• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Frugal Gardening

Simple ways to save money while you garden

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Garden Frugally
  • Buy These
  • Our Editorial Commitment
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

row covers

Why January Is When Smart Gardeners Plan for Pest Cycles

January 29, 2026 by Catherine Reed Leave a Comment

Why January Is When Smart Gardeners Plan for Pest Cycles

January feels quiet in the garden, but it’s the loudest month for prevention. Pests don’t disappear in winter—they pause, hide, and wait for the exact conditions that show up when spring plants start pushing new growth. If you’ve ever felt like aphids, slugs, or squash bugs “came out of nowhere,” they didn’t. They were already…

Read More

Filed Under: pests Tagged With: Beginner Gardening, crop rotation, frugal gardening, garden sanitation, integrated pest management, pest management, row covers, winter garden planning

Gardeners in Florida Are Reporting Early Aphid Surges—Here’s Why

January 21, 2026 by Catherine Reed Leave a Comment

Gardeners in Florida Are Reporting Early Aphid Surges—Here’s Why

If your Florida garden suddenly looks like it’s wearing a sticky, shiny coat, you’re not imagining things. Lots of growers notice colonies popping up “too soon,” especially on tender new growth, and it can feel like aphids skipped the usual schedule. The good news is that you can get ahead of the mess without spending…

Read More

Filed Under: pests Tagged With: aphids, beneficial insects, Florida gardening, frugal gardening, garden pests, integrated pest management, organic pest control, row covers, winter gardening

Primary Sidebar

Struggling to get your garden off the ground? Put those days behind you with our special starter kit – perfect for thrifty green thumbs everywhere. Get growing and add a splash of color today!

Popular Posts

  • usda free seeds websiteHow To Get Free Seeds From The Government by Amanda Blankenship Seeds might seem like a small expense, but any seasoned…
  • Enviro Ice On PlantsShould I Use Enviro Ice On My Plants? by Kathryn Vercillo Every week, I receive food from Hungryroot. It's a great…
  • is shredded paper good for the gardenFrom Trash to Treasure: Transform Shredded Paper Into Garden Gold by Amanda Blankenship Should you use shredded paper as garden mulch? It might…
  • Enviro IceWhat Happens to Plants If You Use Enviro Ice on Them? by Amanda Blankenship About a year ago, I wrote our first article about…
Why Grass Clippings Can Carry Herbicide Into Vegetable Beds

Why Grass Clippings Can Carry Herbicide Into Vegetable Beds

Fresh grass clippings look like free garden gold. They hold moisture, break down quickly, and seem like the perfect mulch for tomatoes, peppers, beans, and squash. That bargain can turn into an expensive mistake when those clippings contain herbicide residue. Many gardeners discover the problem only after vegetables twist, curl, stop growing, or produce strange-looking…

Read More

The Cheap Mulch Materials That Can Damage Plants or Soil

The Cheap Mulch Materials That Can Damage Plants or Soil

Cheap mulch often looks like a smart way to stretch a gardening budget, but the lowest-priced option sometimes carries the highest hidden cost. Some materials rob soil of nutrients, spread pests, introduce weeds, or even release compounds that stress young plants. Saving a few dollars at the garden center means very little if flower beds…

Read More

How to Tell If You’re Watering Deeply Enough

How to Tell If You’re Watering Deeply Enough

A quick sprinkle may make the soil look wet, but appearances fool plenty of gardeners. Plants need moisture well below the surface, where most of their roots search for water, nutrients, and stability. Deep watering encourages stronger root systems that handle hot afternoons and dry spells far better than plants that rely on frequent shallow…

Read More

Can Tabletop Tomatoes Produce Enough Fruit to Be Worth the Space?

Can Tabletop Tomatoes Produce Enough Fruit to Be Worth the Space?

Tiny tomato plants sitting on a patio table look charming, but can they actually fill a salad bowl? The answer surprises many gardeners because the right tabletop tomato can produce a steady stream of flavorful fruit over an entire growing season when it receives proper care. That does not mean every miniature tomato deserves precious…

Read More

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Garden Frugally
  • Buy These
  • Our Editorial Commitment
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2026 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework