You can spend a lot on gardening without trying, so to keep costs down we've pulled together some of the tips and tricks we've learnt over the years at Which? Gardening magazine.
Make more of your garden
Cheap plants
Taking cuttings, dividing plants and sowing seeds might take a bit longer to get results, but you’ll get lots of plants at very little cost. It's easier than you might think, and it's so satisfying to see the baby plants grow and thrive.
Plant fairs run by local gardening clubs, such as the Hardy Plant Society, are a great place to buy even rare and unusual plants at a fraction of the normal price. Check local Facebook groups for fairs coming up in your area.
If you’re prepared to give your plant a bit of TLC, check your local garden centre's ‘casualty’ corner, where they sell off plants that aren’t in top condition. Many of these can be nursed back to health and others are just out of season with nothing wrong at all.
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Growing fruit and veg
Growing your own fruit and veg is well worth the effort, as you’ll save money at the supermarket and have crops picked at the height of ripeness. Fruit is surprisingly easy to grow and, once planted, there’s little expense involved in growing it. Protect soft fruit from birds by covering with well-secured netting at cropping time.
You can grow veg in pots if you don’t have a garden. Breeders have created dwarf varieties such as tomato ‘Tumbling Bella’, which is small enough for hanging basket, and you can sow any salad leaves, carrots, radishes and herbs in pots.
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Saving money on garden tools
You might think you need to spend more to get the best, but our rigorous testing of gardening tools has shown that this isn’t always the case. We’ve got Best Buy lawn mowers from only £150, Best Buy grass trimmers from only £60 and Best Buy hedge trimmers from only £65.
As a rule of thumb, corded electric tools will be cheaper to buy. You can overcome the inconvenience of having a power cable by buying a long outdoor extension cord so you can reach the bottom of your garden. Make sure it has a residual-current device (RCD) to keep you safe if the cable is damaged.
To help your tools last longer, clean them after use and take care to store them somewhere dry. You can sharpen blades and buy spare parts to keep tools working effectively.
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Recycling
You’re not only helping the environment when you recycle, you’re saving money too. Plastic containers are perfect for growing plants in - just make sure you make drainage holes if they don’t have any. Lollipop sticks make great labels, and old tights can be cut up and used as plant ties. There are endless ideas.
One of the best ways to recycle is to compost your garden and kitchen waste. Many local councils sell discounted compost bins, or you can easily make your own with four pallets held together with heavy-duty wire. The secret of success is to mix up the material as you add it so you don’t get thick layers of one thing, such as grass clippings. A great tip is to add a spadeful of soil every time you add grass clippings, as it will help them rot down. The compost can then be spread on bare soil where worms will drag it into the soil to improve it.
Learn undefinedsource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/gardening-on-a-budget-how-to-save-money-on-your-garden-and-plants-aOcic6h8hwbj