Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Spring is here and for many that means it is time to put out mulch and improve your garden. Did you know that you don't have to buy your mulch? Back when my husband and I were first married, I was the queen of using found objects for gardening. Below are some of my quick tips on using commonly found items in the garden!
- Instead of buying weed block, use newspaper instead. The black and white paper kind only, nothing glossy. Simply lay it out, single thickness, around your plants, making sure each piece overlaps the others by about an inch or so to prevent weeds from coming up in between pieces. I also recommend once it is down to puncture it randomly, to allow water to seep through it when it rains. Or, put it over any soaker hoses you may use, not under. The best part about using newspapers is that it breaks down and feeds the soil over time!
- Look at using natural items for mulch, like leaves or pine needles. Every fall we rake the leaves onto the garden beds, then in the spring we cover them with either mulch or pine needles. These items are actually really good for your soil, breaking down over time and keeping it rich and loose. Pine needles are very acidic, so very good for hard clay soils like we tend to have around here. Pine needles--often called Pine Straw at garden centers--also have a nice reddish color, making your garden beds stand out a bit more. I've also used holly leaves, raked from beneath large holly trees. They are green and glossy and can be very pretty!
- Save egg shells, coffee grounds and banana peels inside and use them outside to feed your plants. I put mine in a gallon ziploc baggie in the freezer, then when it is full I'll take them outside and put them along the roots of the plant I want to feed, under the mulch. They break down slowly and feed the plants.
- Finding large sticks or branches around the yard after the recent storms? Save them in a pile, then use them to stake flowers, tomatoes, beans, etc.
- Swap plants with your friends and neighbors. Most perennials need to be divided every four to five years, to prevent overcrowding. Either offer to swap divided plants with your neighbors so you each get new (and FREE!) plants, or offer to divide their plants for them, if you get to keep so many of the divisions. Hostas, lilies, irises, echinacea, spiderwort, lavender and almost all spring flowering bulbs need to be divided regularly.
- Fallen or cut tree trunks can make excellent tables and chairs for any garden. Put it on its side for a campfire look. Or, use them upright for chairs, with a thicker piece in the middle for a table. Just make sure the cut is clean and even on top, and then use a little olive or vegetable oil on the top to bring out the color of the wood and the beauty of the rings in the trunk.
- Love the topsy turvy hanging tomatoes idea but don't want to spend that much on a planter? Use a normal hanging planter instead. Poke a hole in the bottom of the pot, and stuff your tomato plant in through the bottom, upside down. (roots inside the pot, plant hanging down outside the pot.) Fill with a mix of soil and water crystals, then plant another flower or fruit on the top. We typically put strawberries in the top of the planter.
- When planting in pots, make sure to use a good fertilizer and some sort of water crystal, like these from Amazon. These are small pieces of cornstarch based gel that absorb water like crazy when it rains (or you water) and then slowly release water to the soil as it dries. This drastically reduces the amount of times you need to water, and protects them during periods of high heat or when you're away on vacation. But be careful--a small amount goes a long way! A tablespoon is enough for four cups of water!
There are so many ways you can 'recycle' common items for use in the garden! When it comes to watering your plants, I strongly recommend using soaker hoses. They use a lot less water, and get the water right to the roots--instead of spraying it out into the air where a large portion evaporates and never gets to the plants. Investing in soaker hoses (also sometimes called "weeping" hoses) now can save you hundreds on your water bill!
What money-saving gardening tips do you have?
Posted by | | Filed in house beautiful
Print
E-mail
Leave a reply
by 
