Do you believe beautiful garden means high maintenance costs? Here's how to do gardening the cost-effective way.
Making Your Own Compost
A few pointer for those making their own compost:
Ingredients: Composite pile requires green and brown waste in equal parts. Use vegetable peels, grass cutting, old flowers etc. as green, and paper, fallen twigs, egg cartons etc as brown.
Water is the final ingredient. If it is dry, it will not break down, and if too wet, it will smell and become greasy.
Material to Avoid: Do not use cooked vegetables, meat, weeds and diseased plants as compost.
Process: Turn the pile once a week to prevent compacting, which reduces airflow and slows down decomposition. The compost usually gets ready in six to eight weeks.
When it turns into a dark brown, earthy smelling material, the composting process is complete. It is then left for a month or two to 'mature' before being used.
Here are 5 tips to cut costs on garden:
1. Select the Right Plants
Choose plants wisely. You can go for occasional beautiful specimen plant, but prefer Perennials. They will cost you initially, but since you do not have to re-purchase them every year, you will save costs in the long run.
Concentrate on local flora as each plant has specific soil and water needs and if they are not met, the plant may suck up double the water in order to survive.
Go for plants that require minimum care once planted. This will drastically cut down your water bills and other maintenance costs.
You can further reduce expenses, on trees, shrubs, perennials by buying them at the end of the season when prices drop as newly released varieties are expensive.
2. Use Rainwater
Make the most of rainy days to save on your water bills. Use rainwater harvesting system to collect rain water from roof gutters in large tanks.
It is anticipated that rainwater harvesting can save approximately 1,300 gallons of water used in gardens during the hot summer months. You can also place barrels in the open to collect enough gallons to water the flower beds.
3. Water the Plants Timely
Timing is crucial, even in case of watering your plants. The best time is early morning or evenings. Avoid afternoons as temperature at that time is high and tends to evaporate most of the water.
Late evening and night time is also not suitable because moisture accumulates, causing fungus and mold.
4. Try Safer Alternatives to Fertilizers
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are expensive. In order to save on fertilizers, make your own compost. Compost turns food waste, and other organic material into humus, which in turn is used to increase organic content in the soil.
Try a simple technique called grass cycling. When you mow your garden, leave the grass clippings on your lawn, rather than discarding them. This technique meets up to 1/3 of your lawn's nitrogen requirement. It also shades the soil and keeps it cooler, thus reducing the need for water.
5. Second Hand Equipments
Before you visit the local garden centre to buy the tools and machinery like forks, spades, check the local recycling centre, where unwanted tools are sold at the cheapest price.
But never compromise on quality. Go for the most efficient equipments. An efficient water sprinkler system uses approximately 45 percent less water. There are sprinklers available with controller that regulates the water level; it holds up the supply when it rains.
These tips will surely allow you to create a beautiful garden at affordable costs.
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