Saving Money in the Garden
Tips to Spend Less on Growing Vegetables
For some people, gardening is a labor of love. Many others, however, are motivated to dig in the dirt by the rising costs of produce and tighter personal budgets. What they forget to factor in are the additional supplies that can contribute to gardening expenses. Before the next trip to the nursery or hardware store, consider the following money-saving tips and resources.
Recycle and Repurpose
It almost goes without saying that the pots and cell packs from previous nursery purchases and tomato rings and other supports can be reused from one year to the next. Seedlings can also be grown in other items normally destined for the trash or recycling bin, including yogurt cups and plastic egg containers. The tops of plastic soda bottles can be cut off and used to provide a more protective environment for vulnerable seedlings.
Popsicle sticks, wooden coffee stirrers, and plastic knives can have a second life as plant labels. Also, long strips of plastic can be cut out of recycled cups or plates. Write the plant variety and date sown on the label with a fine-tip permanent marker to prevent the information from washing off.
Mulch used to keep down weeds and keep in moisture can cost around fifteen dollars or more for a bag, depending on the variety. Leaves, grass clippings, or even newspapers can serve as substitutes. Salt marsh hay is a mulch that can be easily removed from a vegetable bed and stored for reuse.
Share Information and Resources
Collaborating and consulting with family, friends, and other gardeners can save time and money as well as lead to more informed decisions. Purchases that can be shared include seeds and potting mix, or even larger investments such as several cubic yards of compost needed for building or adding to raised beds.
Although there is no shortage of information on the Internet, more experienced gardeners in the same zone can provide insight into the varieties of vegetables that are the most successful and the conditions under which they grow. Some of these experts can be found at local nurseries or a university extension service.
Save Seeds
The seeds of many common vegetables can be saved for future use. For many plants this involves extracting the seeds, soaking them in water to remove their protective coating, drying them out, and storing them in the refrigerator in jars or breathable bags, depending on the vegetable. The type of seed used to grow vegetables should also be considered. Self-pollinating heirlooms are the most reliable; hybrid varieties that are saved may produce a vegetable unlike the one previously grown.
Make Potting Soil
Store-bought potting mix may be convenient, but gardeners wishing to save money and exercise more control over what goes into their soil can purchase the ingredients separately. They can experiment with different combinations of compost, peat moss, garden soil, perlite, vermiculite and other ingredients to create the most effective growing medium to suit their needs.
By following these money-saving tips, gardeners can not only expand their knowledge of how their vegetables grow, but also adopt practices that are less wasteful, and therefore greener.
Items for recycling in garden
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