This story was originally published in April 2019.
Gardening season is upon us. In all of the excitement, gardeners often end up spending a lot more money on gardening supplies than they bargained for. It’s especially ironic if you already garden to save money, especially on groceries.
However, a few conscious choices will actually help you save money on gardening supplies. Here are our tips, with insights from some of our favorite bloggers and homesteaders.
Starting seeds from scratch
Some gardeners are already starting your seedlings indoors before the last frost date, but if you don’t, you should start. Not only does this put you in control of your growing methods and give you a wider variety of what you can grow, but it also helps you save money.
“I start most of my seeds from scratch, so I don’t buy seedlings,” said Nancy Wolff, homesteader and blogger at Nancy on the Home Front.
Also be aware of plants you can direct sow, so you don’t spend money on transplants which are easier and cheaper to plant yourself from seed.
“Grafts usually cost $2 [to] $5 each, and most seed packets come with a minimum of 25 seeds for $3,” said Raederle Clay, director of Wind’s Four Corners Farms and a farmer based in Pocatello, Idaho. “For things you can direct sow, like lettuce and peas do. So they are not worth buying grafts.
Create seedling pots from newspaper
If you already pay for a newspaper subscription, double those dollars by making pots for your seedlings out of recycled newspaper.
We love this DIY newspaper seedling pot tutorial from Jill Winger at The Prairie Homestead and this “origami” newspaper pot tutorial from For Greenies.
Newsprint is a great material for seedlings because it can be easily peeled off or directly transplanted, where it breaks down into the ground as your seedling grows through the soil. Even better, it will help you reduce the use of plastic in your garden.
Saving and exchanging seeds
Often we get so excited at the start of the gardening season that we buy lots of different seeds. Seed packets aren’t expensive individually, but it can end up costing you in the long run. If you have seed packets left over from last year, test your seeds to see if they are viable for the new planting season.
You can also trade seeds with other gardeners to help you have more diverse gardens.
“While at around $2 a pack, the seeds don’t seem like a lot of money, they can add up,” said Merissa Alink, owner and blogger of Little House Living. “Participating in some kind of seed or plant swap can help reduce this cost since you only need to plant a few varieties and can swap the rest.”
Future planning can also help. When you learn how to save the seeds for your plants this year (and how to dry them properly), you can use them next year.
Make your own compost
Quality compost is a game changer for your garden. You can buy bags of compost, but it’s much easier to make your own compost with kitchen scraps (the range of things you can compost may even surprise you).
“I compost kitchen scraps to return to the garden,” Wolff said. “I was not buying commercial fertilizer.”
Making your own compost will not only save you money, but it will also help you reduce waste in your kitchen. Compostable materials like eggshells and coffee grounds also have many other uses in your garden or property.
Buy quality tools
Sometimes spending a little more up front will save you money in the long run, especially on tools. If you’re an avid gardener and know you’ll keep gardening season after season, invest in high-quality tools to save you the hassle and cost of replacing your tools year after year. .
“I buy quality, sturdy tools that are metal, not wood. For example, all of my shovels, rakes, and trowels are all metal,” said Lauren Dibble, homesteader and blogger at Hillsborough Homesteading. “By spending a little more in the beginning, I don’t replace my tools every year.”
In order to get the best price on quality tools, check several different stores and try to buy at the end of the season when garden stores need to move their inventory for the next year.
“For tools and supplies, shop around,” Clay said. “Most companies have websites you can browse to see if they have what you need.”
If you want to make this investment, you must also maintain it. Be sure to clean and maintain your tools so they stay looking pristine from season to season.
“I took good care of my tools,” Wolff said. “Make sure they’re all clean and wipe them down with oil.”
Find free resources
Building infrastructure for your garden can cost you a lot, but there are ways to save. Try to find free or repurposed materials. Wolff suggests looking on Facebook Marketplace, checking your local newspaper for free listings, or talking to your neighbors and local businesses the old-fashioned way.
“We had a local brewery down the street and they just put pallets. We made an outdoor compost bin from free pallets,” Wolff said. “There are plenty of resources if you just look around.”
You can also recycle the materials you have around your house for your garden. For example, you can start seedlings in a recycled egg carton or toilet paper rolls. Cardboard boxes can be used for vegetable gardens, weed barriers or added to compost.
“My husband made me a vegetable hood out of scrap wood,” Wolff said. “It really didn’t cost us anything to make because we were using scraps. It was a great way to harvest vegetables from the garden.
Just be sure to be careful with materials like rubber tires or painted wood that may contain carcinogens that could seep into your yard.
Gardening doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. With a little planning and strategizing, you can easily save money on gardening supplies this spring.
