Terrace garden setup cost for beginners: A 2025 complete Budget guide

Is setting up a terrace garden really expensive? The answer is NO and YES at the same time. Terrace gardening can be costly depending on your improper planning, place, materials, and design choices, but it is absolutely possible to set up a budget-friendly terrace garden with proper planning.

The terrace garden setup cost for beginners ranges from ₹3,000 to ₹15000, depending on planning and the size of the garden. A beginner often overspends 40-50% without proper planning and knowledge.

This complete guide will show you the exact costs, hidden expenses, and money-saving strategies. A beginner can overspend 40-50% without proper planning.

Why does understanding the cost of the terrace garden matter?

Poor planning of the terrace garden costing can lead to an unfinished terraced garden. About 1/3 of beginners stop within 3 months because they face some unexpected expenses, and knowing your costs can help to set up your garden within your minimum budget, and understanding these, you can prioritize your purchases according to your needs.

What most beginners expect VS. the real cost.

• Most beginners estimate 500 -1500, but the reality is a minimum of 3000-5000 for a functional terrace garden.
• There are some hidden costs, like maintenance, and sometimes it’s essential to get an expensive item rather than waste money on a cheap one.
• But a smart and well-planned approach can keep your costs low.

How will this article help you save money?

The reason behind this guide is my first failure in setting up a terrace garden and wasting thousands on unnecessary accessories. And in this blog, you will get to know –

• There are some DIY alternatives like using household items, making your own compost, and vertical gardening.
• Buying the best-quality seeds and plants in bulk to reduce costs.

The guide covers both affordable, budget-friendly options and higher-quality solutions.

Quick cost overview: what you will really spend

• The total cost falls into 3 categories in 2025: –

1. Initial setup – 60% of the budget goes into Pots, Soil, waterproofing, and some basic tools like a sprayer, pruner, etc. The typical cost for the initial setup will be around ₹ 3000.
2. Ongoing maintenance on terrace garden – Around 20% of the total cost goes into ongoing terrace garden maintenance, like nutrients, fertilizers, organic pest control by neem oil, etc.
3. Plant replacement – It includes buying and replacing seasonal plants, seeds, etc.

Category	Description	Typical Cost (₹)
Initial Setup (60%)	Pots, soil, waterproofing, basic tools	3,000 (for basic setup)
Ongoing Maintenance (20%)	Water, fertilizers, pest control	500 –1000/month
Plant Replacement (20%)	Seasonal plants, seeds	Varies by season

 

• Majorly, 60% cost is one one-time investment, and the other 40% is all about maintenance and replacement.
• A basic rooftop vegetable garden can cost about 2500-3000 rupees.
• From your vegetable garden, you can save 1000-1200 rupees on vegetables.

Complete Terrace Garden Setup Cost Breakdown (Category-Wise):

• A terrace garden setup can be broken down into 5 major cost categories –

Pots and containers cost – [ ₹1000 – 10,000 ]:

Pots and containers are one of the essential and biggest purchases for your terrace garden. The choice of your pots and containers can affect your plant health as well as container longevity.

• For about 20-25 plants in your terrace garden, expect ₹1600-2000.
• Durable pots can last 5-10 years. So, the Cost per year will be around ₹300.
• In 2025, there are various types of pots and containers available for terrace garden – like Plastic Pots, Grow Bags, Ceramic and terracotta planters, and DIY containers.

Plastic pots :

• For beginners plastic pot is the best choice because it’s Affordable, easily available
• For seasonal flowering plants – use 8-inch pots – for 40-50 rupees
• For a yearly flowering and decorative plant – use a 10-12 inch pot – for 80-100 rupees.
• For fruiting plants – initially use 12 inches, then transport it to a minimum of 18 inches – 200-250 rupees.
• Plastic pots’ advantages are – Lightweight, Cheap.
• Plastic pots have disadvantages in a terrace garden – Less breathable, transfer the heat to the soil, not so durable [ 3-5 years]
• Plants best for plastic pots – Bougainvillea, Rose, Seasonal plants, Decorative plants.

BUY BEST PLASTIC POTS –

1. 6 INCH
2. 8 INCH
3. 12 INCH
4. 18 INCH

Grow Bags :

• Best value for money containers.
• Grow bags are so affordable, available from ₹30 – ₹500, depending on the quality and size of the grow bag.
• Best budget-friendly container for beginners.
• The grow bags contain multiple small pores, which help the plant in root growth and drainage.
• According to the size, the price of the grow bag depends – small [₹30 – 50], Medium [₹60-80], and Large [₹100-200].
• Depending on the quality, it has different types- most affordable to my favourite Geo bags [ Gaining popularity in 2025, also very durable].
• The disadvantage it it has a shorter lifespan than plastic pots [ 2-3years].
• The starting cost for the setup of 25 growbags will be around 1500 rupees.
• Strongly recommended for beginners with a tight budget.

Ceramic and terracotta planters –

Ceramic and terracotta planters in the terrace garden add aesthetic value to the garden, with various functional benefits such as –

• From rustic to modern, it suits all garden styles with its vintage look.
• These planters are too good to circulate air and water in the plant roots.
• Various tiny pores in terracotta planters save the plant from root rot and fungal disease.
• The material [ clay] regulates soil temperature. Keeping roots at a normal temperature despite external environment changes.
• These planters are environmentally friendly as well as durable [ can last for a decade ], and biodegradable.
• To balance your budget, you can buy some affordable terracotta planters from local vendors or terracotta makers.

Disadvantages of ceramic and terracotta planters :

• They are so expensive – small [ 80-100 rupees], large can go up to 1000-1500 rupees.
• They are so heavy, so consider rooftop strength before using these.

Free DIY containers [ ₹0 + creativity ]:

There are various low-cost or zero-cost alternatives to these expensive planters available. Sometimes these alternatives look more aesthetic than some ceramic planters, as you can see in the following image.

List of some creative DIY planters ideas :

Old Shoes and Plastic Bottles –

Cut the plastic bottle in half, make a few holes in it, add your soil mix to the bottle, and then you can colour the bottle to enhance its aesthetic value. For shoes, let them be as they are, fill soil in them, and colour them. Then you are ready to plant some shallow-rooted plants like Succulants, Herbs [ Mint, Basil], Leafy vegetables [coriander, spinach], flowering plants [marigold, petunia ], etc.

Milk Cans and Old Bucket –

Cut the tops of milk cans for a good look, and for buckets, let them stay as they are. Colour them according to your garden and then fill your soil mixture. Then, in milk cans and old buckets, you can plant all types of plants with both shallow and deep-rooted plants, and if they are about 12-14 inches, then you can plant small fruiting trees also.

Wooden or plastic crates : 

These are best for fruit trees or any type of dwarf tree varieties because they are deep as well as broad. These crates are suitable for trees more than plastic or terracotta pots. You can grow Mango, Orange, Litchi, and Lemon in your garden with these trees. These are also great to plant vegetables like cabbage, carrot, etc, because they act as small garden beds.

soil and growing media expenses:

• The quality of soil directly impacts the proper growth of plants in your garden.
• For a terrace garden, only garden soil is not enough because it contains a very low amount of micronutrients.
• So, a proper soil mix is the most essential thing in a terrace garden.
• Readymade soil mix available online and offline generally costs you around 500-1000 rupees for 10-12 medium-sized containers.
• A good soil mix is a one-time investment for your garden; then, adding vermicompost and compost once a month is enough for your terrace garden.
• Cost-saving option: there is an alternative to buying a prepared soil mix, which is making your own nutrient-rich soil mix with previously available used garden soil.

How to make your own soil mix from used garden soil step by step–

1. Solarize the used garden soil in the sun [ sun dry ].
2. Add cow-dung compost to it.
3. Put the soil and compost mixture in shade in any container or bag, and spray some water on the top every 2-3 days.
4. After 2-3 months, you get a nutrient-rich and microbes-rich soil mix.
5. Add 1 handful of vermicompost and nemm cake, and your soil mix is ready for growing any plant in a container.

Potting mix components and costs:

Components of terrace garden potting mix include:  Garden soil, Compost, Cocopeat, and Vermicompost.

Garden Soil [30 – 40 % ]- It is one of the most important soil mix components, which gives structural support to the plant. In your soil mix, garden soil should be 30-40% according to how lightweight the soil mix you need is. If you don’t have old or used garden soil and you want to buy garden soil, it can cost 50 rupees per Kg.

Compost [ 20 – 30% ]– Compost, like cow dung compost or dead leaf compost, improves the nutrient richness of your soil mix. Compost slowly releases nutrients to the soil, which helps the plant get continuous nutrients throughout the cycle. Compost will cost you 50-70 rupees per Kg.

Cocopeat [ 20 – 30% ] – For terrace gardening, cocopeat is an essential element because of its numerous benefits, like Fungal proof, neutral pH, converts into compost after some time, lightweight, etc. Cocopeat will cost you around 300 rupees for 5 Kg.

Vermicompost [ 10 -15% ] – Vermicompost releases nutrients quickly in the soil, and it contains numerous beneficial microbes for our soil. So, 1-2 handfuls of vermicompost should be added to the container once a month for proper plant growth. Vermicompost will cost around 50-60 rupees per kg if you buy in bulk.

NOTE – Readymade potting mix also available for 250 -300 rupees for 5 Kg.

Pro-tip – Making your own soil mix by reusing used garden soil can save 50-60% on your soil mix and growing media expenses. Buy the soil mix components in bulk to get better pricing. [One-time investment ].

Seeds and seedlings cost – [ ₹200 – 1500 ]:

Seeds and seedlings are an ongoing but low-cost investment. Depending on the plants, the cost of  seeds and seedlings varies, such as –

• Vegetable seedlings from nurseries will cost ₹1-5 per seedling.
• For fruit plants, always prefer grafted or air-layered plants, which will cost you around ₹50-300  per plant, according to the plant types and variety.
• Flowering plant seedlings from nurseries will cost around ₹10-100, depending on the plant.
•   Seed packets will cost ₹30-50 per packet

For a winter vegetable terrace garden setup, in 25-30 containers, seeds and seedlings will cost around ₹100-200.

For starting a terrace garden, some beginner-friendly plants give both confidence and success, which are –

Vegetables – Cabbage, Tomato, Coriander, chilli, etc.

Fruit plant – Grafted lemon, Malberry, Guava, Strawberry, etc.

Flowering plant – Marigold, Hibiscus, Rose, etc.

Avoid expensive exotic plants for the first garden. Seeds will generally cost less than seedlings, but they need patience and care.

Seeds are 1/3 the cost but have a 60-70% success rate for beginners.

NOTE: Buy seeds and seedlings only from a trusted and highly rated seller online. For offline, buy from your nearest trusted nursery. IF you want to buy the best quality organic seeds, then comment below.

Pro-tip: If a government-aided store is available, then try to buy from them. Prefer buying offline rather than online. In an offline nursery, you will get high-quality plants at a lower price.

Essential gardening tools- [ 300-800 ]:

You don’t need 10 or 20 tools to maintain a nice, thriving garden. You really need 4-5 most essential gardening tools remaining are not so important, or they have cheap alternatives.

5 must-have tools for a terrace garden in 2025: These 5 tools are the most essential tools for beginners, which you must have in your garden for efficient gardening. These all cost around 500 rupees.

• Hand Trowels: Essential for planting plants, seeds, and digging holes.
• Pruners: Important for pruning and shaping the plant.
• Sprayer: For applying fertilizers, organic pesticides by spraying on the plant.
• Watering Can: For controlled manual watering on plants.
• Gloves: They protect your hands while gardening.

 

Some Optional tools are [If you have enough budget, other than above mentioned 5 tools, are more than enough] – 

• Soil PH and Moisture Tester: To measure soil PH and moisture content.
• Plant support: Wooden or metallic sticks to support the plant.
• Plant markers: They are labels to identify plant varieties or seedlings.
• Compost Bean: Decomposes dead leaves and organic materials into compost.
• Harvesting Knife: Used to harvest fruit and vegetables.

How to avoid costly mistakes:

Some beginner traps that waste money are-

• Ignoring waterproofing: Skipping waterproofing in the initial garden setup can turn into a costly mistake.
• Choosing the wrong plant: The plant that doesn’t suit the environment can cause plant death and waste money.
• Buying unnecessary pots and tools: Buying tools without a plan often leads to left unused and increasing cost.
• No routine care: No proper routine for plant care can lead to plant damage and increase costs.
• Buying excess plants: Don’t buy excess plants. If you can manage 20 plants, then buy 10 and then increase to 15 plants after a few days.
• Not using DIY items: Initially, don’t go for buying expensive items; always start with cheap DIY items. Such as – making your own compost and fertilizers from unused foods and vegetables, and DIY pots, etc.

CONCLUSION :

Starting a budget-friendly, thriving terrace garden is so simple. It is all about smart planning and executing according to the plan. For an initial functional terrace garden, always start with a small budget and then increase your budget gradually according to the situation and your experience, and try DIY to reduce the cost. With a small terrace garden, you can save more than 1000 rupees by growing your own vegetables in your garden.

Finally, you should remember that a terrace garden setup is more affordable than you think.

Thank you- Yours A Botanist.