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Summer is here and the ideal time to get outdoors and prioritize our yard and lawn maintenance. To make light work of our tasks, it’s easy to get lured into buying expensive gardening gadgets and professional-grade supplies in hopes of making yard work a breeze (I’ve been guilty of that).However, seasoned pros warn that many of these items are actually a waste of money and offer little real benefit.So if you’re looking to slash your gardening budget, I asked the experts to reveal the most common yard expenses to avoid — and what you can do to save your cash.1. Buying fertilizer (without doing a soil test first)
Testing soil PH (Image credit: Shutterstock)While fertilizer is an essential buy for nurturing plants or achieving a vibrant lawn, homeowners frequently dump cash into bags of fertilizer without first checking their soil's condition. This means that you could be wasting money on fertilizer that won’t benefit your garden.“One of the biggest things I see that homeowners waste money on is fertilizing a lawn without doing a soil test first,” states Gene Caballero, co-founder of GreenPal.“Many people apply products that their lawn doesn't actually need, and that wastes money and harms the turf. A simple soil test doesn't cost very much and will tell you exactly which nutrients your lawn is missing and let you know which one to buy.”You can purchase a soil meter to check the soil pH balance and condition before buying, or you can simply use homemade fertilizer such as mulch.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.“One of my favorite money-saving hacks is to mulch your lawn clippings instead of bagging them. The lawn clippings return nutrients to the soil, reduce fertilizer needs, and will help keep the lawn healthier throughout the season.”For more top tips, here’s how to reuse your lawn clippings around your yard.2. Cheap plastic gardening tools
