6 Ways to Reduce Your Seed-Starting Costs This Year

Seed starting doesn’t need to be expensive, but it does require attention to detail and proper timing. If you don’t have the budget to invest in greenhouses, grow lights, and heat mats, former organic farmer Logan Hailey is here to help you start seeds for a reduced cost.

Close-up of young seedlings with tiny round cotyledons growing in cardboard egg trays filled with fresh soil to reduce seed-starting cost.

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If you’re looking to save money, expand garden diversity, and try out unique crops, then starting your own seeds is far superior to purchasing plants at nurseries. Still, the seed starting process can come with some significant up-front expenses if you aren’t clever about reducing your costs and making the most of your budget

As an organic farmer, I am very familiar with growing massive amounts of seedlings on a shoestring budget. You don’t have to skimp on quality, but you do need to be clever with your spending. Before you buy all the fanciest stuff at the garden store, use these quick hacks to reduce your seed starting budget this season.

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How to Reduce Seed Starting Costs

Close-up of young cucumber seedlings with glossy oval cotyledons growing in plastic round containers.
Sowing plants yourself creates variety and deeper involvement.

Purchasing lush nursery starts is the fastest way to burn through your garden budget. Cell trays and potted plants can cost ten to twenty times more than sowing your own seeds from scratch. Moreover, nursery plants limit your variety selection and disconnect you from the full lifecycle of your favorite plants. 

However, you may be asking: Doesn’t seed starting cost a lot of money, too? Yes, it can be expensive if you spend loads on fancy grow lights, soil mixes, fertilizers, and trays.

Fortunately, quality materials are usually a one-time investment that will last a lifetime. But if you barely have a budget for seeds and soil, there are still lots of options for starting your garden off on the right foot.

Make Your Own Soil Mix

Close-up of a gardener's hand with a trowel pouring fresh dark brown soil into plastic seed starting trays.
Blending compost and amendments makes gardening more affordable.

Bagged soil blends are among the most expensive recurring costs of starting a garden each season. While pre-blended potting mix can offer a quick and easy propagation medium, you are usually paying a premium for professionally mixed amendments. Often, you are also paying for brand name recognition.

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All of the standard ingredients in seed starter mix are available individually, so why not save some money and mix your own? If you make your own backyard compost, blending your own seed starting mix is particularly advantageous for reducing costs. However, remember that potting mix is different from a seed starting blend. 

If you’re up for a little shoveling and mixing, simply sieve your compost and blend it together with bulk bags of the following ingredients:

Basic Budget-Friendly Seed Starter Mix

  • 1 part compost or worm castings
  • 1 part peat moss
  • 1 part perlite
  • Sprinkle of Azomite

Use a 1-gallon or 5-gallon bucket to measure out the “parts” of the ingredient list. This ensures consistent ratios no matter how big the batch. Mix everything together in a large wheelbarrow and use the edge of a shovel to chop it up finely. Pre-water the material to ensure it is moistened and ready to fill containers.

Recycle and Upcycle Containers

Cardboard egg cartons repurposed as seed-starting trays are arranged on a garden table, filled with moist, dark brown soil.
Recycled containers are great for starting plants without spending any money.

Quality seed starting trays are a gardener’s dream because they maximize plant health and make transplanting a breeze. They’re also designed to last a lifetime. But if you can’t invest in cell trays this season, you have dozens of options for recycling and reusing cheap or free containers

Practically any two-inch-or-deeper, enclosed container can be used to start seeds as long as they have holes in the bottom for drainage. You can even go container-free by making your own soil blocks

Here are a few top options for reducing seed starting costs with recycled pots:

  • Empty egg cartons
  • Yogurt or pudding containers
  • Old nursery pots
  • Old milk cartons
  • Peat pots
  • Paper cups

Remember, if there isn’t already a hole in the bottom of the container, you will need to create one with scissors or a drill bit. A lack of drainage is a key beginner mistake when sowing seeds for the first time.

Try Winter Sowing in Jugs

Three rows of white plastic milk jugs, each marked with colorful tape stripes and labeled with seed names, prepared for germination.
Winter sowing lets nature handle your plants’ germination process.

Avoid the hassle of creating an indoor growing space by winter sowing outdoors instead! Winter sowing is a unique method that involves planting seeds in covered plastic jugs or containers and placing them outdoors to “wake up” with the seasons. They will remain dormant until spring weather arrives, reducing the need for indoor sprouting and hardening off

Better yet, you don’t have to worry as much about starting your garden too early or too late. Nature’s clock will take care of germination. Your plants can also get established outdoors without taking up space inside your home or nursery.

To try winter sowing:

  1. Cut clear gallon milk jugs in half to create a little lid on the top.
  2. Use a screw driver or sharp knife to make holes in the bottom.
  3. Fill the jug with a well-drained potting blend and sprinkle your seeds inside.
  4. Great options include cold-hardy vegetables like kale, cabbage, and lettuce, or hardy flowers like lupines, echinacea, and poppies.
  5. Gently cover seeds with soil, or press into the surface if the seeds are tiny.
  6. Replace the “lid” of the jug and tape shut with duct tape.
  7. Label each jug with the variety and sowing date.
  8. Place outdoors in a warm, sunny area such as along your house.
  9. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy.

The jugs act as mini-greenhouses to support the young plants when they awaken in the spring. When you notice sprouts 3-6” tall, prepare the seedlings for transplanting.

Plant Saved Garden Seeds

A female gardener holds blue pruning shears and a small wicker basket full of freshly picked various flower seeds in her hands in a sunny garden.
Save seeds from last season to grow again next year.

Seed saving is one of the most economical and exciting parts of gardening. It allows you to save your favorite varieties and even breed new ones that are specifically adapted to your region. Better yet, saving seeds is the easiest way to reduce your overall garden starting budget. Instead of buying new packets every season, you can replant the propagation material harvested from last year’s crops.

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While not every species is suitable for simple seed saving, most vegetables and flowers offer easy-to-harvest seedheads that can be plucked at the end of the season. 

  • For beans and peas, they are mature, brown, and dried pods.
  • When saving seeds from different flowers, you must leave some blooms to fully mature and dry on the plant.
  • For brassicas like kale and cabbage, you must leave your plants to flower and bolt so they can produce long silique pods of seeds.

Remember to thresh your seeds by separating them from as much excess material as possible. Store in a cool, dry place and label each container the variety and date to ensure they are easy to plant next season. Check out this guide on properly storing seeds for years to come.

Assess Germination Rates of Old Seeds

Sprouted lettuce seeds with slender upright stems and tiny round cotyledons rest on a damp paper towel inside a clear container.
Check old seeds with a simple germination test first.

You don’t have to re-purchase new seeds every season! In fact, you can easily assess the germination rates of old packets so you can save money and prevent waste. Of course, you can check the date on the packet, but this may not always tell you whether seeds have lost their ability to sprout. 

Here’s a list of how long common vegetables usually last:

  • One year: Parsley, onion, parsnip
  • Two years: Corn, pepper
  • Three years: Bean, carrot, celery, asparagus, pea, spinach
  • Four years: Fennel, kale, pumpkin, beet, squash, turnip, watermelon, tomato
  • Five years: Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) cucumber, lettuce

The best way to test seed viability is to do a mini germination test. Grab 20 or so seeds and roll them into a moist but not wet towel. Place the towel in a plastic bag, seal it, and keep it at room temperature between 65-80°F (18-27°C). If most of the seeds sprout, it is safe to plant them without worrying about wasting your valuable soil mix or time.

Use Natural Light

Several plastic containers hold sprouted seeds with thin stems and narrow oblong cotyledons growing in moist soil on a bright windowsill.
A bright window can replace grow lights for seedlings.

The final easiest way to reduce seed starting costs is to use natural light rather than grow lights. Grow lights are expensive investments and can raise your electricity bill if used for extended periods. If you have a bright, south-facing window, the natural light is a free and reliable way to sprout your favorite garden varieties.

But not every home is lucky enough to have south-facing orientation. Outdoor cold frames (try one made of an upcycled window!), affordable PVC hoop houses, and small glass cloches are other cheap options for maximizing sunlight and warmth for early season sowings. 

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