by Merilyn Cranford, Somervell County Master Gardener
Does saving money and time in the garden sound good? Hey, I’m with you! With all we have to do every day, gardeners are very clever about coming up with ways to save on the work and expense of growing plants. Through the years, I’ve found many, and here are a few of my favorite money or time-saving tips on tools, plants and supplies.
#1 BUY INEXPENSIVE WATERING TOOLS: Don’t buy high-priced watering tools, such as wands, nozzles or sprinklers. Even the expensive ones will spring leaks, so save your money and buy cheap ones instead. Replace worn rubber washers where the tool connects to the hose to minimize leaks, and buy a good brass hose connector. The shutoff lever saves you trips back and forth to the faucet, and brass means it’ll hold up for many years.
#2 PAY NOW, SAVE LATER: Good quality tools can make tasks easier, and they’ll go more quickly. But you don’t have to pay a lot for every tool you use. Do invest in well-made trowels, spades and pruners – the tools you use most often. You’ll save yourself the frustration and loss of time of fixing bent, broken or non-working parts. Buy from companies that stand behind their products, just in case.
#3 GO FOR BROKE: When you shop for bagged mulch or soil, ask for broken bags. Employees usually pull damaged ones off to the side, and stores are often more than willing to get rid of them at a reduced price. While you’re at the store, look for chipped or cracked terra-cotta or glazed containers, as well. You can get several years’ use from a slightly damaged pot and often the plants will hide any defects.
#4 SPOT-TREAT WEEDS: If you don’t have a lot of broadleaf weeds in your yard, don’t apply weed killer to the entire lawn. Instead buy liquid ready-to-use with a hose-end sprayer and spot-spray weeds rather than applying granules with a drop spreader. You’ll save time, and the liquid spray works better anyway.
#5 DON’T THROW OUT YOUR POTTING MIX: Anyone who plants up large containers knows how expensive it can be to fill one with potting mix. Well, unless your plants had disease problems during the year, you don’t have to empty your big pots completely at the end of the season. Remove just the top 8 to 12 inches of mix – the depth the roots of most annuals will reach. In spring, use a trowel to loosen up the mix left in the bottom of the pot, refill it with fresh mix and plant!
#6 KEEP ‘EM TOGETHER: A good way to save money on tools is to not lose the ones you have. Keep the hand tools you use most often in a lightweight cleaning tote. Totes with openings are easy to clean with a spray of the hose.
#7 START PERENNIALS FROM SEED: Want a lot of perennials but don’t need them right away? Save money by buying seeds and starting your own plants right out in the garden. For the best selection buy seed online. Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea), pinks (Dianthus), salvias {Salvia hybrids) and blackeyed Susans (Rudbeckian hybrids) are all easy to sow. Some plants will bloom the first year, but most will take two to three years to reach full size and bloom. If you’re willing to wait, you’ll save big.
#8 WHAT’S THE BEST BUY? You might think that you’ll save money at the garden center by buying small plants rather than large ones. However, that’s not always the case. So compare the plants and prices before you decide. Purchasing a large plant that can be divided into several small ones will give you more plants for less money.
I hope at least one of these tips will leave you with a little more spare change in your pocket and the time to enjoy it. Happy Gardening!