Start a Community Garden

Budgeting For Your Community Garden

 

Cost varies greatly depending on size and design, so plan your garden accordingly. Most community gardens will cost between $1500 and $4000 initially. There will also be a few hundred dollars a year in maintenance costs. If these numbers sound daunting to you, keep in mind it is possible to build a small community garden for much less if you are a bit creative with found materials for bed edges and composting techniques to build your own soil. Community orchards are very cost efficient. If the gardener is willing to become educated in fruit tree culture, most trees will pay back their purchase cost each year with only a few hours of work per tree. With fruit at more than $1 per pound, a purchase cost of $10 to $50 per tree is quickly repaid. Annual up-keep can be augmented from produce sales at the farmers’ market. The information below will help you calculate your costs.

The initial budget for your community garden should include:

 

The following assumptions are made for budget purposes.

 

  • Prices vary over time so check suppliers when you start budgeting to get the most current prices.
  • No labor costs not specifically mentioned in the budget.
  • No significant donated materials.
  • No sales tax has been included.
  • Delivery costs have been excluded from this estimate due to variation in cost due to distance and fuel costs. Conservatively one should set aside $400 to $500 for delivery of all materials.
  • Free site preparation. Please note that tree trimming, land clearing and pond construction for drainage can be expensive.
  • Free design.
  • In addition to your initial budget, you'll need an annual maintenance budget for your community garden. This budget should include:
    • Water (if not provided for free)
    • Mulch
    • Fertilizer & Pest Repellents
    • Seeds and young plants
    • Replacement tools, stakes & cages, hoses, gloves as needed

 

Raised Beds


Urban Harvest recommends that you construct your beds from 8x8x8 concrete blocks either hollow or solid. A raised bed can be any length, between 3 and 5 ft. wide, and from 6 to 16 in. high. For the purpose of this budget, we will use a bed 40 ft. long, 4 ft. wide and 8 in. high and a garden of 5 beds of the same size.

How to calculate the number of 8x8x8 inch blocks per bed:

Length:
40 feet long interior x 12/ 8 inches = 60 blocks

Width:
4 feet wide interior x 12/ 8 inches = 6 blocks 

Total blocks per bed:
(Long side x 2) + (Short side x 2) + 4 blocks (for the corners) = total blocks per bed

(60 x 2) + (6 x 2) + 4 = total blocks
120 + 12 + 4 = 136 blocks

Blocks needed per bed: 136 plus 7 to 10 extra blocks in case of broken blocks

Price per 8in x 8in x 8in hollow cinder block as of 7/2009: $1.08/block

Total price for blocks for one bed:
(136 +10) x 1.08 = $157.68

Cost for 5 beds 40 feet long and 4 feet wide:

$157.68 x 5 = $788.40 (to top)

 

Soil for the beds 


To calculate the number of cubic yards (commonly referred to as yards) you will need to measure the width and length of the interior of your beds. Using our example above that would be an interior width of 4 feet and an interior length of 40 feet. Then you need to know how deep you want the soil to be. For our example we will use 8 inches. Once you know these numbers plug them into the following formula or you can use an online calculator

The Formula:
Length in feet x Width in feet x Depth in Inches/ 324 = cubic yards

An Example with numbers: 40 feet x 4 feet x 8 inches/ 324 = 3.95 cubic yards per bed

If you budget allows you may want to order 5% to 7% more soil to account for settling. That would bring the total in the example above to 4.15 yards (5% additional) or 4.23 yards (7% additional). Once you know the amount per bed you can simply multiply that amount by the number of beds if they are all the same size or add the amounts for each bed together if the beds are different sizes.
So a garden that has 5 beds that are 40 feet long and 4 feet wide and 8 inches deep would require 20.75 yards of soil including the additional 5% for settling.

Price of Garden and Flowerbed Soil Mix from Nature’s Way Resources as of 7/2009: $42.25 plus delivery

Cost of Soil for 5 beds would be:
21 yards x $42.25 = $887.25

When you order your soil the soil yard will appreciate if you round your order to the nearest ½ yard or full yard. Order the soil a week in advance to be delivered a few days in advance of the day the garden will be built. Wet weather can postpone delivery so check the weather ahead of time and have a plan for rainy weather. (to top)

 

Mulch 


Native mulch can be ordered from Nature's Way Resources (713-329-9177) A 3 inch lay of mulch is recommended for vegetable beds. The native mulch should last six to nine months on your vegetable beds and a bit longer around fruit trees. To determine the amount of mulch you need for your garden, take the result for the amount of soil you need from above, and simply multiply it by 3/8 or 0.375.

Calculation Example for Native Mulch:
4.15 yards/bed x .375 = 1.5 yards native mulch per bed
1.5 yards/bed x 5 beds = 7.5 yards native mulch total

 

Native Mulch price from Nature’s Way Resources as of 7/2009 $32.50 plus delivery

 

Cost for 5 beds:
7.5 yards x $32.50 = $243.75

 

If you want to use less expensive mulch you can use alfalfa hay which comes in bales and is available from most feed stores. Keep in mind that the alfalfa hay will only last two to three months before it needs to be replenished. A square bale of alfalfa hay will cover about ¾ of a 40 by 4 foot bed so using our example we would need 1.25 bales per bed

Calculation example for Hay:
1.25 bales per bed x 5 beds = 6.25 bales

 

Since bales can only be purchased in whole bales in this example you would need to buy 7 bales.

 

Alfalfa Hay square bale price as of 7/2009: $17 to $20 per bale

 

Cost for 5 beds:
7 bales x $20 = $140 (to top)

 

Path Materials


Options include but are not limited to mowed grass, mulch, crushed granite. You will need research each option and choose the one fits you budget. So using our example:

4 pathways 3 ft wide and 40 feet long For mulch you will need 3 to 6 inches of wood mulch or dry leaves

The formula: Length in feet x Width in feet x Depth in Inches/324 = cubic yards 

Our Example: 40 ft x 3 ft x 3 in/324 = 1.11 cubic yards 

Multiply by the number of paths (4 in this case) to get the total: 1.11 x 4 = 4.44 cubic yards of mulch.

Using Native Mulch for your pathways may not make sense anytime other than when you first build the garden as the incremental cost is much lower than paying for a separate delivery of less expensive mulch if you are already having some high quality native mulch delivered for use in the garden.

Native Mulch price from Nature’s Way Resources as of 7/2009 $32.50 plus delivery

Cost calculation: 4.5 yards x $32.50/yd = $146.25 It is possible to get free mulch from various sources and this is a good option for path areas.(to top)

Water Connection and Irrigation


If you can connect to an outside tap on a building or a well, one time costs for piping to the garden are about $30-50. A water tap in the garden is $10. Hoses cost $15-50 depending on length and quality. A fan nozzle is about $8. Water itself costs $50-$100 per month depending on garden size and season. If you must use water from the street, you need to get the water company's connection charges. Give them an accurate address. Costs range from as little as $85 if there is an old water meter connection from a former dwelling, to as much as $1500 with no water near the garden. If you have more than 5 beds or will be away a lot, you need a soaker hose system with a timer. Costs will be $300-600 for a very basic drip irrigation system with a timer that can save a lot of water and time.(to top)

Fencing


A fence with a locked gate is sometimes an essential component of your community garden. If fencing to keep out people and dogs is all that is required, a 4 ft. Cyclone™ or chain link fence may prove adequate. In some settings, 6 ft. will be necessary. Fruits may need a 10 ft height. Fencing costs can only be estimated on a case by case basis.(to top)

Tools


A good quality long handled spade, a garden (short-tined) fork, a garden rake and either a hoe or some other weeding tool cost about $15 - $20 each. Felco pruning shears (about $50 each), loppers ($20) and saws ($20) are great for pruning fruit. You will need $75-200 worth of cages, stakes, and trellising materials. Visit garden shops and hardware stores to budget for the other tools you will need: wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, hoses, etc. (to top)

 

Fertilizers & Pest Repellants


You will need some sort of organic fertilizer to get started. There are several good ones around which will cost anywhere from $18 to $53 for a bag ranging in size from 15 lbs to 50 lbs. Pest repellents are optional in most cases for the organic gardener but if you really feel like you need something it is usually best to wait to see what your pest issues are rather than just randomly buying products as there is often a very low cost or no-cost solution for most pests that show up in your garden. (to top)

Seeds, Transplants & Fruit Trees


Seed costs vary greatly depending on what you choose to plant and where you choose to buy your seed. Additionally if you plan carefully it is possible to save seeds from your own plants thus reducing the cost of new seed over time. Along those same lines growing your own transplants is highly cost effective. In season you can find transplant for about $1 each.
We also recommend orchards, as they are low-maintenance, beautiful, cost-effective and highly productive. Fruit trees cost from $10-$60 each, plus about $1 per tree per year in upkeep. In addition, you will need about two 40lb bags of native mulch per tree at planting time and then once each year you will need to add mulch around the tree. Since orchard trees are more costly than vegetable seeds, unless there is a gardener with orchard experience, we suggest that the orchard be started with "foolproof" trees such as citrus and figs. Look in Dr. Randall's book for other recommendations. (to top)

Instruction


Urban Harvest offers a number of gardening classes free to affiliate community garden gardenERs. Additionally, the two gardenERs designated to represent your garden can also take classes at the discounted member rate. The classes we offer cover everything from how to grow vegetables, soils, compost, irrigation, and much, much more. See our Classes and Events Calendar for more information.(to top)