Gardening tips: Can you reuse pot compost
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Gardening needn’t be expensive. Indeed, there are many ways you can save money, from looking after your tools and swapping seeds and plants, to buying only discounted plants from the garden centre. But there are other, less obvious tricks to keep your pounds in check. A gardening expert has shared where to start when it comes to keeping on a budget, yet still creating a beautiful garden.
Professional gardener Debi Holland spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk on her top tips for gardening on a budget.
One of the “easiest ways” she claimed was to make your own compost.
She said: “One of the easiest ways to save money and garden on a budget is to make your own compost.
“Turn your kitchen and garden waste into a supply of organic matter to mulch garden borders and fill pots.
“Not only does this save you having to buy bags of growing medium but it also cuts down on using plastic bags, so is good for the planet too.”
Materials such as grass cuttings, leaves, cardboard, plant prunings, coffee granules, fruit and vegetable peelings can all be added to the pile.
However, items such as cooked food, meat, perennial weeds, woody or diseased material should be avoided.
She added: “Worms will soon appear and do all the hard work for you by mixing up your heap.”
Gardeners can also grow plants straight from seeds as this will help save a lot of money.
Debi noted a genius hack for gardeners to get “free” seeds.
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She said: “Fill your garden with vibrant flowers and delicious vegetables at a fraction of the cost of buying mature plants by growing from seed.
“Gardening magazines are a good source of free seeds, visit a local seed swap or collect your own at the end of the season.”
For those who have a lot of the same plants, they can be divided to increase stock for “free”.
The gardening pro said: “Divide garden plants and increase your plant stock for free.
“Plants eventually outgrow their space and run out of steam so dig out a clump and divide into smaller sections with a spade or tease roots apart with a garden fork.
“Replant and the divided clumps will have a new lease of life. Get friends on board and swap plants!”
Debi said that spring and autumn are the ideal times to divide herbaceous perennials like asters, hostas and rudbeckia.
With utility bills rising, wasting water is the last thing gardeners will want, so why not water your plants for free?
The plant enthusiast noted that gardeners on a water meter can save money on their water bill by collecting rainwater to water their plants.
Debi said: “Water can become scarce throughout summer so install a water butt now to the down pipe of your house roof, shed or greenhouse and save every precious drop.
“Alternatively, leave out free-standing containers to collect rainwater.”
There are also so many ways to save money by repurposing what we already own.
Debi urged gardeners to “reduce, reuse and recycle”.
She said: “Reuse fruit punnets, yoghurt pots and toilet roll inner tubes instead of buying new seed trays.
“Plant pots can be made from recycling just about anything from bath tubs to sinks, from crates to colanders.
“Just make sure your pots have drainage holes. Reuse and recycle whatever you can and reduce what goes to landfill.”
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