Purdue Extension Service

Vanderburgh County, Indiana

Gardening on a Budget

By Larry Caplan, Extension Horticulture Educator, Vanderburgh County, IN

For the Evansville Courier and Press, January 11, 2009

Just because the economy isn't flourishing, it doesn't mean your garden can't flourish. You can have a lovely yard and still reduce your expenses.

One of the best ways to save money is to do things right the first time, so you don't have to replant. Purdue has oodles of information on the proper way to plant trees, shrubs, lawns, flowers and vegetables. Most of these can downloaded for free by going to my website ( http://www.extension.purdue.edu/vanderburgh ) and clicking on the publications link.

Sharing is a great way to save money, as well as make friends! Many of us don't need all of the seeds in a packet. Rather than throwing away the excess, see if another gardener can use them; they may have some that you can use. Likewise, when one gardener thins out strawberry plants or perennials, the extras can be shared with neighbors, rather than just composted. Joining a local garden club is a great way to get some "leftovers."

Cut back on the amount of fertilizer you're using. You shouldn't be fertilizing your flowers and vegetables every week, and your lawn can get by with only two or three fertilizer treatments per year. Get your soil tested; you may be able to cut out some materials, like lime or potash, because your soil doesn't need it.

Reduce your water bill by cutting back on irrigation. Water early in the morning, when there's less evaporation. Irrigate garden plants only once per week, rather than every day. Use mulch to keep the soil from drying out so quickly. If you have a lot of property, you may want to see if you can get a separate meter from the water department, so you don't pay sewage on your irrigation water.

Adjust your tolerance level for imperfections in the landscape. Look to see how much damage insects are doing before spraying the garden; remember, you don't eat the leaves of your beans or tomatoes, so a couple of holes isn't necessarily a catastrophe. If you've got a couple of dandelions in the yard, dig them out, rather than spraying; if you must spray, spot treat only the weeds, instead of spraying the entire yard.

Use all pest control options available to you. Many pest problems can be reduced by practicing good sanitation, mowing and pruning properly, and allowing natural enemies a chance to get established. If pesticides are necessary, use them at the right time to control your specific pest; most gardeners waste enormous amounts of money spraying for scales and borers at the wrong time of year. However, don't use less product than the label says, because you won't control the pest, and you've wasted the entire treatment.

I'll come up with more tips on saving money in the garden as the season progresses, but to learn more about the proper care of your yard and garden, contact the Purdue Extension Service at (812) 435-5287.