Gardening Money Saving Tips Anyone?

Curry_Queen

I'll be watching this thread with interest for any handy tips

So far, I've been saving all plastic bottles to cut down and use as cloches when I start planting things out, and also any plastic tubs and trays, such as those that you can buy mushrooms etc in, to use as seed trays. Also, someone has previously mentioned using a rolled up newspaper cut into sections for seed pots, so I'm saving all newspapers too

Can't wait to get started and was wondering what type of herbs/veggie seeds I could actually start to sow now? I've got some garlic ready to be planted up as I read on another thread that it's ok to plant in January, and I've kept the bulbs in the fridge so they think they've had their cold winter start

squeaky

I use the cardboard egg boxes for seed trays. Then you just tease the bottom off and plant out each single egg space thing. This way you don't otherwise need to disturb the roots.

Fairy22

Next door was having some work done and got loads of gravel delivered in those big white sacks. I nabbed one and fill it with leaves and garden cutting, etc. Stick it in the garage over the winter and hey presto lovely rotted down mulchy compost for your veggi patch. It goes down loads but theres plenty of room to keep adding to it, when your cutting the lawn etc.

HOLsale

for herbs like coriander and mustard don't buy seed packets from the seed companies, they will charge you far too much for something you'll need to plant frequently over the season

instead buy bags of coriander seeds and mustard seeds from your local asian shop. you can get a large bag for 69-99p usually and will have enough to sow generously for the entire season. these seeds are meant to be eaten and are not sprayed with growth inhibitors, or if they are then they don't work very well because i've grown both of these for years using this method!

should work well with other types of seeds too

also, you can grow peppers and cucumber etc from the seeds of veggies you buy from the supermarket.

you won't get seeds from those plants that come true BUT they're free with something you'd buy anyway and often the plants have great advanatages such as increased disease resistance, size, or how prolific they are since they were bred commerically for those specific traits. i know someone that uses dried marrowfat peas and gets lovely dwarf plants that are bushy and strong and absolutely falling over from the weight of the peas they produce!

i accidentally managed to get sweet potatoes to produce slips this year, shame i don't have anywhere to plant them out or i would have!

HOLsale

scuzz wrote:

egg shells instead of slug pellets?

I've heard burrying your own hair will discourage cats from your flower beds/veggie patch

appearantly slugs love grapefruit so you can leave the shells out for them upturned so it catches them

this has the added benefit of being a citrus fruit and everyone knows how much cats hate citrus... and all that from soemthing you were going to throw away anyway!

in_my_wellies

My best saving was getting a greenhouse from an ad. in the local paper. It was £30 (I didn't bargain with the old lady). It took a while to dismantle, then the same to build. I cleaned all the parts before I put it up.

I spent about £15 on new glass and clips. They are expensive so keep all you can.

My neighbour though it was new!

carolbee

saw on another thread about the cheap seeds from alan ransom, and bought some, not tried yet but very reasonable.
saw with interest the tip regarding growing plants from peppers, anyone else tried this? plan to do this this year

what a pity we can't swap plants/seedling as easily as we do this!

I always have a surplus of seedlings as I have a pathological desire never to throw any growing thing away, all these near Whitstable in kent walk this way

could we have a gardening swap meet? just a thought ....

Becles

If you haven't got room for a fixed greenhouse: buy one of those PVC tent greenhouses that you can put up during the spring and put away when you've finished with it. Buy plug plants (tiny with just a couple of leaves on) and bring them on yourself in yoghurt pots etc. It's loads cheaper than buying bedding plants ready to go in the garden/containers.

Old tights can be used to store bulbs in. Put a bulb in the toe, then tie a knot, add a bulb, then tie a knot and so on. That way if one goes mushy, it doesn't infect the rest.

To keep birds off newly sowed seed, criss cross old video tape between garden canes. They don't like the shiny surface and it makes a whistly noise in the wind which scares them.

nicki_2

Get a big CLEAR jam jar, or similar as long as it has a lid - I use an old glass sweet jar you see in newsagents. Fill it with eggshells and rainwater. Leave it in sunlight and it will turn green. Pour onto the roots of your roses for a really good feed/tonic. My great-grandad taught my mum that and I use it now for my very weak came-with-the-house rose. My current batch has been sitting out in the sun since September some time and is REALLY green. The only disadvantage is the smell :eek:

hardpressed

When you knit your hanging basket liners do you shape it or just make a square and tuck the corners in?