TIPS FOR FRUGAL GARDENERS
1) Start your seeds indoors
Instead of buying seedlings which are expensive, start your seeds indoors and save money. you can buy a pack of seed for about $3 for about 20 seeds or 2 or 3 seedlings for the same price.
2) Reduce watering cost
Watering your plants is essential but can significantly raise your water bill. To avoid these extra costs, You can buy drought-resistant plants, use leaves, grass clippings, mulch on your garden bed to maintain soil moisture and reduce evaporation. water your garden in the evening to reduce the chances of the water evaporating from the garden bed. by doing some or all of these will help reduce the water bill.
3) Use Self-seeding plants or Save Seeds
Use some self-seeding plants so that you don’t have to buy stuff every year. or harvest the seeds from mature plants and use them the following year.
4) Recycle and Reuse items you already have
Try to recycle and reuse items you already have to garden. You can use old wood pallets for building raised beds or compost bin. you can also use milk jugs and egg cartons to start seeds
5) Start a compost pile
You can save money by starting a compost pile and you will have rich compost to fertilize your garden year after year. all you need is to put all your garden scrap and kitchen scraps in a pile and after a few months, you will have rich compost.
6) Use recycle items in your garden pots
Use milk jugs, bottles, Styrofoam, packing peanuts, watering jugs and other containers at the bottom of your pots so you use less Potting mix.
7) Use coarse sand instead or perlite in your potting mix.
coarse sand is cheaper and sometimes free, You can use it in your potting mix since sand will help with drainage in your mix.
8) Buy garden equipment at the yard sale or flea market,
You will get good quality items very cheap or in some cases free. If you don’t need to use the equipment frequently and your friend or neighbor has it, you can borrow it from your friend, neighbor or family member.
9) Freeze or can your vegetables
Freeze or can your vegetables, if you have a lot of vegetable from your garden you can freeze them in ziplock bags or can them in canning jars so that you can use them later. Every year I save tomato, pepper, and other vegetables in my freezer and I use them months after the end of the garden season.
10) Get free seeds
Get free seeds from friends, family, co-workers or seeds groups online.
11) Buy a pack of seeds
If you cannot get free seeds, buy a pack of seeds and use the quantity you need and save the rest for next year. it is also cheaper to buy seeds at the end of the year when the seeds are on sale.
Last year I bought seeds at 80 percent off at the end of the season.
12) Test your seeds before throwing them away
If you have seeds that you have had for a few years, test them with the paper towel method before you throw them away. if they germinate you use them. it just takes a few days to test. read more about the paper towel method.
13) Use soda bottles as greenhouse
use soda bottles to start your seeds indoors, it is free because you would be recycling the container and it is very easy to do.
14) Make your own Homemade Fertilizers
Make your own homemade Fertilizers by using coffee grounds, banana peels, egg shells, Epson salt and many more.
15) Do it yourself pest repellent
Make your own pest repellents from home items like dish detergent, oil, pepper, garlic onion and many more.
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