Stop Losing Money on Your Garden

Hi Fellow Broke Galaxians--

Guess what? It's time to plant your starts if you don't want to spend a fortune in a few months at the garden center.

I know I can drop large amounts of hard-earned cash every spring to get my garden going. By doing this, I am not helping my cause to save money in the long run.



The dilemma of the plastic garden start kit.

You see the kit at the store and you get excited--at least I know I do. The promise of a productive garden that is overflowing with vegetables makes you practically salivate. Before you know it, your cart is filled with seeds, little peat buttons with the associated pots and you're standing at the check out line.

You may think you're saving money buying those little peat pots or buttons, but I'm not sure this is the case. First, while these little starts have all the nutrients for your plant in the convenience of a button, they are expensive and you may find yourself transplanting well before you're able to get the start into your garden.

You'll lose some of your tender plants to transplant shock and if you wait too long, you'll have root-bound plants that never quite recover. You've probably seen it before--the roots grow through the bottom of the container and you have to damage them when you pull them out to transplant.

Your plants outgrow the plastic container before they are big enough to transplant. Plants don't germinate at the same rate. So while your tomato plants are one height, your pepper plants are another. You may still need to have the warmth of the plastic cover on the peppers, but you can't because the tomato plants are too tall.

First, tomatoes have long, luscious root systems that stretch into the ground--and frankly, those little, tiny peat pots aren't going to cut it. Roots don't like someone messing with them. They don't respond well to constant transplanting. Think about it in these terms--how would you handle moving every few weeks? It would be traumatizing.



Consider growing long rooted plants in 2-Liter soda bottles. Cut off the top of the bottle just below the neck. Poke several holes in the bottom of the container and fill it with soil. This gives plants, like tomatoes, the length they need so you're only transplanting them once into your garden. When it's time to transplant, cut a circle in the bottom and push the plant into the hole.

If you don't have a "coke" habit, you may know someone who does and wouldn't mind having you take those pesky bottles off their hands.



Empty Milk Cartons make perfect planters. Instead of adding to the local landfill, reuse some of the empty containers around your house.



For those smaller seeds that respond well to transplanting, consider using fiber-based egg cartons or empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls. Some seeds have shallow root systems and grow slower than tomatoes.

Take the empty toilet paper roll and fold one of the ends inward. Continue this process with three more folds to make an envelope shaped bottom. Fill it with soil and you'll have your own little planting pot. Cut an empty paper towel tube in thirds and fold them the same way you would the toilet paper roll. You should be able to plant these directly into your garden and the container will eventually deteriorate and become part of the soil. This will keep the roots intact and undisturbed.



What about missing out on the nutrients in the peat buttons?

You can get the same results if you buy a bag of potting mix and provide your own containers. Don't go out and spend money on fancy-shmancy containers when you've probably got something you can use laying around your house. It feels good to give new life to something you would normally throw away--but it feels even better to save money.

So Fellow Broke Galaxians--Go forth and save $$$.

Peace Peeps,
Broke Girl