Shopping List
Everything we need to get the garden planted. Updated May 14 with verified Home Depot pricing (via live price-check) + Sam's research + Round Rock photo evidence.
📊 May 14 verified-pricing update
Verified Home Depot prices at the Cedar Park store (your default HD) via live price-check on May 14. Several items have material changes worth knowing:
- 🚨 Kellogg Organic Raised Bed Mix is currently UNAVAILABLE at Cedar Park HD. The product page shows "This item is currently unavailable." Landscapers Pride from Round Rock Nursery ($7.99/bag, or $70 for 10 with Gardener's Rewards) becomes the primary OMRI-equivalent path. Or order Kellogg online for ship-to-Pflugerville if you want that specific brand.
- 🚨 All three Agfabric shade cloth variants are OUT OF STOCK at Cedar Park HD. Options: check a nearby HD with stock (HD app/site shows nearby availability), order online for delivery, or substitute (Amazon / Lowes / local nursery).
- 💰 Cedar mulch is $3.67/bag, not $5.47 as previously noted — a 33% reduction. Saves ~$7-9 across the 4-5 bags. Unavailable at Cedar Park itself but in stock at a store 5.3 miles away or via delivery (682 available for delivery).
- 💰 Several silver estimates were over-conservative — actual HD prices came in below the estimated ranges for: elemental sulfur ($5.99 vs $8-12 est), soaker hose ($14.98 vs $15-25 est), 25-gal grow bag ($10.72 vs $15-25 est).
- 📈 One silver estimate was under-conservative — pH test kit verified at $18.97 (Luster Leaf Rapitest, 6 in stock at Cedar Park) vs $8-15 est.
- ⚠️ Espoma Berry-Tone is NOT at HD. Alternatives: Espoma Holly-Tone ($18.47 at HD — more aggressive acidifier, good for blackberry), 3rd-party Organic Berry Food 4lb ($11.99), or check Round Rock Nursery at the pre-shop call. Garden-Tone universally substitutes per the plan.
- 📍 Tractor Supply prices not verified via live check — TS website blocks automated browsing. Capture cattle panel + T-post prices at the store register.
Net budget impact: If the OOS substitutions go cleanly (Landscapers Pride for Kellogg + alternative sourcing for shade cloth), the trip likely lands $15-35 under the previous mid-estimate of $526 — roughly $490-510 range. If you insist on the exact Cedar Park HD list as previously specified, the trip can't complete due to OOS items.
Pricing captured via Chrome-bridged automation on May 14. Prices and availability can change; treat as a snapshot, not a guarantee.
Budget at a glance
Items marked confirmed have known prices — either Sam-photographed signs at Round Rock May 2, or Home Depot online prices, or Taylor's direct knowledge. Items marked estimate are typical retail; may shift ±20% at the register.
Pre-shop call (Wednesday morning)
Before driving out, give Round Rock Nursery a call to confirm:
- Prime-Ark Freedom thornless blackberry in stock at $41 (Taylor knows this price; just confirming availability)
- Landscapers Pride 40 lb potting soil still $7.99 single / $70 for 10 with Gardener's Rewards Membership (Sam photographed this on May 2)
- Back to Nature Composted Cattle Manure 1 cu ft still $18 (Sam photographed this on May 2)
- Basil, parsley, marigold, nasturtium availability + pricing
- Sunflower seed packets (Mammoth Russian or American Giant — for the trap crop)
Backup if Prime-Ark Freedom is out: Calloway's (DFW; ships), Texas Tree Farms, or Community Gardens Bastrop. Travis County Master Gardener line is also available for advice at 512-710-7098.
Stop 1 — Round Rock Nursery
Plants are the priority here. Round Rock plants tend to be premium quality and locally adapted; well worth the extra dollar over big-box prices. Sam's May 2 visit also gave us photo-confirmed pricing on potting soil + compost.
| Item | Qty | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime-Ark Freedom thornless primocane blackberry | 1 | $41 confirmed | First-year fruit + thornless + Texas-adapted |
| Sweet basil (Genovese), 4" pot | 3-4 | $15-32 estimate | Tomato disease-indicator + Sam priority |
| Italian flat-leaf parsley, 4" pot | 2 | $10-16 estimate | Tomato companion (dog-safe substitute for chives) |
| French marigold, 4" pot or 6-pack | 4-6 plants | $8-18 estimate | Hornworm + nematode deterrent |
| Nasturtium, seed packet or 4" plants | 1 packet OR 2-3 plants | $3-15 estimate | Aphid trap + edible flowers |
| Landscapers Pride Potting Soil, 40 lb (~1.5 cu ft) | 6-10 bags depending on plan | $7.99/bag OR $70 for 10 w/ Rewards confirmed | Texas-local family-owned; "naturally organic" label (note: not OMRI-certified; see Plant Guide for honest both-perspectives) |
| Back to Nature Composted Cattle Manure, 1 cu ft | 6 bags | $18/bag = $108 confirmed | For 1/3 compost amendment (Sam's idea; UMD Extension-sanctioned ratio) |
| Sunflower seed packet (Mammoth Russian or American Giant) | 1 | $3-5 estimate | Trap crop for leaf-footed bugs — plant on OPPOSITE side of yard from raised bed |
| Espoma Berry-tone (optional) | 1 small bag | $12-18 estimate | Optional — Garden-Tone works for both blackberry and bed |
| Round Rock subtotal (typical) | $215-285 | ||
Stop 2 — Tractor Supply (Pflugerville)
Cattle panel + T-posts are noticeably cheaper here than Home Depot for the same items.
| Item | Qty | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| OKBrand Max 50 Feedlot panel, 16' × 50" galvanized | 1 | $22-25 estimate | View at Tractor Supply |
| 6-foot heavy-duty T-post | 4 | $24-32 estimate | (in-store) |
| Subtotal | $46-57 | ||
Hauling note: The 16-foot cattle panel flexes enough to fit in a pickup bed with the tailgate down and a ratchet strap. Or bow it into a curve and tie it.
Stop 3 — Home Depot
Everything else. Most items are estimates; final prices captured at the register.
Soil + amendments
| Item | Qty | Price | Link / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kellogg Garden Organics Raised Bed and Potting Mix, 2 cu ft, OMRI listed organic ⚠️ Currently UNAVAILABLE at Cedar Park HD (verified May 14) | Was planned for 6 bags; substitute with Landscapers Pride from Round Rock (already in your shopping list) — or order Kellogg online for ship-to-Pflugerville if you want that specific brand | Was $8.00/bag; current status: unavailable at Cedar Park | View at Home Depot |
| General potting mix, 1 cu ft (for blackberry grow bag + jalapeño grow bag if needed) | 2-3 bags | $10-30 estimate | Container-specific mix; can substitute Landscapers Pride from Round Rock |
| Fast Acting Sulfur 2.5 lb (Model 12133) | 1 | $5.99 verified May 14 | Acidify blackberry grow-bag mix; also useful for fall 2026 hydrangea project |
| Luster Leaf Rapitest Soil Test Kit, 40 tests (Model 1601X) | 1 | $18.97 verified May 14 · 6 in stock Cedar Park | Verify mix pH at planting (silver estimate was under by $3-10) |
Trellis + sun protection
| Item | Qty | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agfabric shade cloth ⚠️ All three variants OOS at Cedar Park HD (verified May 14) | 1 piece | Verified prices: 6'×12' 30% $15.22 · 10'×20' 30% $23.09 · 6'×20' 40% $35.22 — all OOS at Cedar Park; check nearby HD or order online/Amazon | 6'×12' 30% (smaller) OR 10'×20' 30% (right size) OR 6'×20' 40% (denser but right shape) |
| PVC pipe, 1" × 10' Schedule 40 | 4 | $20-28 estimate | Bow over the bed for shade frame |
| PVC connectors (3-way, 4-way, end caps) | ~10 fittings | $10-15 estimate | For shade frame assembly |
| UV-rated zip ties or clips | 1 pack | $5-8 estimate | Attach cloth to PVC frame |
Watering
| Item | Qty | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soaker hose, 25 ft (Vigoro CVGSP380 or Swan SoakerPro CELSP38025DA) | 1 | $14.98 (Vigoro) or $15.98 (Swan) verified May 14 · Swan has 30 in stock Cedar Park | Drip-style irrigation under mulch |
| Hose Y-splitter | 1 | $5-10 estimate | Branch to bed + blackberry grow bag |
Mulch + fertilizer
| Item | Qty | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Blend Shredded Mulch, 2 cu ft | 4-5 bags | $3.67/bag = $15-18 verified May 14 (was $5.47 est; -33%) | View at Home Depot · Unavailable Cedar Park; 5.3 mi away has stock; delivery 682 available |
| Espoma Garden-Tone 8 lb organic 3-4-4 | 1 bag | $15.51 verified May 14 · 50 in stock Cedar Park | View at Home Depot — substitutes for blood meal in our Lulee-household |
Containers
| Item | Qty | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root Pouch 25-gal Brown Breathable Boxer (for blackberry) | 1 | $10.72 verified May 14 · was $15-25 silver est | Sam's hydrangea retains the half-whiskey-barrel; blackberry gets the 25-gal grow bag |
| Fabric grow bag, 10-15 gallon | 1 (repurposed for jalapeño; 1 more for surplus tomato) | $8-12 each = $8-24 estimate | One 10-gal bag goes to jalapeño's dedicated container (per Sam's preference). The second is for one surplus Cherokee Purple sproutling; remaining 8 gifted. |
About the compost bin — intentionally deferred
Updated May 13 after Sam asked why the compost bin was in the earlier plan without a clear explanation. Honest answer: it shouldn't be in the spring plan — here's why we deferred it.
Home composting is a real benefit for a year-round garden, but the timing for our first-year project doesn't line up:
- Hot composting (active management, regular turning, 3'×3'×3' minimum bin) takes 6-8 weeks under optimum conditions per Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture: "aerobic composting can compost a mixed load of food and yard trimmings in six weeks under optimum conditions."
- Cool/passive composting (add as generated, minimal turning) takes a year or more per UMD Extension: "Cool ... Materials added as generated. Less labor. ... Takes a year or more."
- Either way, home compost wouldn't be ready in time for the May 16-17 bed-fill (already bought + planned with Back to Nature compost + Kellogg/Landscapers Pride mix).
- Fall 2026 planting is also already budgeted with bought inputs.
- The benefit window for home compost in this project is year-2 spring (May 2027) — top-dressing the established bed before the second-year crop cycle. By then we'd have a full year of fall leaves + spring prunings + kitchen scraps accumulated.
Plan revision: revisit composting at year-2 planning (Jan-Feb 2027). At that point we'll have a year of garden waste + kitchen scraps to start a bin with, and the bed will be ready for compost top-dress when the home-bin output matures.
Sources (verbatim-verified): Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture Earth-Kind composting + UMD Extension — How to Make Compost at Home
Budget summary (post-Sam-followup)
| Plan | Approach | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-fit recommended | Landscapers Pride mostly + Back to Nature compost 1:2 + Garden-Tone only (skip Berry-tone) | ~$478 |
| Mid-estimate (mixed) | Kellogg + LP split + compost + Berry-tone optional | ~$526 |
| Low-end | LP-mostly + compost minimum 1:3 + skip optional items | ~$420 |
| High-end | Kellogg-only + compost 1:2 + Berry-tone + premium grow bags | ~$590 |
Honest flag: The compost amendment (Sam's idea; +$108) plus the new 25-gal grow bag for blackberry (+$15-25) push the total higher than v1's ~$416 mid-estimate. The budget-fit plan (~$478) achieves Sam's research-grounded improvements while staying under the $500 target by using Landscapers Pride at the Rewards Membership rate and skipping the optional Berry-tone.
What we deliberately are NOT buying this trip
- Blood meal — effective N source generally, but Pet Poison Helpline confirms blood meal is highly palatable to dogs and can cause pancreatitis. Espoma Garden-Tone (plant-based N) gives the same organic-fertilizer benefit without Lulee risk. Full both-perspectives on the Plant Guide.
- Peat moss — Sam saw the $43 Ferti-lome bag at Round Rock. Peat compresses too much during the growing season, is hard to re-wet once dry, and harvest has documented environmental cost. The compost + cedar mulch + soaker hose combination achieves moisture retention better. Full reasoning on the Plant Guide.
- Mushroom compost — high in soluble salts; risks transplant shock for the Cherokee Purple sproutlings. Back to Nature cattle manure compost (the other Round Rock option Sam saw) is the better choice — its label explicitly states "low in moisture/salts."
- Chives — Allium toxicity to Lulee (see Plant Guide)
- Cilantro — bolts in Central Texas heat; fall planting in the shadier yard area instead
- Onions for tomato companion — also Allium family, same dog constraint
- 2nd blackberry — saved for fall budget (assuming another $500 then)
- Tomato cages — cattle panel is superior for indeterminate Cherokee Purple vines
- Full drip irrigation kit — soaker hose is a budget-friendly equivalent at this scale per AgriLife