As with most things these days, gardening has become so commercialized that people are afraid to even start because there just seems to be too much to buy and learn.  Actually, small-scale gardening is incredibly easy.  A decent garden can be started for about $10.

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Many stores offer 99-cent seed packets. Three tomato seeds will produce more tomatoes than a small family will normally eat fresh all season. One packet can yield over a hundred pounds of tomatoes.  The trick is – when you find them that price, buy them; don’t wait till you need the seeds to try and find them.  Seed packets store very well as long as you keep them in a cool, dark, dry place.

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If you do not have good soil around you that you can begin with, or are in a city apartment, you can buy an inexpensive bag of topsoil (not potting soil) – home improvement stores often carry this year round and many grocery stores carry this in the spring. 

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A 10-pound bag of topsoil is enough to grow tomatoes. Stand the bag on end, cut a small hole at the top of the bag for the plant, and poke a few drain holes in the bottom of the bag for water drainage.  Put this in some sort of supporting container. Place this where there is good sun – through a big window or perhaps a balcony. 

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Just about anything can be used for pots: old cans, buckets, colanders, 2ltr soda bottles, oat-meal containers, etc.; just use your imagination.  Be very careful not to use containers that have previously held toxic chemicals or material – such as paint cans or cleaning products.  Always make sure your containers have drainage holes.

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Seeds are least expensive to start with – all you need is 5 to 10 seeds (or you can purchase a live plant from a nursery – which is more expensive).  Cherry tomatoes or zucchini squash is recommend for beginners, they are easier and a more hearty plant.

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The seeds usually take 2 to 3 weeks to pop through the soil, and usually several die.  That’s why you plant 5 to 10 seeds.  It is very important to keep the soil moist during this period.

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If all of your seeds make it and you have ten plants growing, wait until they get a good 6 to 8 inches tall, and then thin them out.  Only keep a total of 2 or 3 plants per 10 pounds of soil.  This depends on the plant when it’s fully grown – for example only 1 tomato plant should be in a 10 pound pot.   If you have a very small family and do not want to dehydrate or can what you harvest, 10 tomato or zucchini plants may be way too many. Before you thin-out (pull out the extra plants) and throw them away – check with your friends, you will be surprised how many people will appreciate such a gift.

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If you have ground outside where you can start you garden, but the soil is poor, dig a hole and fill it with new topsoil. Mulching and composting also helps improve the quality of ground soil. 

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A 10x10-foot plot can grow hundreds of dollars’ worth of great food and if the kids help they are more likely to help eat up the produce - you can even feed a lot of it to your dog to save more money.

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Cabbage can be easy to grow also, and the expensive gourmet vegetables are no more expensive to grow than lettuce.

One warning; don't save seeds from store-bought vegetables. They are probably hybrids so they won't grow well, if at all, and besides, they are not tasty varieties; they are engineered to grow at a certain rate, ship well, and not mature - a ripe, tasty tomato is delicate - store tomatoes are essentially green tomatoes made to look ripe.

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This is only the basics and very minimal information, but it should give you an idea of how easy and inexpensive it is to start a garden in a small area. With the economy the way it is, you can’t afford to wait, start your garden today no matter where you live. 

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Click here for more information on container gardening basics.

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The majority of this information was written by John McCormick, who is a reporter, science/medical columnist and finance and social commentator, found at :  http://newsblaze.com/story/20090323080910mcco.nb/topstory.html