Gardening On A Budget

Once the buzz of Christmas has passed, the task of paying off bills can leave many gardeners on a strict budget. Gardeners who need to make frugal decisions at this time of the year can take heart in a number of alternatives that will not only lower the cost of gardening, but will also enhance the pleasure! Here are five steps every budget gardener should follow:

Plan ahead

Make a list of what you'd really like to see in your garden and stick to it. There's no use growing winter cabbage, regardless of how lovely it looks in the frost, if no one in your family eats cabbage. A list will also keep you under control when you see the end-of-season sales and are tempted to purchase something on a whim. In addition, if you plan exactly where plants are going to go, you won't make last minute mistakes such as placing sun loving plants in the shade.

Start a compost pile

It's surprising to see how many gardeners haven't constructed their own compost pile and still pay to have their grass clippings and leaves hauled away and then, in turn, purchase fertilizers every year. Compost is free food for the garden! It helps break up heavy clay soils, absorbs water in sandy soils, and encourages microbial life, thereby decreasing that chances of any one disease becoming rampant in the garden.

Compost piles don't require anything fancy. The walls can be made of recycled 2 x 4s, chicken wire, or even hay bales. All that you need is access to the pile and enough space to turn it every now and again.

What can you put in the pile for free? Grass clippings and leaves are a great choice since you probably have your own source as well as your neighbours'. Check with local tree care companies to see if they have any wood chips to give away. Coffee grinds from the local café make excellent compost, as does shredded newspaper. Don't forget to include your vegetable scraps and egg shells. Once you get hooked on composting, you'll even start going after the local barber for hair, and even saving dryer lint!

If you're an apartment gardener or are cramped for space, a great alternative to a compost pile is a worm bin. The requirements for a successful worm bin include a good size container, usually a Rubbermaid bin, about ½ lb of red wiggler worms, shredded newspaper, and then a steady supply of kitchen scraps. The resulting "worm casts" make excellent fertilizer for garden & potted plants.

Recycle

Many of the expenditures that gardeners make for containers and equipment can be cut down by re-using items you already have at home. Margarine tubs, yogurt & cottage cheese containers and egg cartons are fantastic for seed starting. Old gardening boots, wheelbarrows, and toolboxes can make whimsical substitutes for expensive outdoor containers. Window frames can be converted into cold frames and plastic milk jugs and pop bottles can be used to make a mini greenhouses or hot caps.

Start from seed when you can

One packet of tomato seed is often equivalent to the price of one tomato start yet you get the potential of at least 30-40 plants in each packet. While it may take longer and require advance planning, starting the majority of your plants from seed can be a big savings, especially if you're using recycled containers. No need for expensive heat mats - the top of the VCR or water heater is ideal. Fluorescent tubes make a suitable substitute for expensive grow lights and can be rigged up under a table or on a shelf in the garage.

Don't forget to try to save your own seed during the season. Not only will you save on the seed purchase the following year, but you'll also be able to select seed from plants that you know did well in your climate. Most communities now arrange for seed swaps in the early spring where you can trade your excess seed for new varieties. Make sure that you save seed from non-hybrid plants.

Choose plants that keep on giving

In the vegetable garden, climbing peas, tomatoes, beans & squash tend to provide more produce than their bush equivalents. If you're limited in space, growing these plants vertically can be very successful. In addition, plants like zucchini are notorious for their yields. Trade with neighbours for food you didn't grow.

Among the flowers, try growing multi-purpose plants to get more bang for your buck. Many flowers like bachelor's buttons, violas, calendula, pansies, & roses are edible as well as beautiful. Yarrow, alyssum, fennel, cumin, & coriander all attract beneficial insects as well.

Find a friend

Not only can you share ideas with a gardening buddy, but you can also share the costs and make it cheaper for both of you. Very few of us require a whole packet of seed for the gardening season; most packets contain 40-100 seeds. Why not split the packet with a friend or else trade seed for a variety you didn't buy? A gardening buddy is also a great person to share tools with. If you've got a fantastic hoe and your friend has an excellent pitchfork, why double up?

Sharing with a gardening partner will also allow you to purchase certain inputs in bulk. If you require potting mix, why not go for the bale size instead of the small packages? Compost, if you can't make your own, is much cheaper if purchased by the yard and shared with a friend or two.

Joining a garden club is a great way to meet gardening enthusiasts if no friends or family are willing to team up with you. Most clubs also hold plant exchanges or sales where you can get plants for a real steal.

How to start chili seeds

Starting chili peppers plants from seed is simple and fun. Provide your plants with the right conditions from the beginning, and you'll be making salsa all summer long!

Chilies come in many varieties that can range from very mild—almost sweet, to burn-your-tongue hot. Be sure to read the seed packet for specific varietal descriptions.

The first consideration is where to plant your chili seeds. If you don't live in a tropical climate, container planting can be the best and most rewarding choice. Chili plants require a long, hot growing season, and in many northern areas, the season is too short for the chilies to mature fully. This is where containers come in handy. When the weather turns cold and your chilies are still green, simply set the pot in a sunny window and let them ripen.

If you are planting outdoors, a spot closest to the house is recommended. These areas are warmer and more protected from frost, the deadly enemy of your delicate chili pepper plants.

Either in the garden or in a container, soil is the next consideration. To start the seeds, use a soil-less or sterilized seed starting mix, available at most garden centers and nurseries. Chilies prefer and acidic soil; adding coffee grounds or diluted vinegar is an easy way to accomplish the needed acidic levels. Your goal is a PH between 5.0 and 6.0. Amend the soil with composted organic material, peat moss and lime for a healthy mix.

Lightly cover your seeds with the planting mix, and water to keep evenly moist. Using a spray bottle to mist the plants is a great way to avoid drowning the seeds. If the seeds are kept too moist, damping off can occur, which will kill the seedlings.

Sprouts should emerge in about three weeks, depending on soil conditions or humidity. Seeds should be covered with a clear plastic cover, such as plastic wrap, to retain moisture and humidity. Once the seedlings emerge, remove the cover and place in a sunny area.

Seedlings are ready to transplant to the garden or final container when two sets of leaves appear. Once transplanted, your seedlings will need daily watering, especially in the hot days of summer. Chili plants in containers need special attention as they dry out more quickly. In very hot areas, watering in the morning and evening can be necessary. The soil should remain evenly moist, but not soggy. Any soil you use should be well drained. Containers should have holes drilled in the bottoms. You can add sand or gravel to the soil mix to improve drainage.

Chili peppers need fertilizer about once a month. Use a complete mix labeled for fruits and vegetables. Be sure to mix according to label directions. Too much fertilizer can burn plant roots, especially in containers.

Water and the weather can affect the taste and hotness of your chili pepper plants. Too much or too little water can cause the chilies to taste bitter rather than hot. Long, sunny summers with high temperatures will grow hotter tasting chilies than short, cool summers with many overcast days.

Your chili peppers, started from seed, will be ready to harvest in roughly one hundred days. When peppers are ripe, they will remove easily from the stem. Pulling the off too soon can damage your plant.