Frugal Gardening Tips? Or websites with good deals on plants and trees?

[tkkmasky]

I am going to order a bunch of plants, trees, etc. and was wondering what company has the best deals...I ordered through Gurneys last year and was pretty happy with them, but I really want some apple trees and their prices are pretty high on them.

Ok...a couple of gardening tips from me....we started a compost pile last year and I love it, we got a bunch of beautiful black dirt out of it for our vegetable garden for free. Also, if you like weeping willow trees, they are so easy to propogate, just cut some branches off of a mature tree and stick them in pots or even right in the ground, water them good and they should root really easily. I've done this with my mom's willow and 3 out of 4 branches rooted, and viola....now I don't have to buy any like I was going to, and they grow fast, especially near water.

[cata5]

My mom saves the styrofoam coffee cups from Mcdonalds and starts new plants in them. It works great because it is easy to break the cup and peel it away when the plant is ready for a new or bigger home. She also saves flower seeds from the flowers to replant the next Spring. She lives near a university where there are many beds of flowers. When they are cleaning the beds out in the fall she stops by for the seeds.

[dcumba99p]

Couple of suggestions:

1. Instead of the "big box" home improvement stores, try to find a tree farm. This may require some digging on your part (no pun intended), but you will be rewarded. In the Middle Tennessee area where I live, I am able to drive 45 minutes to a tree farm and purchase healthy stock for half the price (or more) of Home Depot, Lowes, etc. For example, last year I purchased a half dozen five foot Saucer Magnolia bushes for $7 each. A seven foot tall pink dogwood was $40. Still a bit of money, but I couldn't have afforded to purchase those items at that size at regular outlets.

2. Wait till off-season for the fruit trees. Wal Mart marks those down big time in the June-July timeframe. Extra care will be required to keep them alive (i.e. mulch and regular watering), but you can get them for a few dollars each. You may not "want" to wait that long, but you may as well, since you won't get fruit for a few years.

Could rattle off a million more--if you are interested, shoot me an e-mail (or I'll continue on the thread if others are interested).

[dawnjackson]

I am just starting my garden for the first time. There has never been a garden here. The site prep is killing me - huge roots & all. I am looking into growing vegetables in container. Is 5 gallon bucket is big enough for cucumbers or tomatoes? I appreciate any advice ya'll can give me. Thanks in advance!

[dcumba99p]

That is plenty big. Couple of thoughts:

--You will need to water frequently--more frequently than if the plants were in the ground.

--Depending upon what type of soil you plan to use, you may want to mix in some clay to hold the soil together and retain moisture. Clay is not the most desirable of soil types, but works very well in a mix. The type I use actually comes from an auto parts store and is sold as floor spill absorbent (20 pound bag). If you go this route, make sure you purchase the kind that is clay pellets.

[tkkmasky]

I agree, that is plenty big. You could probably plant one large tomato plant in each container, make sure you stake them well. You could plant one bush type cucumber plant or a vining kind, but of course you would need some kind of support for the vine kind of cucumber. Make sure the soil stays damp but not soggy, and fertilize the plants regularly, as vegetables grow fast and need lots of nutrients.

I have also heard of people planting growing cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets, they let them hang down, I thought that was kind of a neat idea.

Good luck!













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[BELSEWHERE]

Just passing along a website to purchase trees from for everyone. It is from the [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] website, of course it is the Arbor Day Foundation. You can sign up for membership for $10.00 and they will start by shipping you 10 free trees right up front and then they offer deep discounts on other trees as well. These trees include fruit trees!

[andee1]

Unless you are really good with plants forget the Arbor Day Foundation. I ordered a bunch of trees and bushes from them before I knew how small they were. They were cheap, but only about 6 inches tall. Plus, you have to be very carefull with them at that size. (I didnt do well with them!)I would have been better off paying more for a bigger tree. But, it was my fault...not theirs. I did buy an apple tree from Stark Bros. I tried to find a website for them... this is all I could find... [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] You can request a catalog through this place...They have some beautiful fruit trees in there. The one we ordered was really healthy and in excellent shape. They are about the same price as Gurney's, but like dcumba99p said, you can get them at a nursary or off season at Walmart at great prices.

[hootieman]

Buy a few good bulbs and plant them in good soil with proper drainage. In a few years you will have many more bulbs. The same thing happens with iris rhizomes. I used a good fertilizer that you mix with water. I diluted it quarter strength and fed them once a week. If you dig pots out of the garbage wash them in a strong bleach solution to sterlize them. Plants do carry diseases. Join a local garden club. Members often trade cuttings. I used to give away irises and bulbs and things all the time. If you have altheas, when you prune them start new ones from the cuttings. Its not hard at all and you can all benefit.

[cata5]

Many perennials spread and occasionally can be dug up and split. This is a good way of getting free plants to replant elsewhere or to trade with a neighbor!

I took 5 hostas and split each in 3-5 pieces. This spring they all came up nicely!

I just recently bought some more perennials at a greenhouse clearance sale. This is a good time to seek out plants for next spring's gardens!

[Oshen]

territorial seed company has an online site with lots of information on individual plants.
great seeds, some organic.
order catalog from home page if you want the info that is onsite

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[Nancdaught]

I tried to get into the site of Stark Bros. I think there is only one. But if this is the in Missouri according to the article in our paper they are going out of business. Might have some good sales. But there would be no gurantee.
If you want to start a new garden spot. Mow the grass down and lay newpapers over the area till grass dies. Make sure the newspapers do not have color print on them. Makes tilling real easy.

OH MY GOSH....THIS IS MY KIND OF THREAD!!!

I KNOW HOW TO GET TREES FOR FREE!!! MY DH IS THE CHEAPEST MAN ALIVE....LOL.... WE BUILT OUR HOUSE AND HAD THIS HUGE FRONT YARD THAT NEEDED TREES!! SO, HE HEARD YOU COULD GROW TREES OUT OF POPLAR TREE TWIGS. HIS DAD HAD POPLAR TREES AND SENT THESE LITTLE TWIGS UP TO INDIANA FROM TENNESEE, HE PLANTED THEM IN A LINE 10 OF THEM...MAN DID THAT LOOK STUPID...AND THREE GREW INTO TREES..THEY ARE GOOD IF YOU WANT FAST GROWING TREES BECAUSE THEY GROW 8 FEET A YEAR.....BUT IT GETS BETTER...

THIS YEAR HE WENT WITH A FELLOW FARMER INTO THE WOODS AND THEY DUG UP A BUNCH OF MAPLES TREES, CAME HOME, AND STARTED PUTTING THEM ALL OVER FRONT YARD,THEY STRESSED A WHILE, BUT FINALLY CAUGHT ON AND STARTED TO GROW...SO WE GOT 20 SOME TREES FOR FREE!!

I BOUGHT MY APPLE TREES THOUGH AT HOME DEPOT AND THEY WERE ONLY ABOUT TWENTY APIECE, DH THOUGHT THAT WAS TOO MUCH....LOL...BUT I GOT MY WAY!!!!