Here in the United States gardening season has begun for the lucky. Other’s still have snow on their gardens but are preparing for the garden by planning and purchasing what they need. What ever stage you are in you can still save money on your gardening needs.
photo credit: Nadya Peek

My philosophy is if you save a little money in one area of gardening you can apply it to another area. For me that’s usually new trees and shrubs.

Here are a few suggestions to cut down on gardening costs

• Find the gardening tools you need at garage sales, flea markets or auction houses. At the auction houses I usually can pick up twenty tools at a time for $1. I use what I can, fix the rest and sell them at a sale. The handles make great stakes too, if the tool top is not usable.
• Buy year old seeds. Most will still germinate, but may germinate slower. To make up for this I will soak them in water before I plant them.
• Start more of your seedlings. Purchasing transplants is convenient but adds up quickly. I but my soil mixes at the end of the last planting season to save money on packaged soil. I also add compost to make my mixes go further.
• Use old pots to start plants in. Just make sure they are very clean. I clean with soapy hot water then scrub with white vinegar to kill any germs.
• Old pots or containers can be collected for free at nurseries, many garage sales, curbs and dumpsters. They can be picked up for pennies at sales and auctions.
• You can use toilet paper rolls, cups and old cake pans to start plants in. I also make newspaper planting pots for many of my plants
• Sell your extra plants or trade your transplants for other plants. I do very well using this approach. Have  a garage sale and offer your extra plants up for sale. You could even plan a plant swap among friends.
• Buy your transplants at a wholesale greenhouse. Just make sure the quality is good. You usually have to purchase a few flats to get a food price. You can usually mix plant varieties.
• Make you own garden markers and stakes.
• Make you own fertilizer mixes and pest control sprays. Besides saving you money they can be made with environmentally friendly materials not heavy chemicals that are harsh to birds, butterflies and the water.
• Buy any supplies you need at the end of your gardening season. They are often more than 50 percent off retail price.

These are only a few suggestions. If you have a great money saving ideas for gardening share it! Happy gardening, Denise

Technorati Tags: frugal gardening. gardening, starting seeds

As spring approaches I know it’s time to sort my seeds from last year, order any new seeds and get the greenhouse open and ready to use.
photo credit: wikked one

Once the greenhouse ready for use I let it set for a week to warm up. I use solar heating so the water needs to warm and that takes about a week to take the chill out of any corners.

It takes about two days to clean and organize the greenhouse.

I use the following checklist

• Wipe down any tables and surfaces with a disinfectant.
• Check all corners, doors and windows for air leaks.
• Check tables and indoor cold frames for stability and any needed repairs.
• Clean and fill clear plastic containers for solar heating
• Sort and clean any left over pots and planters
• Check any leftover soil to see if its useable
• Collect my compost and start more
• Check plastic used for mini greenhouse climate control
• Check additional lighting needed for seedlings

Solar heating

I started using solar heating about three years ago. My spring climate is so unpredictable and a cold snap would have expensive gas bills or have to rely on wood heat and go out every three hours to check the fire and temperature. I don’t know about you but the alarm going off at 3 am to head out into sub degree temperatures tends to make me grouchy.

What I did was set up my greenhouse two foot wider on all sides than I wanted. I had my brother dig a trench three foot deep with his backhoe and placed black metal 35 gallon barrels in the ground filled with water. The greenhouse frame and ground heat will keep the water in the barrels from freezing. I cover the barrels with clear plastic after the end of the greenhouse season. This set up keeps the greenhouse at about 40 degrees all winter.

After the greenhouse is cleaned I fill clear plastic jugs with warm water and place on top of the 35 gallon barrels. The sun will keep the plastic jugs at a temperature that is warm enough to heat the greenhouse to a 55-degree temperature. If I need additional heat the use of a small heater or even light will warm the greenhouse another five to 10 degrees.

To insure the jugs get enough sunlight I set the tables I use beside the water containers not on top of them. Later in the spring and summer the tables are placed over the barrels so they do not heat up by the sun.

I will also set up mini greenhouses within the greenhouse for starting seeds that require more heat. I have even used hot beds in the greenhouse for my finicky heat loving seeds and transplants.

One other way I have to heat an area is with a waterbed heating pad. I usually use this only for tomato and pepper plants that germinate better with heat from the soil, but if desperate I will use the heater in the greenhouse.

Greenhouse gardening can be a lot of fun. It gives you a larger selection of seeds and plants that you can grow and extends your growing season.

Technorati Tags: greenhouse, preparing your greenhouse, solar greenhouse, solar greenhouse heating, starting seeds