Ideas for the garden that will save you money!

If you like to grow your own flowers or veggies, then this is for you.

For soil improvement and good growth in your plants, I recommend using alfalfa. Yes, horse food! A 40 lb bag of pelleted alfalfa costs about $10 and it is an incredible deal when compared to the cost of commercial fertilizers. Why do I like alfalfa instead of, say manure? Well, for starters, I have to pay a lot for bagged manure or I would have to borrow a truck or rent one for a load. But the real difference is this- I don't have to wonder what else I'm putting into my garden.

Many manures are from animals that receive medications and that remains in their manure. There is also the risk of pathogens in manure transferring to edible crops, so the timing of manure application has to be careful. (e-coli for example). Rather than risk those or have to worry about it, I bypass the animal and go to the source of the nutrients- what they eat!

Alfalfa is a "complete" fertilizer. It has the NPK requirements as well as numerous micro-nutrients that feed our plants. Alfalfa improves the tilth of your soil by adding necessary organic matter. When used as a top dressing, alfalfa serves as a mulch, a fertilizer and weed supressant all in one. It is slow release, won't burn your plants, and it also will not harm ground water. It's a win- win. When planting and growing, alfalfa can be dug into the soil as well as on the surface as a side dressing.
In the fall, I spread pelleted alfalfa on the soil surface of my garden beds. The reward is happy roots and bulbs in the spring. The rains break the pellets down and they do supress weeds.

Another item that I'd like to share with fellow gardeners is an easy way to help prevent plant pathogens from taking over. Simply mix one part low fat milk (or powdered milk) with ten parts water. Put this into a sprayer and spray your vulnerable plant surfaces with it. It supresses downy and powdery mildews and a number of other nasty things that grow best in conditions that we are experiencing this summer- warm and moist. Re-spray after it rains. The milk has qualities that help to prevent the little spores from getting a good foothold. This was used for decades in greenhouses, until the chemical revolution. (Let's face it, they don't make a lot of money on selling milk with water). This will not harm your food plants or render them inedible nor will it harm ground water. I find this easier than the old baking soda recipe and just as (if not more) effective.

Another win-win and very low cost.
Please give these ideas a try.