- When you divide your plants, share extras with others. And maybe they
will share their extras with you.
- Share or exchange seeds with friends
or neighbors.
- Grow plants from seeds.
- Reuse the pots that you get
when you purchase plants from a nursery.
- Compost.
- Start plants from cuttings.
- Go to garage
sales or auctions. Sometimes you can pick up nice gardening equipment for next to nothing.
- Start a neighborhood tool exchange.
- Purchase trees or shrubs
in the fall when they are on sale.
- When planting in large containers,
put packing peanuts or aluminum cans in the bottom to lessen the weight and the amount of soil you use.
- Harvest your own seeds.
- Save water....catch
the rain.
- Use plastic knives and a permanent marker to make plant markers.
- Old pantyhose make good plant ties.
- Use empty plastic pop bottles to make a drip system. Cut the bottom off the bottom, leave the cap on, and poke a
couple small holes in the "shoulder" of the bottle. Place the bottle by the plant, and fill. The water will drip
out slow.
- Use plastic water jugs or empty juice jugs to mix up liquid
fertilizer. Drill holes in the top of the lid for watering.
- Use paper
egg cartons in the bottom of pots. Not only will this take less dirt to fill the pot, it also will retain extra moisture.
- Freecycle.org
- Check with local nursery's or landscaping business to see if they
have leftovers. You might be able to get them at a discount.
- Use paper
egg cartons to start seedlings. You can just cut them apart when ready to plant. The carton will disintegrate and will also
help retain moisture.
- Use a toilet paper tube, cut it in half. Make
4-6 1" vertical cuts in one side of the tube. Fold these tabs in to create a bottom. Use these to start seeds, and they
can be planted like the egg cartons above.
- Use a milk jug to start seeds. Cut a gallon jug in half horizontally, but only cut 3 sides. Punch drainage holes
in the bottom. Fill the bottom half with 2-3" of soil. Fold the top of the jug over for a lid.
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