The Smart Hack That May Save You Money On Soil In A Garden Center

Beloved by many, gardening is a therapeutic hobby that offers both physical and mental health benefits. The time spent outdoors, the physical exercise, and the mood-boosting goodness of growing green things can all elevate your wellbeing. If you head to the garden store every spring for supplies, though, you know this adored hobby is not always beneficial for your wallet. The cost to build a garden can quickly skyrocket, and one of the bigger costs is soil. In fact, soil and soil amendments like topsoil and compost cost roughly $50 to $100 every season — and that's for a small garden.

The good news is that there's a garden center savings hack you may not have heard of that could save you up to 50% on the cost of soil every year — damaged soil bags! You see, many garden centers sell ripped or damaged soil bags at a discounted price. Why? Because they recognize that soil may have fallen out of the bag and they also want to recoup some of their revenue on damaged items. So, how can you reap the benefits of this soil discount hack? Let's dig in!

When you walk into your local garden store, first try to locate any pallets that the store is using to collect damaged bags — also known as "cull bags" — of soil. Some stores collect all of their cull bags and pile them onto pallets, and some will only sell the full pallets of bags and not individual ones. This is still good news for you if you need a ton of soil bags for projects like large island garden beds or extensive landscaping plans.

If you're only looking for one or two bags, head to the soil section and start inspecting the bags in inventory. You may be able to find one or two ripped or slightly torn ones that the store missed when stocking. Should you find one, you can ask the cashier or the department manager if the store will offer a discount on the damaged item you found. Depending on the store's policy and the severity of the bag's damage, you may be able to get a discount that's anywhere between 10% and 50% off, or even more if the tear is severe.

Are you looking for even more ways to tighten your gardening budget this season? One of the best ways to cut costs is to buy seeds instead of seedlings. It's true that it takes a bit longer for seeds to germinate and mature, while seedlings have had a head start. However, growing seedlings can cost between $2 and $4 for a single plant, while a packet of seeds costs $1 to $3, and could produce dozens of plants in some cases. Furthermore, many vegetable and flower plants do just as well when planted from seed in the spring. These include cucumbers, carrots, radishes, leafy greens, and herbs, as well as flowers like marigolds, coneflowers, and sunflowers.

To save even more cash, start planting a perennial garden this year! Some flowers, vegetables, and other perennial plants never leave your garden. Instead, they come back year after year, saving you both time and money in future growing seasons. Some of the most popular perennial flowers include daffodils, roses, and tulips, while the best perennial vegetables include artichokes, asparagus, and rhubarb. Other savings tips in the garden center include buying materials like mulch, rocks, and soil in bulk and looking for plants, tools, and gardening gear that have been marked down. While your gardening passion certainly isn't free, using these hacks and tips can lighten the cost burden and help you enjoy the season even more!