This year especially people will need to take a long look at how they tend to their yards and gardens.
Remember saving money should never lead to neglect. If you let your yard go to weed because you don’t want to buy that $20 bag of weed and seed you will regret it for years to come. Also watering can be an added expense but if you see your shrubs beginning to wilt during a drought you really need to help them out before you endup replacing them all.
So, what are some simple ways to save some money?
Planting Seeds
If its the difference between having a garden or not because you can’t justify buying a trunk full of potted seedlings you should definitely look at buying packets of seeds and growing your own flowers and vegetables for transplanting.
Transplanting in vegetable gardens is very easy and the best way to make use of your space. If you set aside a small block in your garden to grow new plants then moving them to their final location is nothing more then shoveling out a hole where you want the plant to go and then retrieving the plant with your shovel to make a perfect match up.
Flowers will take a little longer in the spring to get started but if you keep the previous years plant trays you can fill them up and use them for your seeds. Place them in a pathway area where you normally don’t walk a lot and while they are begin to grow they will also inhibit weeds.
Water in the Evening or Overnight
The time of day that you water can have a lot to do with how well your plants absorb water and nutrients. If you are taking care of new seedlings then you may need to water a few times a day when they are in direct sun to keep the ground moist but once they mature you can restrict your watering to overnight, early morning or late evening.
Watering during times when there is lower temperatures and sunlight will reduce the amount of water that evaporates. If you need to fertilize your plants feeding them overnight will make sure they get a good long feeding.
One warning though water that sits for a long time can cause mold to grow. Check your plants often and if necessary reduce or move the watering to early morning so extra water will evaporate during the day.
Plant Perennials
If you love the brightest colors in your garden then you are probably addicted to annuals but there are many Perennials that can be planted once and give many years of nice color to your garden.
Tulips and bulb flowers are great because they are the first to blossom in the spring they will also provided a green leafy fill after the blooms are gone.
Roses are a flower everyone seems to love and they can last for decades if taken care of. Buy your plants small and save your money and they will grow quickly to 4 feet tall in just a year or so.
Buy In Bulk
Purchase your mulch, dirt, gravel in bulk from a local supplier and save 75% or more over bagged versions. Not only will you save money but you are likely to get a better product too.
Whenever you need more then about a square yard of product you will always save money and the best thing is you can save whatever you purchase for later in the season or next year.
Make Your Own Compost
You should make good use of your garden clippings by composting as much as you can. Simply piling your yard waste in an unused area of your garden will reduce any costs that your trash service or town might place on you for pickup but it will also give you a healthy additive you can use instead of purchasing commercial soil additives.
It is important that you don’t mulch any materials that may have been treated with pesticides if you plan on using your mulch in your vegetable garden. Instead the best bet is to mulch all of the leftover vegetable plants for garden mulch.
Also do not include any leftovers from your table in your mulch. Meats will rot and promote fly maggots. Other cheese and processed products will have similar results.
Tree leafs are always good to mulch but they do take a couple years to break down. To reduce the time you can add lime or fertilizer which will promote the breakdown process.
Lawn Height
Most lawn grass is meant to be between 3 to 5 inches tall however many people cut it shorter then necessary or even healthy. By allowing your grass to grow to a longer length you will reduce the amount of water it needs because the grass will produce its own shade in full sun areas.
Also a pre-emergent weed and feed in the spring will reduce the amount of weeds that grow throughout the summer. Once weeds have established themselves it is more difficult to get rid of them and then get good grass to grow. Preventing weeds will reduce costs for special herbicide sprays, grass seed and watering.
Adding a Few Vegetables
It is really amazing what peppers and tomatoes can cost in the supermarket. If you don’t have a vegetable garden you might want to add a few peppers and tomato plants to your beds around your home or place them near a deck or pool. It is important to not plant vegetables in areas where pesticides have or will be used heavily. In this case it is best to keep the plants in containers. A 1 gallon planter can support a very large tomato or pepper plant and if needed it can be moved.
Planting around the perimeter of your above ground pool can provide an attractive border and make use of space that goes unused.
Saving Money
There are a number of ways to save money but never ignore your investment. If you have to water on very dry days do so in areas where it will have the most impact. Around your doors where you might have a high traffic pattern and always take special care of bushes and trees that are less then 5 years old. Grass may come back but trees and bushes won’t.