Having a garden does not have to be expensive. Many people laugh that is it the most expensive and time consuming way to save a few dollars but it can be affordable and rewarding with a little time and planning. Help your garden thrive this year with these creative ways to save money in your garden.
Creative Ways to Save Money in Your Garden
When it comes to great ways to save money in your garden planning, food scraps can be a huge help. Plant the tips of potatoes that have sprouted instead of throwing them away. Leftover tomato slices containing seeds are perfect for planting in the ground for more tomatoes. The base of your plant can be re-grown after sitting in water until it roots.
Trade seeds, thinnings, and plant cuttings with friends and family to save money. This is a great way for everyone to benefit and a day of plant swapping can be a fun reason to get together for a potluck. For items, you do need to buy, shop together with friends and family to get better deals buying garden supplies in bulk. This is a great way to save on soil and mushroom compost.
Look for free options to mulch your yard. Leftover newspapers make a great barrier. Grass clippings are good for creating a thick layer of mulch for free. Call your local power company and ask what they do with wood chips from tripping trees along the easements. Often they will drop these loads off at your house for free to save them money on disposal.
Use gray water from your kitchen, washer, and other non-chemical uses around the house to water your garden. Water can really add up as an expense for your garden. By adding thick mulch you trap water in the soil, stopping it from evaporating before your plants can soak it up. If collecting rainwater is legal in your area rain barrels are a great option for saving money in your garden.
Scan your local buy, sell, trade sites online for freebies you can use in your garden. This is a great place to find paving stones, supplies to build your own garden beds, and even plants and trees. Most of these freebies mean digging and hauling these items yourself but the payoff is well worth the labor.
Raid the clearance section at your local super store. Often places like Wal-Mart neglect plants and end up putting them on clearance. These plants can often be saved with some compost, water, and time from a loving gardener. In the fall you will find plenty of trees and other plants that will survive and grow after the winter on sale. Grab these and plant them with plenty of time before the first frost sets so they can settle in. Next year they will be ready to go.
Looking for an easy to grow a garden that does not take a lot of work to keep up? Choosing to grow plants native to your area helps rebuild the destroyed ecosystem and allows your garden to take less work than growing plants from other climates.
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