16 Gardening Tips for the Lazy Gardener

Last updated on September 21st, 2019 at 05:47 pm

Gardening is one of the most rewarding hobbies. I love being out in the sun and working on the earth, seeing the plants grow because of my hard work and dedication. However, sometimes I don’t want to put in the hard work and dedication. So sue me, haha. In lazy moments like that, I’ve found some great tips to help me out!

Instead of weeding, just plant a ground cover instead. This takes up all the space in between your plants where weeds would grow, so you don’t have to worry about weeding. Do some research and see what good ground covers for your zone are and then go for it!

If you’re concerned with watering, then build or buy a self-watering system. That could be automatic sprinklers, or it could just be a modified upside water bottle in your planter—whatever works best for you and your garden.

In fact, if you’re really concerned about not wanting to water, just don’t! Plants can grow without human intervention, believe it or not, so let them! Let nature do the watering and you won’t have to!

For plants in pots, instead of filling the whole thing up with soil and making it super heavy, you can fill the bottom part with packing peanuts or milk jugs, and then just put soil over the top part. This saves money because you save soil, and it also helps with drainage!

You could try getting rid of weeds by putting black plastic over all the parts of the garden where your plants aren’t growing. This takes some time in the beginning, but it will save you tons of weeding time in the future!

Another way to not have to spend a lot of time taking care of your garden is by choosing plants that are tough and drought-resistant. The more “independent” your plants are, the less you’ll have to dote and care on them in order for them to survive. Choose plants that reflect how much work you want to put in.

To save you time next year in having to plant, choose flowers and plants that are self-seeders and perennials. This way, when the warm weather rolls around again, you won’t have to do any replanting!

You could also choose slow growers in order to make your gardening a little easier. Slow growing plants require less pruning, which means you don’t have to be taking care of the plant as much.

Composting is a good idea, but it can sometimes take a while and be a lot of work. Instead, just cut the middleman out and take your food scraps directly to the garden! Dig little trenches next to the plants and put the food in them. It may not be as pretty as compost, but it’s just as effective.

Lots of people will tell you that you need to plant in nice neat rows. However, that means you have to spend time digging all those holes and making sure they look good. Instead, just spread the seed around in a small section. When the plants grow in, they may be a little uneven, but it saves you a bunch of time!

Something that can save you a bunch of time in the longrun is planning out your garden location in advance. Plan for the amount of sun, shade, and water your desired plants will need and then choose a spot that is best for those needs. That way, you won’t have to pay as much attention to them since you know they’re in a good spot.

Build an elevated garden and you won’t have to bend over ever again to garden! It may be a bit of work in the beginning, but when you’re not on your knees pulling up weeds, you’ll be grateful you put in the time.

This may seem obvious, but always wear gloves when you’re gardening, no matter how small the task. Gloves means you won’t have to spend tons of time scraping off dirt and grime from your palms and under your fingernails. It’s a small step to save time.

Simplify your soil and fertilizer. Do what your plants need in order to survive, but stop there! You don’t need to spend hours crafting your own fertilizer or hand-mixing the soil. Your plants may not be as perfect as possible, but hey, they’ll be good enough.

Enlist your family (especially kids) in helping with gardening chores! If they’re going to enjoy the benefits of fresh fruits and veggies, then they can put in some time as well! And who knows, maybe your kids will enjoy the gardening work!

If you really want to be a lazy gardener, then don’t worry so much about how your garden looks. It may have some weeds in the corners, a few uneven patches, and a dry spot or two, but the plants will probably be growing just fine! Don’t worry about the superficial look of your garden and you’ll find yourself saving tons of time!