Frugal Gardening Tips

Start with seeds. When you're buying plants, the smaller and younger the plant, the cheaper it is. And the smallest and youngest you can get is seeds. Growing plants from seeds takes longer and requires a little more effort, but seeds are very inexpensive, so if you're looking for frugal gardening, rather than instant gratification gardening, seeds are the way to go.

Grow from cuttings. Even more frugal than seeds are cuttings. With cuttings, you take a piece of an existing plant and grow a new plant from that piece - nothing to buy! But before you grab the clippers, do your homework. Different plants require different procedures for successfully taking and growing cuttings, so research the how and when for any plants you're interested in taking a cutting from.

Be creative with containers. Unless you put a plant in the ground, it needs a container, and the cost of pots can add up. This is particularly true if you don't have a yard and want to grow several plants or severe weather is a problem in your area and you need to be able to move sensitive plants indoors at times. Luckily, you don't have to buy expensive pots to grow a container garden. See my container gardening page for tips on growing plants, both decorative and edible, in creative and inexpensive holders.

Water wisely. One of the ways that you can spend more than you intend on a garden is by using too much water. Follow my garden watering tips to make sure that you take care of your plants and your wallet at the same time.

Fertlize cheaply and naturally. You can make your own fertilizer naturally by composting. Compost the organic material you already generate (such as coffee grounds, banana peels and egg shells), and you'll soon have a natural, rich soil enhancer. To learn more, check out The Basics of Composting by TheGardenofOz.org.

Plant what you'll use. Just because jalapenos will grow easily in your climate is no reason to plant them if you won't eat them! Identify herbs, fruits and vegetables that you know you'll eat, and decorative plants that you know you'll enjoy looking at, and plant those in your garden. If you really don't like cactus, planting it just because you know it won't die in your area doesn't make much sense.

Plant perennials. Most fruits and vegetables are not perennial and must be replanted each year, but many herbs are perennial, making them very cost-effective. And homegrown herbs are much cheaper than store-bought ones. Rosemary, oregano and thyme are good examples of herbs that once established become almost maintenance free and will continue to produce edible foliage even in the winter. When planted in containers instead of the ground, you can bring plants inside during extreme weather months, making it easy to just reach over and take a snip when you're cooking!

How do you garden frugally?

Do you have a tip for saving money when you garden? Tell your fellow readers how you cultivate savings!

Container Gardening

Garden Watering

Frugal Food

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