The Biggest Time-Saving Tips I Know

After a lot of years around plants, the shortcuts I trust aren’t gimmicks — they’re the handful of moves that quietly save hours every week. Here are the ones I’d tell any gardener to start with.

It stops weed seeds from germinating in the first place, which means dramatically less weeding and better-looking beds. Apply it to clean beds, water it in, and let it work. Set it and forget it.

A simple faucet timer (Orbit and Melnor both make good ones) runs $30–50 and can save you hours every week. The plants don’t care whether you’re the one who turned the faucet on — they just want water at the same time every day.

Worth a quick mention: a couple inches of mulch means less watering, fewer weeds, and cooler roots through an Indiana July. It’s one of the highest-return afternoons you’ll spend all season.

This one surprises people. A bigger pot holds more soil and more water, so it dries out slower, needs watering less often, and forgives the day you forget. If you’re tired of watering twice a day, size up.

Some plants drop their spent blooms on their own — no deadheading required. A few of my favorites:

• ✓ SunPatiens
• ✓ Angelonia
• ✓ Lantana
• ✓ Coleus
• ✓ Monarch Magic Ageratum

Less deadheading, less work, same great color all summer.

Work smarter, not harder. Each of these removes a recurring chore for good — and that’s the kind of effort that pays you back every single week.

Reference: Purdue University Extension · Schlegel Greenhouse production notes