Learn how to propagate, plants for free! Grow from seed when you can, make your own compost.And most of all, patience - it is possible to have a fabulous garden for next to nothing, but growing from cuttings and seed can take a little extra time.
crested,
Oct 10, 5:24pm
See if there is a Herb or Garden Group in your area and go along, its easy once you get started, get the veggie garden books out of the library.Ask around what people are planting in your area.Best of luck with your project.
pandaeye,
Oct 10, 5:28pm
be friends with people with mature gardens. seedlings and divisions for miles.
sophia4,
Oct 10, 5:32pm
Ask at local restaurants and cafes for those large white polystyrene boxes that spoilable food comes in. Bang a few holes in the bottom and they become the best growing containers for potting mix during hotter spring and summer weather. The thick polystyrene regulates temperature in the soil and plants love it. If you're concerned about the colour, paint them with water based test pots or surround with wood or use trailing plants to cover.
earsd,
Oct 10, 5:58pm
start your own compost heap (plenty of how to on the net) and dont buy into the must have raised gardens (unless your soil is so poor or you actually have no soil of course) get some free exercise and use the soil you have with some added compost. Get your friends growing too and each grow different seeds (to save you buying packets of everything) , sow plenty and swap for the ones you dont have, dont forget to stagger your planting so you dont end up with everything ready all at once!
matthews4,
Oct 10, 6:03pm
Poly boxes mention above make good worm farms, too.Leave bottom one complete, next one, put drainage hole in, and mesh and newspaper over hole. i had one 3 boxes hight, with lid on top one.We have a bath, but had to house worms, while we made new frame and shifted it.Poly boxes worked well.
melagray,
Oct 10, 6:04pm
Old ladies! Some of the locals have been very generous to me over the years, I've had cherry trees, roses, dahlia bulbs, strawberries and so many assorted cuttings & baby plants that I can't remember them all. It's worth talking to your neighbours, people with established gardens often weed out & throw away things you'd love. Last weekend my Mum bought around violets, starberries, daisies, forget me knots & other bits & pieces that had been spreading out of control in her garden.
melagray,
Oct 10, 6:06pm
At the end of summer I always gather seeds from my flowers & save them. I stashed heaps of pansy & sweetpea seed so will have even more than I did last summer.
floralsun,
Oct 10, 7:22pm
Let one plant of each of your veges go to seed so you can save the seeds to sow the next couple of seasons.
melagray,
Oct 10, 7:36pm
When I prune my roses I always keep a couple of the better cuttings to plant. I just push them in next to one of my potted plants & leave them until they grow roots. If you like succulents & see them somewhere, pick a leaf & put it in with a pot plant until it takes off.
wratha,
Oct 11, 7:59am
I second the old (and not so old) gardeners and garden groups advise. My neighbour is new to gardening and I've given her several wheelbarrow loads of plants for her bare garden, some of which I've gotten from a friend in the local horticultural society. Shame you weren't closer, I'm currently weeding out delphiniums, chatham island forget me nots and pulmonaria, all of which are lovely but rather too happy here and need reducing.
floweringrose,
Oct 11, 8:44am
go for a neighbourhood walk at sunrise with a plastic bag and secateurs
mowjoz,
Oct 11, 4:36pm
put lil notes in peoples letterboxes for free plant cuttings unwanted plants
melagray,
Oct 11, 6:16pm
I've had some real bargains from trademe. Some are nurseries selling at wholesale prices and others are people selling off extra's or plants grown from cuttings. Keep a look out in your area.
melagray,
Oct 11, 6:17pm
Am I too late to scab a few of your cast offs!
matthews4,
Oct 12, 1:58pm
another tip about tomato, when you remove the laterals, plant them and your will have another plant.toms are the easiest of plants to grow, and grow so fast, as well.Can put cutting in water, until it roots, or just put in wet soil.do not usually remove laterals on Cherry toms, they grow as more of a bush.But could remove a bit to grow another one easily.so dear to buy, so easy to grown from seed yourself.
tarawera99,
Oct 12, 4:14pm
The warehouse is selling $1 packets of seeds at the moment.All sorts of plants too:lettuces, corn, zucchini.Pretty cheap.
melagray,
Oct 12, 5:41pm
I'll go & have a look, I want wild flowers in my back yard & have been scattering seed everywhere.
gyrogearloose,
Oct 12, 5:53pm
And since, once the packet of seed is opened, it doesn't keep forever - you might as well plant every seed in the packet!
Pot them up into PB1.5's, and sell or swap them with other people. If you give someone a box of 10 mixed seedlings, they will be very pleased with you and might give you back something in return.
lad1,
Oct 13, 4:13pm
I rake up the dry grass from my local reserves which the council mows and use it as mulch. Works great and it's free. (They do not spray the grass so no concerns there)
moore79,
Oct 14, 6:00am
Cut the end off your store bought celery and place in a dish with water on the bottom.wait for the greenery to be about 4cm high and then plant into soil and you will have celery grow back from this.
moore79,
Oct 14, 6:02am
~ Collect pine needles to put around your strawberries. ~ Cut your banana skins up and place around the base of fruit trees ~ Empty your tea leaves and coffee grinds onto the top of the garden ~ Let some of your plants go to seed so they come up next season
moore79,
Oct 14, 6:03am
I didn't know this.thanks for the tip!
bev00,
Feb 6, 11:05pm
recycling these great ideas
lythande1,
Feb 7, 5:27am
And don't buy into the must have a bin or container for compost either. You don't. Just prettier . Put it in a far corner and that's fine. You don't need to buy anything really, let things go to seed, start your own seedlings, use compost and manure. You can even get away with free manure, collect in from fields or ask your nearest farmer.
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