Gardening can be a rewarding hobby, but it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of time and effort it requires. If you’re looking to save time and make your gardening tasks more manageable, here are ten practical tips that will help you maximize efficiency and minimize workload—so you can spend more time enjoying your garden.
1. Grow from Transplants
Skip the hassle of nurturing seedlings from scratch and opt for transplants. These young plants, which you can purchase from garden centers or online, are ready to be planted in your garden, saving you time and effort. They’re sturdier, less prone to pests, and require less care than seedlings. While slightly more expensive than seeds, they often provide a better return on your investment, especially if you need a lot of plants.
2. Choose Easy-to-Grow Crops
Some vegetables are low-maintenance and require minimal attention. Crops like winter squash, pumpkins, pole beans, chard, and garlic grow with minimal intervention—just plant, water, and weed as needed. These “easy-care” plants often have fewer pest problems and are generally trouble-free, making them perfect choices for a time-efficient garden.
3. Plant Perennials
Perennial vegetables, herbs, and fruits are a gardener’s best friend. Once planted, they keep producing year after year without the need for replanting. Varieties like perennial kale, leeks, asparagus, and rhubarb, as well as fruit trees like apples and raspberries, provide a continuous harvest with very little effort. Investing in perennials not only saves time but also ensures that your garden keeps yielding crops with minimal upkeep.
4. Speed Up Planting
Preparation is key for quick planting. Before planting, soak your plants’ root balls in water to ensure they establish quickly and reduce the need for frequent watering. Lay out your plants first, then plant them all at once. Using tools like a dibber or a bulb planter will make digging holes easier, speeding up the entire process.
5. Start Automating
Technology can help save you time in the garden. Install an irrigation system with a timer to automate watering. Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses for more efficient water delivery. You can also invest in robot weeders and mowers to handle weeding and lawn care, saving you hours of work and ensuring your garden stays neat with minimal effort.
6. Low-Maintenance Lawns
Maintaining a lawn doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Reduce mowing frequency by allowing areas of grass to grow longer and mow less often—every two to three weeks, for example. Letting grass clippings fall back onto the lawn eliminates the need for fertilization. You can also remove complicated lawn edges to make mowing easier, or even replace small lawn areas with low-maintenance ground covers like gravel or raised garden beds.
7. Use High-Quality Potting Mix
Good soil is key to healthy plants that require less care over time. Using high-quality potting mix at planting time helps plants grow stronger and faster. Adding slow-release organic fertilizers, worm castings, or volcanic rock dust can further boost growth and reduce the need for additional feedings later.
8. Simplify Composting
Composting doesn’t have to be complicated. Use a compost tumbler for quick, easy composting, or adopt a “plonk-and-forget” method. Simply add a mix of brown and green materials to your compost pile, and let it break down over time without frequent turning. This method saves you the trouble of constant upkeep while still producing valuable compost.
9. Replace Grass Paths
Grass paths require regular mowing, so switch to organic materials like straw or woodchip. These paths only need occasional top-ups as they decompose, providing nutrients to your garden beds while also attracting beneficial insects. You can even plant into these paths, making them productive as well as functional.
10. Stop Digging
Digging is hard on the soil and time-consuming for gardeners. To avoid this, use the no-dig method: cover existing soil with cardboard or mulch, then add compost or potting mix on top before planting. This technique preserves soil health, reduces weed growth, and eliminates the need for back-breaking labor. By leaving the soil undisturbed, you’ll save time and improve your garden’s overall health.
By implementing these time-saving hacks, you’ll spend less time working in your garden and more time enjoying it.