Your Green Thumb Needn't Put You In The Red

5.6.07 4:58 PM EDT By consumeristcarey

The Chicago Tribune is celebrating the return of warm weather with several tips to keep your garden from breaking the bank:

  • Mow your lawn. It’s great exercise, and rather than pay someone $30 per week, save $700 over the season.
  • Don’t mow too much. Only cut a third of the grass height. The clippings are natural fertilizer and do not contribute to thatch.
  • Boil y’er weeds. Instead of using a commercial weed killer, douse weeds with a mixture of vinegar and boiling water. Cackle maniacally while doing so.
  • Buy used tools. Don’t buy cheap tools, buy used tools. Yard sales can be treasure troves.
  • Compost. Find a 3×3 space and pile on “anything that was alive but not part of an animal.” If you tend to your compost heap, the mixture of grass clippings, egg shells, and coffee grinds can make great fertilizer in as little as three months.
    What tips do you have to grow a garden that doesn’t hurt the wallet? Tell us in the comments. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

    Gardeners can discover inner path to savings [Chicago Tribune]
    (Photo: tillwe)

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