Money Saving Tips for Gardening

Spring is in the air, so it is time to dig out the garden spade.  Gardening to begin with is a great way to save money as you invest in the seeds, and they provide a multiplied return to you in their bountiful harvest.  However, there are some tips we can use to save money in gardening.  Since my family has been gardening for about 15 years now, and my mom grew up with an uncle whose entire yard was a garden, we have learned a lot.  We still have a lot to learn, but here are some tips that we have learned along the way.

1. Reuse as much as possible

My family saves strawberry containers.  You know the one pound containers you buy strawberries in at the store to place our seed packages in by categories and then put in the freezer to store from year to year.  We also use the containers to plant smaller amounts of seeds.  You can reuse many of the plastic starter trays and other various containers.

2. When purchasing, look at longevity

When we bought starter items a few years ago after moving, we were sure to buy the plastic trays with the plastic 6 packs in them to start our plants in.  Even though that meant dumping the small plants into our hands and then into the garden, we knew we would be able to continue reusing them from year to year compared to the composting version which you would have to buy each year.

3. Shop local

We have found a local greenhouse which sells the plants for a very reasonable price and has larger healthier plants than our local superstores.  They also have a larger variety meaning we can grow more of our food.  The owners are a sweet older couple, and the wife gladly dispenses her years of experience anytime we have questions which is quite the treat.

4. Watch your seeds sprouting percentage

My family tries to buy as much organic and heirloom seeds as possible.  We had purchased from a company called Baker Creek Seeds.  The first year, less than 25% of our seeds sprouted.  Since we had just moved into our new house and had new garden beds, we thought it might be just us.  We gave them another try and again had a less than 25% sprouting level.  We were frustrated and talked with a friend who had also ordered from there.  She had the same thing happen to her.  This year, I used a few of their leftover seeds as well as seeds I had saved from last year.  My saved seeds which I did not do “professionally” sprouted with an over 75% success rate, and theirs were once again less than 25% using the same conditions.  So I now know that is money not well spent and am seeking another source.

5. Try saving your own

Like I mentioned, I saved some of my own seeds from last year.  I kept bell pepper seeds as well as cantaloupe seeds.  Since we are growing mostly heirlooms and not hybrids, it is very easy to save the seeds and still get a very good rate of healthy young plants which produce a good harvest.

So all this writing about gardening makes me want to get my hands dirty.  Thankfully, I have my starts inside to take care of until I can get the full garden going outside.