Vegetable Gardening Tips And Tricks

Are thinking of starting your very own garden?

Whether you’ve already given gardening a try or it’s your first time getting your hands dirty, you can make everything easier and less stressful if you have a trick or two up your sleeves.

These easy and clever gardening tips will help you turn your backyard into your own oasis.

Vegetable Gardening Tips And Tricks

Apply A Thick Layer Of Mulch

As experienced gardeners always say, “Mulch. Mulch. Mulch!”

Apply a thick layer of mulch, at least 2 to 3 inches deep around your plants.

Applying a thick layer of mulch around your plants will help prevent weeds from growing since it’s blocking out the sunlight around the plant.

Mulch can also reduce moisture loss as it holds in the moisture and makes the ground underneath cooler allowing your root system to flourish and keep it from burning up.

You can use organic materials like shredded and dried leaves, straw, or even shredded cardboard. You can also purchase prepared mulch.

Wood Smith USA 100% Natural Cedar Chips Mulch

• 100% Natural Cedar; Use with your outdoor and indoor plants; will hold moisture in!
• Use as an air freshener; natural subtle cedar scent; Refill your cedar sachet bags.
• Put in animal bedding; Put in kitty litter; absorbs smelly odors.
• Great for hanging planters, essential home accessories.

Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Sun and Shade Combination Mulch

• Grass seed: Scotts best high performance grass seed
• Mulch: Absorbs 6x its weight in water and expands to surround the seed in a moist protective layer
• Fertilizer: Exclusive controlled release technology feeds seedlings to jumpstart growth
• Tackifier: Helps keep seed from washing away; Protectant: Helps keep seedlings safe from harmful diseases that can attack newly planted areas
• Grows in full sun and dense shade, high traffic areas and on slopes; seeds up to 890 sq. ft.

EZ-Straw Seeding Mulch With Tack

• Premium Processed Straw with a bonding agent (Tackifier) that gives straw a tackiness which holds it together. This natural bonding agent is biodegradable and helps to protect grass seed from heavy washout and wind.
• The Straw Protects the grass seed from heavy washout, windy areas, birds and other animals.
• Twice cut and processed for easy application.
• Tack Bonding agent gives straw a tackiness which holds it together. Speeds up germination. Water less often. 99% weed free.
• Biodegrades, no mess to clean up, just leave in place after the seed grows.

Keep Track Of The Frost Dates

Planting too late or too early in the season can be disastrous to your harvest.

Before you start planting, find the last average spring frost date in your area. Then find the time from planting to harvest for what you’re planting and make sure you plant at the right time to be able to get a harvest.

Planting at the wrong time will mean that your plant’s growth could be stunted or it could not produce as much or at all.

Knowing when the first frost is predicted in your area also allows you to know when you need to move your plants indoors or into the greenhouse if you are overwintering them.

Create A Drip Feeder

Deliver moisture from the roots to the leaves by making a drip feeder using an old soda bottle.

This DIY project is very cost effective and simple (you don’t need to pay for anything, as long as you have plastic bottles laying around).

Here’s how to create this drip feeder:

1. Puncture small holes in the plastic bottle. All around the sides and bottom.
2. “Plant” the drip feeder in the ground or pot next to your plant and fill the bottle with water as needed.

This drip feeder will enable a slow release of water near your plant’s roots. This will also help to prevent fungus and reduce problems with the leaves getting wet causing diseases.

Grow Sweeter Tomatoes

Grow juicier and sweeter tomatoes than the ones you can buy at the store with this trick:

Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda to the soil. This reduces the acidity level in the tomatoes making them sweeter.

When adding baking soda, make sure that you sprinkle it on the soil, not the plant.

Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda

• Trusted brand in baking soda.
• An open box of baking soda naturally absorbs unwanted smells and odors.
• These Pure Baking Soda air filters will absorb and neutralize odors from pets, smoking, cooking and other unwanted odors.
• Value pack of 2 Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda.

PURE Sodium Bicarbonate

• Food and USP Grade with the highest quality product.
• Can be used for baking, cooking, and cleaning.
• Aluminum-free.

Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda

• Food and USP Grade with the highest quality product.
• Multiple uses: Can be used for baking, cooking, and cleaning.
• Pack of 2.

Try The Pot-In-A-Pot Method

The pot-in-a-pot method is excellent for flexible gardening as you can move things around without upsetting your plants. 

This process is easy: Just bury a container in the ground and then insert a potted plant into the buried container. Make sure that the second container or pot is smaller than the empty container so it can easily fit inside.

Nourish Plants With Eggshells

The next time you crack an egg don’t toss the shells!

These eggshells are useful in your garden. It can protect and nourish your plants.

Spread the crushed up eggshells around the base of your plants to nourish them with calcium. Crushed up eggshells can also help repel insects, protecting your plants from pests. Snails and slugs don’t like the feel of crushed eggshells thereby repelling them.

No Space For A Greenhouse? No Problem!

If you don’t have enough space in your garden or backyard for a greenhouse, here’s a space saving and cheap trick: Use clear plastic bins.

These plastic bins are cheap and versatile and can keep your growing seedlings safe from pests and inclement weather.

Just cover your plants with clear plastic bins – make sure not to leave the bins on during the day as they could “fry” your seedlings.

Doryh 5 L Plastic Storage Bin with Lid

• Exterior :10.55″x7.5″ x6.5″ Interior: 9″x5.3″x6.2″
• A good functional storage for classroom and home.
• Clear design theory aims at powerful convenience.
• Buckle up latches keep the lids securely in place.

Homz 66-Quart Plastic Storage

• Large- 66 quart storage capacity ideal for storing shoes, clothes, seasonal holiday decorations, personal items and more
• Bins are made from durable see-through clear plastic that withstands ongoing use – allows you to see contents without opening the container
• Large ergonomic latches lock to secure lid in place and make for a comfortable grip and handle when moving or storing the container. Stacking and modular design for best use of space. Bins nest into one another when not in use.
• Exterior dimensions with Lid: 26. 5″ x 16. 5″ x 12. 75″ Interior dimensions: 20. 87″ x 14. 39″ x 11. 88″
• Set includes 2 clear plastic bins and 2 clear plastic lids

IRIS USA 12-Quart Stack & Pull Box

• Modular storage designed to meet the storage needs of any room in the house
• Built-in handle for easy removal from shelves
• Buckle up latches secure contents inside
• Stackable to make the most of limited space
• Dimensions: 16. 49″L x 10. 98″W x 6. 53″H

Use Alternative Seeds Starters

Instead of using plastic seed starters, use things you already have in your kitchen.

Successfully grow seedlings in hollowed-out citrus rind, washed out eggshells, cardboard egg cartons, or even cleaned out baby food jars. You can also use empty K-Cups as they are the perfect size for seed starts.

Don’t forget to label the cups and rinds before adding your seeds.

Water Easily With A Wine Bottle

Are you looking for an easier way to water your garden and keep its moisture, especially during hot summer afternoons?

Grab an empty wine bottle, fill it with water, flip it upside down, then jam it inside your pot or planter.

The water from the wine bottle will slowly transfer to the soil, saving you days of watering. It’s a very cheap solution, much more cost effective than buying a self-watering pot.

Line The Pot With Coffee Filters

Don’t you just hate it when dirt leaks out of the bottom of your pots when you’re planting or watering?

Even if you use a saucer to catch the leak, it can still be very messy.

One way to stop this loss of soil without affecting the drainage in your pots is by adding a coffee filter to the bottom of the pot.

You can use already used coffee filters (to save even more money) or buy cheap ones from the Dollar Store or Amazon.

Rupert and Jeoffrey’s Trading Co. Natural and Unbleached 8-12 Cup Basket Coffee Filters

• High Quality – Sturdy sides won’t collapse during brewing. This minimizes coffee grounds getting into your coffee.
• Standard Size – Made to fit coffee makers from 8 cup up to 12 cup. The dimensions of this filter are: Base Diameter 3-1/4″, Side Height 2-3/8″
• Superior Taste – Paper filters remove most oils and micro coffee particles which cause coffee to turn bitter. Metal and cloth filters can let these into your cup.
• Eco-friendly & Made In The USA – Biodegradable and made from paper, a renewable resource. All manufactured right here in the US.
• Easy Clean Up – Disposable filters mean that you can toss the grounds without needing to clean out a metal filter.

Divan 8-12 Cup Coffee Filters

• Special paper grade assures optimum extraction of coffee’s taste
• Perfect for coffees requiring exact brewing, like decaf and flavored coffees
• Superior, stay-in-place design prevents coffee grounds overflow
• Chlorine-free

Melitta 8-12 Cup Coffee Filters

• Filters fit all 8-12 cup Basket-type household coffeemakers.
• Pack of 600

Create A Watering Jug From An Old Milk Jug

Are you looking for an easy way to water your plants but the watering cans are just too small for your need?

Grab your old milk jug, poke small holes in the lid, then fill it with water and you have a very inexpensive watering can.

Stop Applying Fresh Manure

Don’t just add fresh manure to your garden or plants. It’s too high in nitrogen and can easily burn your plants. Plus, it can contain parasites and pathogens. Only apply composted, rotted manure that has been cured for at least six months.

Avoid using dog, cat, and pig manure in your garden or compost pile. It may contain parasites.

Turn A Hanging Shoe Organizer Into A Vertical Garden

Do you have a hanging pocket or shoe organizer that you no longer use?

Turn it into a vertical garden instead.

You can also purchase a hanging pocket shoe organizer made from fabric, hang it outside, then use the pockets for your plants.

It’s not only a space saving idea, it can also deter pests and other critters from disturbing your plants.

Gardening is fun, but you’ll enjoy it more if you know some tricks that can make your tasks a lot easier and also less expensive. With these gardening tips and tricks you can be sure that you’ll get the most out of the time you spend in your garden.

What are your favorite tips and tricks to make gardening easier, less expensive, and more fun?