GROWING the garden of your dreams can now be achieved in a tight space if you know the right tricks.
One gardening pro shared his tips for cultivating any size yard on a budget.
Gardener and educator Timothy Hammond (@bigcitygardener) regularly teaches his over 90,000 Instagram followers how to use his techniques for growing healthy foods in their garden.
The self-proclaimed “urban gardener” who is based in Houston, Texas, encourages newbie planters to start small.
“Often people hop into gardening and think they must grow everything their first season and this is not true,” Hammond told The U.S. Sun.
He also knows how to save a buck while taking things slow.
“To grow a garden on a budget look into container gardening. You can usually find containers for free if you are a little resourceful,” he said.
He explained that almost anything that can hold soil and is water resistant is sufficient enough to be used as a container.
Hammond also wants to remind everyone that you don’t need a big yard to get a thriving garden.
Just follow his techniques to get a green thumb in no time.
“If you’re growing in a small outdoor space, then make sure you are using all the space and that includes growing upwards,” he said.
“Look into trellising certain crops to reduce the amount of space they take up in your garden,” he added.
“Also, try different planting styles like intercropping and intensive planting.
“These allow you to fit more plants in a smaller amount of space.”
He also recommends getting your growing party started with some easy plants such as herbs and lettuce.
“With herbs, you can start harvesting a week after you plant them once they are acclimated to their new growing area,” he said.
“Lettuce needs no fertilizer and minimal water and only takes 30 days to go from seed to harvest,” he added.
When it comes to maintaining your blossoming backyard, Hammond believes a little upkeep every day goes a long way.
“Enjoy your garden daily,” he said.
“It’s easier to spend a little bit of time daily than to leave it all for one day’s work,” he added.
To make your yard life even easier, he has one suggestion – the cultivator-hoe.
“This combo tool is perfect for weeding and digging planting holes,” he said.
Retail giant Home Depot sells a hoe-cultivator combo for $23.68.
Buy it now
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- Ames Hoe/Cultivator Combo, $23 from Home Depot – buy here
Featuring a durable hardwood handle and strong steel head, the tool is described as being able to carefully dig and cultivate soil.
The hoe end can be used for digging narrow trenches for planting seeds and bulbs while the cultivator end is used to aerate and loosen soil.
This “combo tool” can also be used to remove weeds, pile soil around the base of plants, and to mix soils with fertilizers and manure.
When first getting into the planting groove, he also wants you to take some pressure off of yourself.
“Don’t try to have a perfect garden, there is no such thing,” he said
“And don’t compare your garden to anyone else’s. Enjoy your garden and what it gives you,” he added.
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.