A GARDENER has shared their frugal tips and tricks that have saved them money on watering and pest management.
A little socialization, they added, went a long way to get them gardening materials.
Redditor Wave-garden detailed their money-saving tips in a post.
When it comes to choosing the crops to plant, they explained that it’s important to consider the local climate.
“Plant things well adapted for the local climate so you don’t have to spend much money on water,” they said.
“Sometimes you need to water extra during the first year, but you don’t want to set yourself up for wasting lots of time [and] money on watering.
They explained that plant positioning is another consideration when planning a garden.
“For example, I locate my drought-tolerant herbs and perennials far from the water source,” they said.
Being smart with resources and what a plant needs also applies to sunlight.
“Similarly, try to leverage natural light. If a plant doesn’t need full sun, then it might be easier to manage in a spot where it gets some shade during the hottest parts of the day,” they said.
They also shared their trick for keeping pests at bay without using any pesticides or chemicals.
“Look into companion plants to see which plants complement one another,” they advised.
“This can really help with pest management. For example, I keep lots of dill and borage around my brassicas.
“These attract good predators to help control the cabbage worms, which is less effort/money than using [Bacillus thuringiensis] every few weeks.
While companion plants are helpful, the Redditor warned novice gardeners not to take on more than they can handle.
“You can get REALLY into companion planning and overwhelm yourself, so don’t stress too much about it,” they said.
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“It’s the kind of thing that you will learn naturally over time, which will show results in how well your garden thrives over time.”
A maintenance tip also helps them prevent grass from overcrowding their lawn.
“I try to minimize the amount of borders, which often means connecting planted [and] mulched areas and reducing the amount of grass,” they explained.
“In my case, this is a compromise because my kids like having some grass as a play area, so I leave more than I’d prefer from a gardening standpoint because it’s all for the greater good.
“Similarly, if you are using some kind of barrier as a border, then think about what it’ll be like to deal with grass growing up between the large rocks (for example).
“In general, a more complete barrier like bricks would be better because it does a better job blocking [the] growth of weeds/grass. But we’re on a budget here, and reality is all about compromise, so we do the best we can with the materials that we have available and/or can afford.”
They added that they take advantage of chip drop services, which helps gardeners get free wood chip mulch delivered to their homes.
“I’ve more than once approached arborist crews during their lunch breaks with ‘Hey guys, feel free to dump your load in my driveway right here…’ Unless they have some other requirement, they’ll happily do it usually,” they said.
