Put your garden to work now to save you money this fall. Not only can you expect a cost savings, but you’ll also enjoy fresh, healthy food packed with flavor. No outdoor space? No problem! There are also many vegetables and herbs that can be grown inside your home in fall, and even winter. In this article I’ll share 10 gardening tips to help you save money on groceries this fall. 

10 Gardening Tips to Save Money on Groceries This Fall

1) Grow microgreens indoors

If you have grow lights for spring seed starting, put them to work this fall by growing microgreens indoors. Microgreens, which are pricy at the supermarket but easy to grow at home, are immature plants harvested just weeks after seeding. They’re quick, easy, nutrient dense, taste delicious, and there are many types you can plant inside your home. My go-to microgreens include peas, broccoli, lettuce, arugula, kale, and radish. 

Sow the seeds thickly on the surface of potting mix in trays or on microgreen mats, compostable mats that hold moisture to promote good germination and growth. Most microgreens are ready to scissor harvest after 2 weeks, although slower growing types may need 3 to 4 weeks. 

2) Grow sprouts indoors

Like microgreens, sprouts are expensive to buy, but very easy to grow with most ready to enjoy just a few days from seeding. They’re delicious on salads, sandwiches, and many other dishes adding a nutritional punch to your food. And because they don’t take up much space, you can grow sprouts anywhere. 

Sprouts are the first stage of a plant’s development that emerges from the germinating seed. I use a widemouth jar with a sprouting lid or a seed sprouting kit to grow a variety of sprouts like broccoli, alfalfa, mung beans, as well as yummy sprout mixes from seed companies. Read the instructions on the seed packet and place the recommended amount of seeds in the jar or sprouter. Rinse seeds with clean water twice daily and enjoy in just 3 to 4 days. 

3) Harvest and dry herbs

Before winter sets in harvest and dry garden herbs like parsley, thyme, sage, and oregano. You can get a lot of dried herbs from just a plant or two, and, you’ll find homegrown herbs have superior flavor to store bought.

I use a food dehydrator to dry garden herbs fast. Not only is it speedy, but it preserves their flavor and color. Depending on the type of herb, it takes about 3 to 4 hours. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can tie herb stems into small bundles and hang them in a warm, dry spot for a week or two. Avoid placing them in direct sun. Once herbs are dry, store them in jars or containers in a cool dark cupboard.  

4) Mulch root vegetables for winter harvesting

As a year round vegetable gardener I like to garden smarter, not harder, which means mulching cold hardy root vegetables like carrots, beets, and parsnips that are growing in my garden. The best time to mulch is before the ground freezes, usually in late November or early December in my zone 6 garden.

I use a 12 to 18 inch thick layer of straw or shredded leaves to cover the bed. This insulates the roots over the winter months, although they rarely last that long as I harvest them almost daily. The flavor of root vegetables improves with cold temperatures, making them sweeter and more delicious. 

5) Use a cold frame

In this list of 10 Gardening Tips to Save Money on Groceries This Fall, using a cold frame is one of my favorites. A cold frame is simply a bottomless box with a clear top that captures solar energy. It protects cool and cold season vegetables extending the harvest window by months. I use cold frames in late autumn to protect lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, Asian greens, parsley, and other hardy crops. You can buy a cold frame kit, make a straw bale cold frame, or DIY one from an old window.

6) Use a mini hoop tunnel

Quick and easy to set up, a mini hoop tunnel is another savvy season extender perfect for cool season salad greens. I like to set them up overtop my beds in early to mid autumn to protect leafy greens and root vegetables. These simple devices extend the harvest of fall crops by weeks or months, depending on the type or vegetable. 

Use 1/2 inch diameter PVC for the hoops or cut lengths of 9 gauge wire and bend them overtop the garden bed. Cover them with clear plastic or row cover for a DIY mini hoop tunnel. Weigh the ends down with smooth rocks or sandbags to keep the cover in place. 

7) Freeze pesto

Who doesn’t love fragrant and flavorful pesto? However buying jars of pesto is expensive. Make your own from garden basil and ingredients like garlic, parmesan, olive oil, and pine nuts. Before the first frost, harvest all of your basil, preferably Genovese basil, removing the leaves from the stems. I use my food processor to make pesto, but you can use a mortar and pestle if you prefer. 

I start by adding the garlic and pinenuts to my food processor, mixing them on high until they form a chunky paste. Then add the basil, pulsing to combine them into the pine nut and garlic paste. Drizzle in olive oil until you’re pleased with the texture. The last step is to stir in grated fresh parmesan cheese, which I do by hand. Freeze pesto in ice cube trays for perfect portions. Once fully frozen, remove them from the trays and place the cubes in labelled freezer bags. Enjoy! 

8) Ripen tomatoes indoors

Don’t let the last of your garden tomatoes rot on the vines, bring all green tomatoes indoors before the first frost. Most will ripen fine when placed in a spot with bright, indirect light like a countertop. Or use green tomatoes to make chow chow or fried green tomatoes.

For an extended harvest of garden tomatoes grow storage type varieties that can last for months in a cool spot like a basement. I grow varieties like Green Bee, Long Keeper, and Piennolo del Vesuvio, or overwinter your tomato plants for winter tomatoes or an extra early start next spring.

9) Bring pepper plants indoors for winter

I grow a wide variety of sweet and hot peppers in pots in my garden and greenhouse, however, peppers are a warm season vegetable and won’t survive cold temperatures. To keep the homegrown pepper harvest going all winter, I bring the plants indoors, placing the pots beneath my grow lights or in a sunny window. 

In particular, hot peppers do very well when brought indoors and the plants continue to produce new peppers during the winter months. I have great success with jalapeño and cayenne varieties as well as Thai types like Quickfire, whose compact growth and heavy production makes this pepper perfect for any sized indoor space. Keep the soil lightly damp and fertilize monthly to promote healthy growth. 

10) Grow herbs indoors

Fresh herbs are a summer garden treat, but in winter buying fresh can be pricey. Save money by growing herbs in a sunny windowsill or under grow lights. I always keep several pots of rosemary, basil, thyme, parsley, and mint indoors in winter too add bright flavor to my cooking. If using a window, boost success by using a south-facing window for maximum light. Also provide consistent moisture, keeping the growing mix lightly damp. To keep production high, I also fertilize every few weeks with a liquid organic fertilizer. And be sure to harvest often to encourage lots of flavorful new growth. 

If you enjoyed this article on 10 Gardening Tips to Save Money on Groceries This Fall, you’ll find more expert guides like our Cost-Effective Vegetable Garden Guide, in our free gardening resources.