Frugal Living with Pat Veretto

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Frugal Living

Frugal Garden and Yard Care

Frugal Gardening

Yes, I know some of us are still fighting snow and cold, and spring seems a world away, but warm weather really is coming soon! And with it comes the opportunity to save on fresh vegetables by growing your own.

When was the last time you got lettuce for a penny? Or a dozen real tomatoes for about the same? You can if you grow it yourself!

Gardening startup costs can seem pretty high, though. Looking through gardening catalogs and magazines, or strolling through the gardening section of some superstore will make you suspicious of gardening as a money saver, but with the right plan, it can be very frugal.

There's no reason to buy peat pots, or plastic pots to start seeds in, when you can make your own. You can sterilize good soil to make potting soil, and gather cuttings or seeds for many plants.

It's cheaper to grow your own tomatoes, peppers and such from seed than to buy weeks old plants from the nursery when the weather is ready. There are plenty of books at the library with methods of starting any vegetable or flower you want.

Save seeds from year to year to cut yet another cost. Different seeds require different treatment and/or storage to germinate, so be sure to find out so you don't waste time (and seeds!).

Gardening wasn't meant to be an expensive hobby! It's to grow things... and you don't need money to do that.

You'll need seed cells, or pots:

To sterilize soil yourself, use a shallow container and heat in the oven at 400 degrees, about 20 minutes to kill bug eggs, weed seeds, and fungi. Think about it before you start, though. It will also kill useful bacteria and worms, the things we depend on to build and enrich the soil. It's not necessary to kill everything; seeds naturally germinate and grow in less than sterile soil.

This brings us to compost and fertilizer - those two enhancers of soil that make all the difference in how our gardens grow. Composting can be as easy or complicated as you want it. The easiest and simplest is sheet composting, where material is spread over the ground and turned under regularly.

Creating your own fertilizer is similar to composting, but more intense and the end product is stronger in certain nutrients. If you live in an apartment, or your landlord frowns on digging up the lawn, you can still garden. Look for an area you can rent, or someone who will give you a share of produce for helping in the work. (This is a great way to learn gardening.) Ask older people, or people who work long hours, and see if they'd like to exchange garden produce for work.

Try container gardening. Keep the containers on a balcony, porch, or an open window. Container-grown plants will need to be watered often, and fertilized several times in a growing season. Five gallon buckets are big enough for tomato plants and bush type squash, three pound coffee cans will grow radishes, carrots, and many other plants. Almost any container will work, as long as it's deep enough for the root system.

Got the gardening fever yet? You can save a lot by working at keeping gardening expenses down, not to mention the savings you harvest!

-- Pat Veretto