More and more people are gardening today because it is a way to put healthier food on the table. It’s also a great way to save money, get exercise, and have the whole family join in on doing something good for the home.
In fact, just about the only way it could be improved upon is by using some inexpensive or free gardening hacks.
Mix in Free Mulch
In the springtime, cities and counties both trim branches and trees that have broken over the winter or are getting a little too close to power lines. They might also trim through the alleys to keep them clear for emergency vehicles and garbage trucks.
Rather than leave the trimmings on the ground, they mulch them. The mulch is then dropped off at a place designated by the city or county. They then pass it along to citizens. Otherwise it simply builds up and creates a hazard. In most places you can simply pull in and ask for a truckload. Without leaving your vehicle, you will have a free truckload of mulch.
Take the mulch home and spread it through a garden that has a hard time retaining moisture. The mulch can be mixed in with the existing dirt to help the ground with moisture. While you don’t want your garden to stay wet, some areas are sandy and can benefit from the addition of mulch. See another idea for cheap mulch here!
Start with Kitchen Scraps
Before heading to the garden supply store, take a look in your refrigerator. You may have items in your vegetable drawer that can be grown in the garden. Celery, potatoes, garlic, onions, scallions, and many more vegetables that you buy in the store can be grown from scraps.
Use Two Liter Bottles to Hold Your Plants
Whether you want to reduce waste or you just need to find a way to create a vertical garden, two liter bottles may be your ticket. One way to use them is to lay a two liter bottle on its side and cut the (now) top off. Use a nail to add some drainage holes. Hang the two liter bottles on the fence and fill with soil. Add seeds and water regularly. If you want to create multiple garden walls or you don’t have a fence, attach the two liter bottles to the inside of pallets that you have standing on their sides.
From saving the seeds from the vegetables you cook to making your own compost in the backyard, there are an unlimited number of inexpensive gardening hacks you can use. In fact, the more you garden, the more hacks you will find as you try to get creative and make use of your surroundings.
You might also like…
- DIY Compost Bin
- 3 Ways to Save in the Vegetable Garden
- Play Gardening with Kids
- Gardening with Kids
- All About Gardening – includes all of The Happy Housewife tips and ideas for gardening!
Follow our Homeschool Garden Pinterest Board for more gardening ideas & tips!
Joseph Baldwin says
As a life long gardener, I would just like to say that free mulch is not a very good idea. Mulch made from tree trimmings can contain diseases that can cause more harm than good. Most mulch that is commercially produced is sterile and disease free, Be very careful of free mulch.
Joanne Hughes says
i just have a question. i am trying to grow veggie sprouts to eat of course.. I would like to know if cucumber sprouts or any part of them are poisonous. Do you have a list of veggies that are not safe to eat as sprouts. thank you, Joanne
Linda Whitley says
You don’t have to compost if you build a keyhole garden. You put the garbage, grass clippings, etc. into a center part of the garden and as it decomposes, it leaches out into the garden. Just look up keyhole gardens and find instructions on how to build one.
Tammi Holtslander Camp says
You can line containers of soil with natural coffee liners, (with or without used coffee / tea grounds), cotton dryer lint, egg shells, banana peels, and shredded paper documents as biodegradable water retention substances that do not add significant weight to each container.
Connie says
In my Community, we have a landscape recycling that ran by the city and the mulch, compost, etc is clean, sterile, but comes with a small fee. I gladly pay the fee for the stuff because it is cheaper than buying commercially.