Posted on 01/30/2009 6:49:17 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
With the economy as it is, many are talking about being thrifty. These frugal gardening tips may help save some "green."
Make a list of what you'd like to see in your garden and stick to it. A list will help your self-control when you are tempted to purchase something on impulse.
Start a compost pile
Soil is the key to a wonderful garden. Making compost is a low-cost way to improve soil.
If you're not already composting, look for a sunny, out-of-the-way spot in your yard to put a compost bin. Bins can be made of scrap lumber, chicken wire and even hay bales.
Look for free material to add to your compost pile. What can you put in the pile at no cost? Grass clippings (yours and your neighbors'), coffee grounds from local cafes and shredded newspaper. Also, watch for bags of leaves set at the curb for disposal. Toss in your vegetable scraps, egg shells and garden waste (spent annuals, shrub prunings, etc.).
Turn the pile every few weeks, and soon you will have rich compost to add to your soil.
Recycle
Many expenditures for containers and equipment can be eliminated by reusing items already on hand. Egg cartons, margarine tubs and yogurt and cottage cheese containers are fantastic for seed starting.
Discarded windows can be converted into cold frames. Plastic milk jugs can be used to make mini-greenhouses. Cut a jug horizontally around the container, leaving it "hinged" under the handle. Punch holes in the bottom for drainage. Large soda bottles, cut in half, can be used to cover plants when a freeze is predicted.
Maximize resources
Grow vertically -- tomatoes, climbing peas and beans are great options -- to make the most of your square footage.
Plants such as yellow squash, zucchini and peppers are notorious for their ample yields. Trade with neighbors for vegetables you didn't grow.
Grow your seeds
Many plants reseed themselves. My flower beds are full of seedlings from the old-fashioned petunias I planted last spring. Batchelor buttons, alyssum, poppies, violas, toadflax and larkspur also need to be planted only once. (In zones warmer than 4/5)
Members of the sedum family are some of the easiest plants to propagate. Break off a piece of the mother plant and bury the stem in the soil with some foliage exposed. You'll have new plants in no time.
Find a friend
Share the costs of gardening with a friend. If a packet of seeds is more than you need, divide it and its cost with a fellow gardener. Or trade seeds for a new variety you want to try.
Combine other purchases with a gardening partner, too. For instance, you can usually save by buying mulch and potting mix in bulk rather than in small bags.
Swapping bulbs and plants with friends, neighbors and family is a great way to garden with little or no expense. Cuttings for propagating plants, such as roses, and divisions of overgrown perennials can be traded to increase the variety in your landscape.
Garden art
Homemade items or found "treasures" make unique yard art.
Steppingstones are an easy do-it-yourself project. For molds, use old cake pans or plastic storage containers. Embellish your steppingstones with marbles, old jewelry or leaf impressions.
Add more fun to your garden with wind chimes made of vintage forks, knives and spoons.
Wooden chairs, ladders, tricycles or wagons can serve as interesting garden accents.
Container gardening
Repurpose containers instead of spending money on planters.
Anything that can hold soil can become a planter. Old gardening boots, wheelbarrows and toolboxes make whimsical substitutes for expensive outdoor containers.
Discarded sinks, washtubs, water troughs and wagons make excellent planters. Drill holes for drainage, fill the vessel with potting mix and plant your favorite posies.
Save water
Significant savings are possible with these techniques:
* Check the soil before you water. If it's still damp, don't water.
* Cover the soil with a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch. It keeps the soil moist longer.
* When possible, use drip watering systems to deliver water exactly where it is needed.
* Water your landscape and lawn in the morning, when less will evaporate.
* Group plants with the same water needs so you are not watering plants that don't need it.
* Capture and store rainwater for landscape watering. Plant a rain garden to capture runoff and keep the water in your yard, off the street and out of the storm drain.
* If you have an automatic watering system, make sure all parts are operating properly.
Garden Ping!
Thanks!!!!!
Victory Garden II ping!
Thanks.
I’m such a noob!
This year, I finally started mulching the beds with leaves & clippings.
I did get the seedlings started early for a change.
Tomatoes are sprouting on top of the fridge.
Turnips are coming up, possibly brussels sprouts but still no sign of carrots, taters or peas.
I miss the weekly gardening thread.
garden ping
Make sure to mulch your Peas, they like cool root systems and will get pretty big and the plants will last a lot longer.
Have you ever checked out the gardening forums at gardenweb.com?
They break down their forums into states, plant families, etc. I’ve found lots of great advice there and at least here locally, members have seed and plant swaps and garden tours. It’s a great way to learn about which plants do well in your climate.
They also have forums for cooking, garden art and you name it. It’s a fun ‘place.’
That’s one of my regular stops.
: )
Love it!
Thanks.
I’ll do that.
As a master gardener I concur with the list but would add get a soil sample and test done before any seed or seedling touches the ground. Soil is a key ingredient. A soil test can be usually done through your local extension office. It is 12 bucks here.
Two fundamental rules in plant problem diagnosis. 1. Look up. Proper amount of light needed for the plant. 2. Look down. Is the soil at the correct ph for the specific plant. What are the elemental needs of the plant compared to the soil. This is why you do a soil test if you have never grown anything in the area/
A humorous picture. Using discarded sinks and such to use as planters. I had a neighbor that got into a urinating contest with the local city council on zoning. A plumber by trade .. he lined his property with a 100 toilets and planted flowers in each one. Eclectic ... in the eye of the beholder. I thought it rather funny ... City council was fit to be tied .. as usual they were the laughingstock of the community. (It seems govt always is)
I’ve recently moved to a location where composting makes more sense.
Q: Should I compost orange and grapefruit peels?
My compost bin spontaneously combusted in October. The fence didn’t catch fire, thanks to my quick-thinking son Jeff. Turn your compost and if it’s nitrogen rich and you’ve neglected it, don’t dump a bunch ashes in there.
Over 9,000 posts - with incredible recipes and tips - most that I believe were taken from NW_Arizona_Granny's personal collection (therefor no links available).
Gone - bit the dust - no more Granny - no more "Survival Today", when we undoubtedly need that VERY SPECIAL thread, (and Granny), now, more than ever!
We sure miss you, Granny!
Thanks Diana, for the ping.
I started seeds too late last year, so ended up buying tomatoe and pepper sets.
So, I started tomatoes from seeds this year. I have baby tomatoe sprouts, if they make it I’ll not have to buy them this year. I also bought one of those miniature greenhouses to use to start seeds, and apparently it works. The tomatoe sprouts verify that.
Mom and I went to an indoor flea market a few weeks ago, and bought these huge, beautiful, and awesome tasting tomatoes. The guy we bought them from said they were vine ripened in Florida. I used those seeds to start the sprouts I have up now. Of course, I realize they may not work well here, but I am nurturing them.
I also planted some Big Boy Hybrid seeds yesterday.
I composted last year, put that in my raised garden beds. It was a disaster. Something went wrong, the soil was sandy and not productive. I also had cantalopes, etc, come up from the compost. I still have a lot to learn about composting, apparently.
I did save the white runner beans from my garden for seed, and that’s what I’ll plant this year. They are producers. I had bought some bush beans at the coop and planted them (what a waste of space). They didn’t produce enough to bother.
Remember me telling you about the ladies down the road who gave me all the flower cuttings last year? Their brother’s house caught fire and I called them a few days ago to ask if I could help, bring them some clothes, etc. (the house was a total loss). I have some flower seeds a friend sent me from England (all perenials) and I plan to share these with my neighbors this spring. These include Canterbury Bells that came from some cottage connected to Shakespeare.
I have been sick for two days with some kind of bug (chest, head congestion), so I am not thinking or posting sensibly. However, my aunt from England who lives near here was THRILLED when I told her my friend in England had sent me these Canterbury Bells.
My British friend sent me some perinials two years ago that are among my favorites now in my flower beds. She said they are called “Love in a Mist.” They are delicate fernlike foliage, with a beautiful purple flower.
Sharing is one of the best parts of gardening. I turned a bunch of my Mom’s neighbors, “Old biddies,” into friends by sharing my bleeding hearts. They are now fans of me and Mom.
I actually went and bought one of them a $10 gift certificate from Lowes at Christmas. I put a note in the card saying “I know you love your flowers, and they are beautiful. So, wanted to tell you how much it means for my Mother to have a good neighbor (worth more than Gold) like you.”
I really like this woman, although at first I wanted to strangle her for being mean to my Mom. Amazing how many barriers a green thumb can break down. Presidents should be gardeners, true diplomats!!!
I’ve read that if you put green lawn grass clippings into your compost pile that it will rob the pile of much needed nitrogen.
What can I grow to eat that doesn't need much sun? Thanks for any suggestions.
All your lettuces can get by with not a whole lot of sun. Most winter veggies also fall into this category.
Garden Ping!!!!!!!!
A survival list sounds wonderful.......
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