The Latest Breaking News from Frugal Gardening

Before Bringing Potted Herbs Inside, Do This First

That rosemary plant may have cost $5 in spring, but after months of growth, throwing it away when cold weather arrives can feel like tossing money in the trash. Bringing potted herbs indoors can extend the harvest and help tender perennial herbs survive until next spring, but moving them straight…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 17

Powdery Mildew Is Everywhere This Fall — Can Those Leaves Go in Compost?

By late summer and early fall, a perfectly healthy-looking squash, cucumber, bee balm, or zinnia can suddenly look like someone dusted its leaves with flour. Powdery mildew is extremely common, and once cold weather approaches, gardeners face a practical question: what should happen to all those infected leaves and vines?…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 17

5 Red Flags an Online Seed Seller May Not Be Legitimate

That packet of rare blue tomatoes or rainbow-colored roses may cost only $4.99, but wasting five dollars isn’t the biggest risk when buying questionable seeds online. You could spend weeks tending empty pots, receive something completely different from what was advertised, or unknowingly order seeds that don’t comply with U.S.…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 17

This Tiny Pest Can Hitchhike Indoors on Your Houseplants This Fall

If your houseplants spent summer soaking up sunshine on the porch or patio, you may be preparing to bring them inside as fall nights get colder. Unfortunately, a plant isn’t always the only thing making the trip through your front door. Spider mites can hide on foliage, and they’re so…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 16

Stop Buying Potting Soil Every Year — Here’s What Can Actually Be Reused

Dumping every container at the end of the gardening season can feel painfully wasteful, especially when you’ve filled several large planters with expensive potting mix. The good news is that gardeners don’t necessarily need to start with completely fresh bags every spring. The University of Illinois says soilless potting media…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 16

The $5 Plant at the Clearance Rack Could Be a Bargain — Or Bring Home a Pest Problem

A half-price plant sitting in the clearance corner can look like the gardening equivalent of finding a forgotten $20 bill in an old jacket. Maybe the leaves look a little rough, the pot has a few weeds, or the plant simply needs some attention. That bargain can absolutely become a…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 15

Garlic Goes in the Ground This Fall, But Timing It Wrong Can Ruin Next Year’s Harvest

Garlic belongs in the fall garden, but the calendar matters more than many gardeners realize. Plant too early and the cloves can push up tender growth before winter, while planting too late can leave them scrambling to build the root system they need.

Frugal Gardening · Sep 15

The Garden Center Wants You to Fertilize Before Winter — Your Plants May Not Need It

Walk into a garden center in autumn and it can feel like every plant has suddenly developed a nutritional emergency. Bags of fertilizer promise stronger roots, better winter performance, and a more impressive garden next spring, making that end-of-season purchase seem like an easy decision.

Frugal Gardening · Sep 15

Those Tiny Holes in Your Fall Vegetables Are Trying to Tell You Something

Those tiny holes appearing in fall vegetables are more than ugly little souvenirs from the garden. They can point toward the particular pest nibbling away at leaves, and the shape, size, and location of the damage can help narrow down the culprit.

Frugal Gardening · Sep 15

Before Spending $200 on Fall Plants, See What You Can Divide for Free

Fall garden centers can make a gardener feel wonderfully reckless. One minute, the plan calls for a few replacement plants, and the next minute the cart somehow contains enough mums, perennials, and ornamental grasses to require a financial debrief on the drive home. Before spending $200 on new plants, take…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 15