Being passionate about gardening and passionate about being thrifty and saving money do not have to be mutually exclusive. If you know the right time to perform certain tasks around your lawn or garden, you can get the most out of your efforts and expenditures. Taking the seasons into account is the best way to make sure you are saving time and money. This goes for any gardening tasks, from planning, installing, to maintenance.
If you are looking for tips to get more bang for your buck and more time for you money, then keep reading
The Best Time To Prepare For Spring Is Fall
Many people wait to start in on their gardening until after Memorial Day. This is the time of year when daylight hours are increasing and the weather outside is much more pleasant for doing yard work. The problem is if you start to fall behind on tasks, well guess what, mother nature isn’t going to wait for you to catch up.
It is unfortunate that people have come to hold this notion that spring is the time to get down to work in your garden. The fact is that fall is a great time to prune and clear away all of that newly dead growth, getting you in great shape for when spring comes.
While fall can be a great time to get a head start on your spring garden clean up, don’t get too carried away clearing every fallen leaf and dead twig. You can leave these debris around the property border and in wooded areas, because they are a resource for a healthy ecosystem. Just focus on cleaning up your managed gardens. This way, when spring arrives, you can mulch right away and stay ahead of the weeds.
Plan Any Updates In Late Spring
One common pitfall for the frugal gardener is planning projects for the season too early. Your garden is still transitioning out of its winter mode early in the spring, making it difficult to accurately assess what may need to be done.
If you exercise patience and wait for your garden to recover from the hibernation of the winter months, you will have a much better idea of what your landscape will look like when the sun is really coming out. After your garden has recovered completely in the late spring, you may not have quite as many projects on your list as you initially thought.
There is just no way to picture your to-do list if nothing has even sprouted. Be patient, and let spring work its magic before you go all in on any expensive projects.
Plan Planting For Fall
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f you are planning to add new plants, or transplant old ones, you’ll want to do it during the fall season. If these projects are done during the summer, you will have more losses due to the stress of the heat and drought. Transplants and seedlings just don’t stand up well to these conditions, so you will save money by doing your planting in the cooler and milder autumn.
Another reason to plan your planting for fall is because that’s the time of year when plants really expand their roots. So, if you are going to be planting and disturbing root systems, it’s to do it during fall when they can easily bounce back. Make sure to water your plants well before and after transplanting.
Plan Hardscaping Projects Carefully
Hardscaping is expensive and labor intensive. These projects should be planned extensively and with care to avoid costly mistakes. Make sure to allocate enough money for the project without cutting corners.
Remember that these fixtures are usually intended to be permanent, so skimping quality or expertise may cost you more down the road. You don’t want to have to go back and fix second rate work later on, or be stuck living with a budget material when you wished you would have gotten the premium.