a way! My garden doesn't do very good but it's therapeutic!
I want to Thank for all you do. I have gained so much information and perspective from your channel, that I have been better prepared each year. You are spot on about the health benefits of gardening, especially the mental aspect. Even if I just walk around it 4 or 5 times a day, It keeps my body moving and my brain engaged. Those are HUGE aspects to our health.
My son and I puttered with vegetable gardening when he was in middle school and loved it, although we weren't very successful here in West Central Florida.
When I was 59 yrs old, I went from working between 50 & 67 hrs. a week, to a medical incident that left me permanently disabled and no paycheck. While fighting for SSDI for a year and a half, I had a LOT of time on my hands,(and still do.) Prices were getting ridiculous, so I decided I was going start a garden with as little money as possible.
I started with 2 recycling bins that the company never retrieved. I haven't looked back. I use cardboard boxes of every shape and size, and make compost and custom mix my soil.
With the amount of resources available online now, I have been getting better & better results, and am always eager to try veggies I never see the the stores and produce stands.
My "Garden" ain't pretty, but has certainly provided everything I need to look forward to every day. I have even been blessed enough to share with neighbors and friends! Win, Win!
THANKS again for All you do!!
Fantastic presentation and encouragement for anyone thinking about joining us life gardeners for all the right reasons..thanks foe being a blessing for all of us and sharing knowledge and heart...and Dale, too. Eugene,Oregon
I appreciate it very much! Thank you.
I transplanted Watercress stems from my indoor winter gardens into four 16oz size Folgers Instant hydro planters with 3 inch net cups in the top filled with expanded clay pebbles this evening and put them under the edge of my camper roof to grow. I bought a 22 variety pack of lettuces and salad greens and the seeds were in there. I really like it and how easy it is to grow and how fast it produces. It tastes odd but I don`t like bland salad greens nearly as much as very tasty types like Arugula, Mustard, etc. It`s really good for you too and loaded with nutrition. If you ever get just one sprig of it you can grow tons of it because of how prolific it is.
lol it's still bigger than my mom's backyard. But I managed to plant 10 fruit trees and two raised beds. Yup, soil cost is crazy if you buy them in bags, especially if you want ALL compost soil raised beds. If you want to buy soil in bags, don't be cheap. A LOT OF CHEAP SOIL IN BAGS contains sand, bark, and garbage.
FYI, you may be able to get cheap soil in bags around September or October every year.
@@weitang1196Same with cedar mulch.
@@1OKToni I don't get cheap mulch here and there. I used to buy mulch from Ace, but now they restrict it to at least 50 bags…maybe you were referring to Home Depot, lowers?
My dentist found out I'm a gardener and wants tips, so I'll be sharing your channel with him. I'm also gathering and copying information for him. It's so much fun to share my bit of knowledge and experiences of gardening. And, yes, my garden is my happy zen place too. Thanks for all you share with us!❤ We're in zone 4b. Weeks away from warm ground 😢
Nice one, MG!👍I grow in containers and grow enough food to bless others with, eat in season, and put up for winter eating.
A big tip to help with garden cost is to ask for cash or garden products for your b-day, Mother's or Father's Day, etc. 👩🏾🌾
Good job, Dale on educating fur baby parents on the importance of heartworm prevention!👍💕
I tell everyone not to give me gifts, but if you want, either Lowe’s or the grocery store 😆
I do something similar, typically it's something garden related, a rain gauge, or a spice blender, for my herbs. I even got a canning setup for Christmas once that I really wanted. A lot of the time I send links to loved ones on things ranging from 15 dollars to 25, then they can choose based on whatever they can afford at the time. Money is tight for everyone these days.
great breakdown. makes me want to buy rain barrels for drip irrigation
Comment 1: Using a floor jack will get those posts out of the ground without *too* much trouble when it's time. I had to do this a few years ago. I had a scrap piece of 4x4 about a foot long. I drilled holes through both 4x4's (using the scrap piece as a template) and used some 10" long 1/2" bolts to lock them together. Then I used the floor jack, set under the scrap piece, to lift both up. I had to put some plywood underneath the floor jack to keep it from embedding into the mud, but it was pretty easy and didn't require any digging.
Comment 2: Try perpetual spinach, aka perpetual chard, as a celery replacement. It laughs at hot weather - it had no problem with Houston's 2023 110 degree summer. It also survived an 18 degree arctic blast with just a frost blanket tossed over it. The texture is very similar to celery; the taste is not the same but it's a very nice green flavor. I use it exactly like I would use celery if I didn't hate the stuff.
Comment 3: You are such a good dog dad. I cannot believe you didn't give Dale credit for all his help in your garden!
Thanks for the tip about perpetual spinach! I first tried to grow it several years ago when I accientally imported some toxic "garden soil" that was laden with cow and/or horse manure and some persistant herbicide as a result. My garden beds were toast for almost 3 years! I will try this again.
Thanks for doing this video. I wont add up what I spend , I spent way more.
Its an expensive hobby
But is it? Everyone has a hobby. How does it stack up to other hobbies? I think it is one of the lowest cost things and pays huge returns
My hobby as well. It is an ongoing experiment that I enjoy sharing with friends family and clients. Priceless!
I have a tip for you on big savings for heartworm medication. And I have run this by five vets, all of whom have approved. The only caveat is that this cannot be used on any collie breed. (Smooth collie, rough collie, border collie, sheltie, etc.) What you do is buy cattle injectable ivermectin and a diabetic syringe so you can measure very accurately. Take the weight of your non-collie dog and divide it by 440. That is the amount of ivermectin you will pull up in the syringe. Squirt it on a piece of bread or a favorite treat, and give it to the dog once a month like you do commercially prepared heartworm medication. The vets that I have run this by have told me that it’s actually better than the store-bought, because it doses exactly to the dog’s weight, and not a general range of weights. It’s also a considerable savings! The Cattle injectable Ivermectin is available for purchase at Feed stores, Tractor Supply, etc. Do not use Ivermectin Plus, or any product that says it is a pour on. 😊🐈⬛
If you have a collie breed (in my case, border collies) you CAN give ivermectin IF AND ONLY IF you do a DNA test for “MDR1” gene. If positive, don’t give them ivermectin. if negative it’s safe. Two of my borders are negative but the third is positive, so I just avoid it anyways bc it’s easier for me. But it’s always good to know in case your animal gets heartworms, you know if they can be given ivermectin without having to wait for the dna test or paying more for other medications. Just FYI 🤠
You are such a blessing to the gardening community, thank you for all your wonderful videos!
I appreciate that so much. Thank you!
Thanks for all 😅 information you give on gardening, but I have to admit having Dale at the end is just as important to me. You’re both winners.
Thank you for the reminder of how simple year 1 gardening can be. I 've been planning my dream garden all winter, knowing that it will take years to accomplish, and now this is helping me see what's most important and what can wait for future years.
Great breakdown on garden cost. I buy a little bit every year, especially when items are on sale. Appreciate when you let us know when items are on sale. I’ve saved a lot of money. I have only been gardening for 2 years. This is the first year I’m starting my own seeds. Excited to see what I’ve learned from all the people I follow on you tube. Thank you. Blessings❤️🌺
Welcome to the wonderful world of Gardening Lindy!!
My yard is the same size. No trees in the backyard yet but planning out my trees. My yard did come with 8 large garden beds from the previous owner an award winning gardener!
Another thing, my yard had the built in raised beds and drip irrigation already installed!! I just need to buy and plant fruit trees plus I plan to install a covered patio and greenhouse over the next two years!
You don't need to mix the concrete with water. Just pour it in the post hole around the post dry and if you feel like it add some water. Very important!- never allow concrete to go under post. It will turn the concrete into a water holding container that rots the post more quickly. If you don't concrete the posts in a sandy environment everything will move.. A lot. You did the right thing.
You right about, people is healthy, because eat better , but also fill better,because the activity,walking ,also make you fill happy,when you see al veggies you made. For me is what I need after the pandemic. God bless you. Keep telling to us you experience.
This video might have summed up your passion and the benefits of gardening more than any one that I have seen.
Strong work! 20 yards of soil and mulch by hand is a ton of work!
And a lot of people who have half decent soil to begin with, not sand, could spend even less. What is great about gardening is that it can be as basic or involved as someone wants, and so many options in-between.
Just what I needed. For a future video if you have not already mentioned it? Can you expand on the types of citrus and which ones get ripe first and when to eat them? This would allow the selection of the owari, tengo, and kishu varieties? Excuse my spelling but I think you can see where I am going. A simple buying plan and eating plan for citrus and you can throw in whatever varieties I have left off. Thanks and glad to view your videos each time they come out .
Money well spent fellow North Carolinian 🎉 Never knew I'd love gardening ❤ very rewarding skill. Keep up the great work! You too Dale 🐶♥️💐 God Bless you and yours!
I am going to be putting in a raised bed garden at my house now that I do not travel for work. Thank you for reaffirming it does not have to happen all at once. This gives me a different approach to the task. My beds though, will be 3 feet off the ground (some will be lower for the bigger plants) because I am older and bending over not going to be easy in the later years. I will supplement the void if you will, on the bottom with hay bales and only fill the top 1 foot with soil.
10:44 I can't stop staring at the amaaaazing sun capture!!!!
My first year was all container gardening in fabric pots, and I made my own soil mix with peat moss, compost and perlite. Was a few years ago and things were cheaper, but it wasn't too much that first year and I have expanded out from there with five raised beds. This summer I'm going to clear out another area for some more raised beds in the fall. Just a little bit at a time.
I did same. I ordered a load of composted amended soil from a nursery. I had too much but kept the extra pile covered and used it all up over the next season. I always order double of whatever I'm buying knowing I'll eventually use it. Now I make tons of compost so no more spending.
Thank you! I love gardening, for all the reasons you listed. But I've been procrasting on starting to ready my garden for this spring.
This video inspired me to get out there today! So thank you, again for your timely and inspiring garden! 😊❤
I just want you to know, you got me to build raised beds how you did, and i just sent your videos to my buddy asking me how to do it. Thank you.
Yes! I just had my local nursery deliver 4 yards of their garden soil for $270. It would have cost $1500+ to buy enough bagged potting soil.
Ground contact posts don't last like they used to. I got ten years on a fence, then most of the posts were completely rotten and wind blew it down. You'll be glad you used cement. For manure, call up a local alpaca farm and see if you can get some manure. It's the best!
This was super helpful! It's motivating me to expand my small garden. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful!
It is definitely an investment with the price of food. The quality will be better because the store bought food is processed with unknown things. Thank you for this video
Great video. The content is encouraging that anyone can strive to create a garden. I like how you break the costs of a garden down in the basic/raw form so that it can be more affordable. Thanks for sharing.
I always enjoy your videos, but I especially enjoyed this one. When you expounded on the health benefits of gardening itself and then to the produce you will enjoy, that was my one of my favorites. Then you hit the nail on the head about the health benefits of gardening itself. Thank you so much for making these videos and sharing your experiences. I greatly appreciate it.😊
I truly love your channel, your blurbs with Dale, your personality and the informative & educational nature of your channel. I literally have learned more about practical subsistence gardening from you than from all other sources combined!!! Your channel ROCKS!!! That said, I really wish you would take that original eight bed garden and include the gardening structures you built into it (raised hoop covers, 40% shade cloths, winter covers, trellises, perimeter fencing, etc.. That would give me a realistic appraisal of how much it would cost me to have a finished garden. As I am keto/ketovore, my gardening needs are different … no starches, no fruits, no corn, no grains, etc.. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for both what you do AND how you do it!!! Until your next video and beyond, happy trails, best wishes, take care, be safe, and God bless!!! Chuck Knight formerly from Buffalo, Texas and now from Atascocita, Texas. ✝️🎣👨🌾🦌🙏
For the cost of the 8 beds, just double my assumption for the 4 beds. I think that was about $400, so figure $800 total for all 8 beds. It may vary 10% depending on your market. I specifically didn't include the covers, because there are too many different ways you could do it. The garden itself, I had to pull the trigger and buy the supplies ASAP, but for the covers, I had the luxury to sit around and wait for sales, and there are hundreds of different products you can buy to cover but only one or two places to buy lumber. Just buy PVC electrical conduit at Home Depot or Lowe's. They're about $7-8 a stick. I have a dedicated playlist on how to build any type of hoop structure you want here: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIHTXtdhw3mMeOyMgLPt8pKR.html&si=9IBovrP9RvTm64E1
@@TheMillennialGardener Buddy … Thanks so much for the detailed response. Gonna do all that!!! Continued successful and happy gardening and videography!!! God bless!!! Chuck. 👨🌾
As expensive as groceries are now gardens are a great deal even buying plants instead of seeds. A $6 eggplant gave me eggplants all summer into the fall and was so beautiful I had it in the front yard and got compliments on my beautiful plant.
There's also something about gardening that is a great way to relieve stress. The satisfaction of eating something you've grown makes it all worth it. Everything we grow most definitely tastes better than what we purchase from the grocery stores.
I Straight up love this channel. You truly are a master gardener with great practical info. Your type of gardening, anyone could do. And everyone should do! Great info, no fuss, right to the point. This channel, David the good, and self sufficient me are always must watch videos for me.
From a veterinary professional, thank you for the heartworm talk!
You're welcome! It's such an affordable, easy step. We did a lot of volunteering work at a shelter, and literally, the rate of heartworm positive dogs coming into the shelter was over 50%. It was horrible. Those poor dogs couldn't be walked, played with or exercised for 6 MONTHS until the heart could heal. They would develop deep depression, and every year, at least a couple of them would die. People think dogs don't need the medicine because they don't take medicine in the wild, but they don't realize the lifespan of wolves and wild dogs are only a few years in nature. This is vital treatment, as essential as food or water.
I am renting for a year while we check out the area around Wilmington. We decided to start growing while we look. I made hoop houses from some 3/4: EMT cut into 10" lengths and hammered into the ground. Then using 1/2" PVC for the hoops. When I have to go taller I can get a few more PVC pipes and couplers to add onto the existing. Love your content and that its generated from the area! Hope to bump into you some time!
WELCOME to the area. I am an implant of 16 years. Right outside of Wilmington. Hope you like it. If ya not from the south be sure to look at hurricane preparedness. You will surely love gardening here! Also, look into co op extensions, not sure what county you are in but many have them. Good luck on your endeavor here!
@@justincase1152 Thank you sir! We are loving the area so far, Lived in Charlotte when Hugo came through, have a full closet dedicated to those oh sh*t cases! Thank you for the welcome and the heads up!
Thanks good advice. I chose buy raised mental bed but did over time. Some were gifted to me. Being that I do not have lot help these were best for longevity. Also had Nephew that help. I recover some cost this year. Before getting garden have now used grow bags. Now 5 raised beds. Now that I am retired time is spent wisely and add health value. Information you gave was very good. I used mesh netting and chicken wire that's helped especially with squirrels. Also purchased animal repellents ( mainly for raccoons/ground hog) and lights at night also help ( solar lights). Also use some essential oil mint in sprays. Take care Happy gardening. PS fruit tree/rain barrel/ compost method helped a lot.
Thank you for doing this vid and for mentioning the other tangible and intangible benefits of growing your own food! Bravo!
I started with a couple of old 2x4s, cheap bags of garden soil found on clearence, and 50 cent seeds from walmart. Start as small as you need, then expand.
I think you forgot one thing… a big number of people who say they can’t afford it are leasing. You aren’t investing in yourself if you have to move. I’ll say majority of landlords will charge you to undo what you have done. Your deposit does not cover this. When you move, you will have to level the lawn, haul the dirt away, remove additional garden landscaping, Reseed grass that will be ready grown as soon as you leave. Maybe you can do a follow up on those costs.
As for those that own the property they live on or intend to stay long periods of time, this is good content.
Loved all the info. I started gardening just last year and enjoy all the tangible and intangible benefits you mentioned.
I love your story and channel, I’m in the same boat a few years in and nothings ever enough. I love it.
You are a FAVORITE Gardener of mine❤❤❤
I appreciate it! Thank you very much!
You're one of my favorite gardeners
I-ve taken so much of your advice and put into my garden,the drip depot is a fantastic system.
The drip depot Technician is on UA-cam and he will answers questions in one day or that day.
Try the Pink Bumble cherry tomatoe, its amazing!
We still have snow on the ground in NJ so im just waiting for my one of my beds needs mending 😢 to get ready in April.
Thank you!
Brad
I love this video, you have touched on so many things that makes sense. The cost versus what you get out of the garden also the continuous learning about the seasonal vegetables and exercise and mental health that the garden brings to our life its such an amazing feeling. We are also weekend warriors with 2 little kids not easy but now our kids are learning about how its to grow and eat from our own garden and how hard work pays off.
My husband is also an engineer so I can understand the over engineer approach 😂
I started with 4x4 raised beds with cyinder blocks and trying to complete a fourth one now. It's a star. 🙂
You might want to lay some weed barrier fabric, couple of feet wide next to your strawberry patch to help keep the centapede out and could spray along the far edge of the weedbarrier, away from strawberries with roundup.
Your vegetable garden is bigger than the footprint of my house. I have gardened for many years and I built it up slowly as you did. I used what was available. The house came with a rock garden which was in disrepair. Over the years the foundation remains the same but the soil has been improved. I did buy bagged soil, so that was more expensive., but for many years, I recycled soil from potted plants into the garden. I used hollow tile for building beds, mainly because, it does not require any carpentry skills which I don't have. Leveling with sand, string line, and a level and stacking tiles is what I can do, a few tiles at a time. Unlike wood, tiles don't rot. I would spring for a good quality heavy duty weed mat. Otherwise, the battle of the weeds make a lot of gardeners just give up. I don't need fencing, so if you live where you don't need fencing, it would save on costs .You used conduit for your trellises and it is a better material, but to start with PVC and rebar makes inexpensive hoop tunnels and for the unhandy, they are not hard to build. I use CRW for trellising and T posts. A post driver is worth having too. Cattle panels are not easy to find here and I have no way to transport it. For beginners even four beds may be a lot. Start with a plan and a couple of beds and figure out how much time it takes to tend them. For most people they build big, but don't realize the investment in time they need every week. The garden does not take care of itself. With a couple of beds, you can still automate irrigation on a budget using a faucet timer, garden hose and sprinklers./soakers. While I hate PVC and glue. I don't mind running sprinklers off drip main lines, and unlike a rigid PVC system, the drip system can be moved off the bed when it needs to be worked and components can be changed. People can always expand the garden if they have planned for expansion from the start. They will also find a steep learning curve in the beginning and they need to work out the kinks and gain experience and become more efficient so they can do more in the same amount of time.
Love all your vids but this one is a great one. So ture what you said at the end. Im 65 and been at it hard the last 15 yrs. Being outside with a hand tool, planting,maintaining, all the Sun etc.. Your also a great teacher MG..
I have been slowly adding to my garden every year I have added a new bed every year. This year I'm going to add fencing and one bed. This will be the most expensive year for me
Amen brother love your Channel . Growing your own food is only half of the benefits. The other half is getting outside and being active and motivated.
I was just thinking about making a similar video
It's that time of year!
Great Information but I like my 2 ft raised beds there a lot easier on the back I'm 76 and have a garden each year. LOVE to get my bok choi tomatoes green beans carrots and onions lettuce fresh from the garden i also have fig trees lemon and orange trees. I add more each year to eat healthier. Love your garden. Hi Dale
Thank you for the time you spent crunching these numbers. Much appreciated!
You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful.
I have 4 different options for raised bed soil that I'm aware of I'm sure there are other options I paid $35 a yard and hauled it with my own 1/2 to truck, they all will deliver for a fee but do require minimum of 4 yards. If you have a truck maybe a friend does you can save a lot of money.
I live near a forest with a ton of trash and old supplies like metal, wood, and bricks scattered everywhere, so I'm trying to put together a garden completely free by scavenging. I've also been going into the woods to clear-cut some invasive species and use that to make compost to fill raised beds. And I just got a free chip drop for mulch. So far its going pretty well and I've spent close to nothing.
Love your channel and much appreciate that you shared so much detail of the design process. Love the symmetry, beauty and functionality of your work❤
We've got 12 raised beds from cedar (4' X 8' X 8" high), heavy duty weed cloth (like you) - no drip irrigation, no fencing (I use hoops, row covers and nettings), compost delivered by a company...total cost was about $1,500. All done ourselves...and we're not young. That was about 10 years' ago.
More tips: use two by sixes instead of two by eights. Less soil, less water, and no difference in the produce.
My county landfill makes compost and sells it cheap. Check with yours in your county to fill your boxes.
Love your thorough descriptions in your videos. This was another excellent one. 😊
Wow cool. It was really nice to see the process.
Agree do it little by little and before you know it it’s done and could possibly extend it good job
It's actually better to do it little by little. My original plan was to line my whole yard with figs. I'm *so glad* that I took my time and didn't do that. I have plenty of figs already. Now, I have enormous diversity that feeds me 365 days a year. Go slow and feel it out. I'm so glad I took my time.
Impressive! What a lot of work, but you can feel great pride in your accomplishments. It's lovely and so practical. Looking forward to see what you're planting this year. Happy growing!
My dogs get heart worm medicine on the 15th too! Just wanted you to know I’ve learned so much from your videos. I appreciate them so much. Please never stop ❤
Excellent! It’s a good date we can remember. I appreciate it and I will do my best to keep them coming.
💯
I’m no longer a pet owner at the moment, but the 15th was always a good date for me to remember to do my monthly self breast check. As I thriver of three different cancers, including breast cancer, I will always promote early detection.
Setting the 15th for health checks like that for self, family, and pets, is an excellent habit to get in to.
I built my garden 1 bed at a time. Started with a single 4x4, and now have like 10 4x8. The idea of doing what you can or start where you are is something folks overlook a lot. I’ve learned that when I start making excuses as to why I can’t do something, then I don’t really want to and am looking to justify things. So I break it up.
Really appreciate all the work you put into this video. So helpful for someone just starting out.
You are so awesome. Thanks for breaking it all down. That is a good investment. And absolutely home grown vegetables and fruits are sooooo good. It’s also good to learn how to can or freeze what you grow. Thanks for sharing🙏❤
I’ve made our garden from mostly repurposed materials. I appreciate your video. I hope to implement some of your tips! 😊
great video. My only issue is that you should not use pressure-treated lumber unless you provide a barrier between the wood and the soil. The chemicals from the lumber leach into the soil and are not healthy in any way.
That's exactly what I was thinking.
Regarding the fence posts in concrete. You did it right. I didn't use concrete and the tension of the welded wire fence is slowing pulling certain ones inward. It's a hard fix now.
I also wonder about stability in the occasional tropical storm or hurricane. Having lived through Hurricane Andrew in southeastern Florida, I would definitely want to do all I can to prevent large projectiles should a storm of such magnitude come through and stall in the area for several days.
If the storm is that bad you'll have damage either way.
Some tips
Plan your garden before buying things, it will save you hundreds or thousands over the years.
Don't overspend, go to thrift shop or find things on the side of the road, most of my garden tools were second hand.
Garden is a stress reliever.
Enjoy the food, you will notice the quality is much better than store brought goods.
Lastly learn from your mistake, I had whole crops lost to pest or two much sun and heat, you live and learn.
Your videos are always informative and insightful. Most of the ideas fizzle out when we bring money into the equation, with this at least am getting a good perspective on what should be the quintessential things to jump start a garden.
We are also on about 1/4 acre i have an 11x30 ft in ground space and 5 4x8 ft beds in the back yard. Last year i added a little 1x30 ft space in ground along the garage for tomatoes. This year im adding 3 3x6ft beds in the front yard and 5 3x6ft beds across from the inground tomatoes. Plus im fixing up my old garden space at my moms house 15x50ft to use as well. Last year we were renting but this year we have purchased the house we were renting currently trying to talk my partner into letting me fully convert the front yard to garden space as we dont really use it for anything. Everything so far has cost us a couple thousand dollars but similar to you its been spread across 2 to 3 years.
I trully feel like Columbus!! I discovered a jewel in the crown! Thank you for sharing ❤ From one grower in Tasmania ❤