Gardening is a fun, healthy hobby, but it can become expensive. After you buy seeds, tools, and supplies, it can feel like a chore instead of an exciting new endeavor. Here are some simple ways to save money while you garden so you can keep growing greens without spending your green.
- Make a Rain Collector
Watering a garden can be costly. You can avoid an ever-growing water bill by collecting rain water instead of turning on your hose. You can make your own rain collector barrel with any drum of your choice. All you have to do is position your barrel or drum under your gutter spout where it can collect the rainfall that runs off your roof. Attach a spigot to your drum, or just dip into it with a bucket, and you've got your own watering system.
- Grow from Leftovers
Seeds aren't that expensive, but buying starter plants can rack up the shopping bill. Instead of buying new plants, you can grow from your kitchen leftovers. By removing seeds from the foods you buy, you can start your very own garden. You can also go to seed swaps in your local community for cheap or free seeds. Once you have a full-blown garden, don't forget to save the seeds from the food you've grown so you can plant them again next year.
- Make Your Own Fertilizer
Don't waste your money on those big bags of fertilizer from the store. They're expensive and full of man-made chemicals that you don't want to ingest in your food in the first place. You can make your own fertilizer using leftovers from your kitchen and yard waste by starting your own compost bin or pile. Compost is completely free and simple to make. Nature does all the work for you in the end, and your vegetables will thank you.
- Sell Your Produce
Once you've grown your veggies, you can keep them to eat, which saves you money at the grocery store, or you can set up your own veggie stand and sell to friends and family. There are a lot of folks who want to buy homegrown local fruits and vegetables. You just have to put the word out, and you can sell your produce for quite a mark-up. Everyone loves homegrown produce.
