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Your Fall Garden Could Be Cheaper to Start Than Your Spring Garden

Spring gets all the gardening glory, but fall has a sneaky advantage: it can cost less to get growing. The season favors vegetables that handle cooler weather, many of which grow beautifully from inexpensive packets of seed rather than trays of pricey transplants, heat-loving plants, and all the gear that…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 2

7 Garden Plants You Should Stop Fertilizing as Summer Ends

Fertilizer is like the garden equivalent of a helpful snack. A little boost seems harmless, especially when plants still look green and productive, but late-summer feeding can sometimes encourage exactly the kind of growth a plant does not need heading into cooler weather. For several common garden plants, August and…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 2

Should You Keep Watering Your Garden the Same Way Once September Arrives?

September can fool a gardener into watering the garden exactly as they did in July. The calendar says summer has nearly packed its bags, but the soil may still dry quickly on warm afternoons, especially around thirsty vegetables, newly planted perennials, and containers.

Frugal Gardening · Sep 2

Garden Plants You Should Stop Fertilizing as Summer Ends

As summer starts running out of steam, your fertilizer routine deserves a second look. Continuing to feed certain garden plants simply because they still have green leaves can encourage tender new growth at exactly the wrong time, leaving plants less prepared for the cooler weather ahead.

Frugal Gardening · Sep 1

9 Vegetables You Can Still Plant in September for a Fall Harvest

September may look like the vegetable garden’s closing time, but somebody forgot to lock the door. As summer crops fade, cool-season vegetables are just getting interested, and several can still go into the garden in September for a fall harvest.

Frugal Gardening · Sep 1

Don’t Rip Out Your Summer Garden Yet: 8 Plants That May Keep Producing Into Fall

Summer may be packing its bags, but the garden does not always get the memo. Tomatoes can keep setting fruit, peppers can continue coloring up, and a well-established bean plant may still have plenty of pods hiding beneath its leaves when cooler mornings arrive.

Frugal Gardening · Aug 31

How to Prepare Raised Beds for Fall on a Small Budget

A raised bed does not need a glamorous autumn makeover. In fact, the most useful fall preparation often involves things already sitting around the yard, a few inexpensive materials, and resisting the urge to buy every shiny garden product within arm’s reach.

Frugal Gardening · Aug 31

6 Ways to Cut Water Use Without Starving Your Garden

A garden can drink a surprising amount of water, but that does not mean every thirsty-looking plant needs another drink. Often, the bigger problem comes from water landing in the wrong place, evaporating too quickly, or running away before roots get a useful sip. A few smarter habits can reduce…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 31

A Practical Guide to August Pruning Mistakes That May Cost You Next Year’s Flowers

August pruning can feel like harmless garden housekeeping, but the wrong cut at the wrong time can remove the flower buds that should open next spring. A shrub can look perfectly healthy after a summer haircut while quietly carrying far fewer blooms for the following season. That makes late-summer pruning…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 31

7 Garden Plants You Should Stop Spending Money On Every Year

Garden centers make it dangerously easy to buy the same plants every spring, even when several reliable garden favorites can keep coming back without another trip to the checkout counter. A handful of herbs and ornamentals can return for years, spread naturally, or produce enough new plants to make that…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 31