10 Nifty Cost-Saving Tips and Tricks Before You Plant

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There’s no shortage of beautiful gardens that look like a million bucks. Unfortunately, most of them feel like they cost about that much to recreate. When you’re trying to grow something without spending too much in the process, you need to think outside the box a little and find more budget-friendly workarounds.

You can still have an amazing garden and grow everything you want to without breaking the bank. Before you sink your shovel into the soil this spring, learn more about how you can save money gardening before you start planting.

1. Make Your Own Compost/Fertilizers

This is the most common budget gardening tip, but it’s still worth mentioning if you’re looking for a way to save money. You can easily start your own compost in any living environment. While you could spend a lot on a composting system, there are so many DIY compost bins and setups that you can make with little to no money. If you have space to garden outside, you can separate a small area to do composting in the ground.

2. Build DIY Gardening Structures

Whenever you need something to support a plant, see if you can reasonably make it yourself before you buy it. A lot of garden structures should be set up before you plant, including trellises for vines or cages for tomatoes. Depending on your skill level, you may or may not be able to build everything you need. However, many beginners can make perfectly reasonable gardening structures without any real building experience.

3. Grow from Seeds and Cuttings

If you normally buy your plants as seedlings or larger, you can save a lot of money by growing from seed or from cuttings of existing plants. Growing from seed drastically reduces your plant budget year after year. Seed packages cost a fraction of the price of seedlings, though they take longer to grow. Not all seeds are likely to reach maturity, and some plants are more difficult to grow from seed, but overall it’s a useful way to save money.

Cuttings also reduce the number of plants you need to purchase as seedlings. You can take cuttings from a wide range of plant types, including herbs, trees, bushes or shrubs, vegetables, and a wide variety of flowering plants. Plants without woody stems are easier to root, but even woody plants can be successfully cut and rooted.

4. Collect Seeds

Speaking of seeds, it’s a good idea to not only collect your own seeds but to look for other gardeners who might be willing to share a few with you. Doing seed exchanges or making friends with other local gardeners can be a good way to score some seeds without having to buy them, or without spending much if you do have to buy them. Once the seeds from your own garden mature, preserve them as well to save for the next growing season.

5. Recycle and Upcycle Home Items

In the same vein as the DIY garden structures, recycling and upcycling can save you a lot of money while giving your garden its own unique charm.