Gardening: It's gardening season - time to prepare your soil. One thrifty gardening tip is to begin working in the compost you have been making all year. Take the rich dark compost soil, put around 2 inches of it on the garden and work it into the top 5 inches of the garden.



Developing your own compost is a huge money savings, so if you don't already have a compost, get one started. You can purchase a commercial compost bin, or make your own. The size of the bin you will be working with will depend on the space you have available. You can either enclose an area with boards or just decide on an area you want to use, loosen the dirt out at least a foot down, add your kitchen scraps and turn into the dirt on a regular basis. You can also add leaves and lawn clippings from the yard. Be sure to mix the scraps into the dirt well and keep the compost moist.

Planting Another step to thrifty gardening in the spring is getting your seedlings started. A great way to plant your seedlings is in pots made from old newspaper. To do this, get the newspaper moist, using two containers that are the same size, line one with the newspaper and press in with the other container. Remove the second container and let the newspaper dry. Use this to plant your seeds, and when your plants come up and are ready to plant in the garden, you can plant the newspaper pot and all. The newspaper will decompose over time.

Tools, Pots and Planters If you don't have gardening tools or yours need replaced, start looking at yard sales, thrift stores and secondhand stores. Often you will find near new tools at these venues. For pots and planters, look around to the things you already have. You can use practically anything as a planter, such as an old pair of boots, or an old barrel or metal pail. Use your imagination and use what you already have.

Mulch Old newspaper is a thrifty option for mulch in the garden. Shred a bunch of newspaper and place around the bottom of your plants. This will help hold moisture and heat.

Watering If you are allowed to catch rain water in your area, this is the perfect way to save money on watering your garden and yard. Check your local regulations since catching and using rain water isn't legal in some areas.

Another thrifty watering trick is to cut the bottom off of liter soda bottles, push the neck of the bottles down into the ground around your plants, then fill with water. The water will soak in slower than just watering with a sprinkler.