Frugal Gardening Tips
Many Americans are turning to gardening as a way to raise some of their own food over the summer and ease the strain of high grocery prices, which are affecting more and more families on tight budgets. Candace at Garden of Blessings suggests Gardening for Snowflakes, which those clued in to the Snowflake idea recognize as a way to save large and small bits of money to apply to one’s debt snowball or savings fund.
I’ve started more seedlings and container garden plants this spring than any year previously since I left my family’s farm and went to college at age 17. My motivation is part culinary and part financial. If I can grow my own tomatoes, we can enjoy their delicious fruits all summer. But if I don’t, I don’t know if I’ll be able to afford to buy them from someone else.
There are many ways to save money as you garden. I spent less than $25 on my garden last year and had hundreds of plants with an incredible harvest. Maybe I cheated, since a dear friend shared many seeds and plants with me, but you can cheat, too. Here are some frugal gardening tips I’ve discovered along the way.
Free soil. My sister brought me two truckloads of composted horse manure mixed with soil, from the barn where she works. There was no charge, as the owners were happy to send the soil along and make room for new manure.
Compost. We’ve been composting kitchen and garden scraps for years, turning egg shells, vegetable waste and leaves into rich soil. We keep a 2-gallon food storage container by the sink to collect scraps, but you could buy a fancier compost pail if you’re so inclined.
Recycled containers. My container garden includes wooden pear crates form the grocery store, waxed boxes from another store’s garbage, and free pots I inherited from friends and past landscaping projects. I made a strawberry bed using old bricks I found in our yard when we bought the place. I found several old metal pots in someone’s trash pile, and after my husband drills holes in the bottoms they’ll be put to use as planters.
Natural fertilizer. I bought seaweed fertilizer instead of chemical mixes, mainly to remain organic and with the added benefit of saving money.
Rainwater. I recently collected rainwater from our downspouts in several coolers. I stored the water in them for a few days before the garden needed to be watered, and filled my watering can enough times to water the entire garden.
Manure. Chicken manure and horse manure can usually be gotten for nothing or next to nothing from farmers and barns with more than they can handle or effectively compost.
Seeds. A kind friend gave me a large variety of extra seeds, and I bought seed potatoes online. They’re heirlooms, but I got them for less than they were at the large heirloom seeds company, Seed Savers. Save your own non-hybrid seeds form year to year from the harvest and you’ll spend even less.
Are you a frugal gardener? How do you save money as you grow your own fruits, vegetables and flowers?
We are frugal gardeners out of necessity. We mulch our garden with old hay that ranchers will give you for free. A friend gave us some red wiggler worms that we compost with outside which results in great, fertile, and free soil. Also there are so many old pear trees in the area that bear too much fruit for the owners. We are more than happy to take them off their hands. We eat them fresh, make pear pie, pear cobbler, pear preserves, and pear butter.
April 15th, 2009 at 5:58 pm