Simple ways to save money while you garden
September can make gardeners spend their money on things the garden never asked for. Garden centers fill up with colorful plants, bags of mysterious amendments, shiny tools, and products promising to solve problems that might disappear on their own once cooler weather settles in. But September also gives gardeners a chance to save. A little…
Spring gets all the gardening glory, but fall has a sneaky advantage: it can cost less to get growing. The season favors vegetables that handle cooler weather, many of which grow beautifully from inexpensive packets of seed rather than trays of pricey transplants, heat-loving plants, and all the gear that comes with them. That difference…
Fertilizer is like the garden equivalent of a helpful snack. A little boost seems harmless, especially when plants still look green and productive, but late-summer feeding can sometimes encourage exactly the kind of growth a plant does not need heading into cooler weather. For several common garden plants, August and early September mark the point…
The end of summer can turn a productive garden into a surprisingly useful pile of leftovers. Those dried seed heads, fallen leaves, spent plants, and half-empty bags of garden materials may look like cleanup chores, but many can give next season’s garden a head start. The trick involves knowing what deserves a second act and…
The end of summer can make garden centers look a little different. The bright annuals lose their starring role, patio displays start shrinking, and shelves that once held rows of gardening goodies suddenly have clearance signs. That shift creates a useful shopping window for gardeners who know which supplies make sense to buy now rather…
As summer starts running out of steam, your fertilizer routine deserves a second look. Continuing to feed certain garden plants simply because they still have green leaves can encourage tender new growth at exactly the wrong time, leaving plants less prepared for the cooler weather ahead. That does not mean every plant needs to go…
September may look like the vegetable garden’s closing time, but somebody forgot to lock the door. As summer crops fade, cool-season vegetables are just getting interested, and several can still go into the garden in September for a fall harvest. The trick involves choosing vegetables that tolerate cooler weather and matching planting time to the…
Summer may be packing its bags, but the garden does not always get the memo. Tomatoes can keep setting fruit, peppers can continue coloring up, and a well-established bean plant may still have plenty of pods hiding beneath its leaves when cooler mornings arrive. That makes late August and early fall a terrible time for…
A raised bed does not need a glamorous autumn makeover. In fact, the most useful fall preparation often involves things already sitting around the yard, a few inexpensive materials, and resisting the urge to buy every shiny garden product within arm’s reach. Fall prep matters because what happens in the bed after summer can affect…