Money-saving advice for fertilizer and plant food

Plants need love and care, but all of that attention can get expensive! We'll save you money on garden maintenance by teaching you how to make your own plant food, offering fertilizer tips, and more.

• Novice gardeners may be tempted to fertilize newly planted trees or shrubs right away, and unscrupulous fertilizer merchants will egg them on. But fertilizing stresses new plantings severely, because the plants will produce too much stem and foliage growth without the root system in place to support them.
• Instead, wait several months after planting to apply fertilizer.

• Those liquid plant food sprayers that attach to the end of a hose are super-convenient, but they come with a hidden cost. When the bottle of plant food is empty, the manufacturer is betting that you'll buy another bottle as a refill.
• Manufacturers promise a miracle with their liquids, but just because one brand came in the bottle doesn't mean that you can't refill it with a less expensive brand or with your favourite homemade recipe.
• These bottles often carry a warning label that says something like "Empty bottles cannot be reused." That's because there's an insert in the neck of the bottle specially designed to make a snug fit with the sprayer end. But here's the trick: in most cases, it's easy to gently pop out this insert with a screwdriver or a pair of pliers. Now refill the bottle, tap the insert back into place, and hook up the sprayer. If you're careful, you can reuse the same bottle many times.

• Mix one tablespoon of Epsom salts, one teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon ammonia, then add this to two litres (1/2 gallon) of warm water.
• Dilute this mix with another 3.7 litres (1 gallon) of water, and spray your plants with this brew once a month.
• This recipe also works for houseplants!

Gardening should be a relaxing and productive hobby: it doesn't need to break the bank. Use these tips to save some money each year, and you can enjoy the same beautiful garden for a significantly reduced cost.