Gardening Supplies for Frugal Canadian Gardeners

For you Canadian gardeners looking for a deal on gardening supplies -- Check out your local Dollarama store!

They have packs of seed 3 for $1 -- many basic varieties of veggies: broccoli, nantes carrots, radishes, tomatoes, melons, herbs, etc and some flowers.

Also watch for 3 ft and 6 ft spiral supports -- I found them for $2 each last year. They worked great for some of the smaller squash vines (summer squash / acorn squash -- 3 ft ones).

Bags of soil for starting seed 5L $2 -- mix similar to Mel's mix.

Jiffy Pots 2" -- pack of 26 for $1. Also seed starting trays and mini greenhouse trays various sizes.

Rectangular plastic serving trays (in kitchen isle) that work great under jiffy pots and other seed starting trays to contain the water / make many pots portable.

Lots of large plastic patio pots and rectangular planter boxes $2 each -- great size for bush tomatoes, peppers, or herbs. The round patio pots even have room for cage supports in them if needed.

Gardening gloves, small hand tools, plant labels, trellis twist ties, short soaker hoses, spray nozzels, mini trellis', hoop plant supports, spray bottles, etc.

Plastic domes to protect plants from frost once in the garden -- I bought a bunch a couple years ago and they have been extremely useful in early spring when there are unexpected frosts / cool nights. They have lips that can be tucked under dividers so they don't blow away; they are almost 10" tall and about approx 9 x 9" square so they worked well over small tomato, pepper, or lettuce plants. They saved many plants for me and are reuseable.

All $2 or less, great value on some of the same brands / items we are paying >$5 for at other stores.

Happy Gardening!

Wow bullfrogbabe!! I didn't realize Dollarama had that much gardening stuff. Guess where I'm heading tomorrow!

Ok... so I didn't get to Dollarama on Monday, but I dragged my DH and the kids there this morning. My local Dollarama doesn't have all the stuff you listed bullfrogbabe, but it's still early in the season. I'm hoping they'll have more in a few weeks.

I was able to get some small ring plant supports that came in packs of 5 for $1.50. They are the perfect size for my leggy basil plants. They are holding them up nicely for me until I can get them pruned a bit and hopefully encourage more bushy growth.

I also found the plastic cloches and grabbed six at a dollar each. DH wanted me to wait to get them, but I'm afraid I'll go back later and they won't have them anymore. I'm going to try and go back to get more if they still have them. They look like they will fit one square perfectly!

Yeah!!!

Dollarama is still putting out their gardening section, so there should be more after St Patties Day and Easter stuff is gone.

Some of the gardening things are tucked onto Isle ends around the store away from the main gardening section and the seasonal isle which also tends to fill up more gardening stuff once Easter comes along. The seed starting supplies (jiffy pots and traységreen house domes) were on the end of an isle across the store from the garden section, so you will likely need to have a look around to find them.

My list does include many items I found at Dollarama last year, so I am hopeful they will have most of those items again. I am looking for more 3 ft spiral supports, so I hope they have them again this year. They did go quickly lasy year, as $2 is a really good price for them.

I got a lot of great stuff at Dollarama too last year. My favourite were some little lights that look like rocks and snails and turtles. My least favourite was a wooden expandable trellis; stay away from that one. It crumbled like a cookie when I opened it.

xoxo

I have never bought seeds from Dollarama or any other Dollar Store, but I have from a Hardware store here one year that sold them 3 pkgs for $1.99. They were an odd brand I had never seen before. Germination rates were very poor. I won't do that again. Garden gloves are fine.....I usually get several pairs. I also gave up on gardening tools as they broke or bent in the first few uses. It is a great place to buy garden twine though and garden netting, plant tags, etc. You just have to watch as with anything else you buy on sale.

Cynergist, welcome to the forum. I haven't had the chance to introduce myself to you. It is always great to have another Canadian on here. what is you zone like and what do you like to grow. I am in central BC. a zone 3b.

Gwynn

Old Hippie wrote:

Cynergist, welcome to the forum. I haven't had the chance to introduce myself to you. It is always great to have another Canadian on here. what is you zone like and what do you like to grow. I am in central BC. a zone 3b.

Gwynn

Thanks for the welcome Gwynn. I've got quite a few things going on in the garden, or rather I will do when I can get outside. I made my first post of the season on my blog all about my plans. I've got some things started in the house; 3 types of tomatoes, cantaloupe, red and green bell pepper and broccoli.

I live in South Eastern Ontario; don't know what zone that is although, I think someone in here in the forum told me what it was last year.

I am soooooo happy!!! I've been struggling with building a trellis or buying tomato spirals. I even priced both out and was weighing the costs. I had looked in my local Dollarama before and was only able to find short tomato spirals. Maybe 3 or 4 feet tall. That is not tall enough for my indeterminates. I have one in my kitchen that is almost that tall already! Because of this, I was resigned to the fact that I would have to spend the money on trellis materials. Until now! I was at Dollarama the other day looking for something not related to my garden at all. Lo and behold, there were the 6 foot tall tomato spirals!! For only $2 each!! I bought 8. I may go buy more.

The only thing that I may have to do is find a way to stabilize them a bit. The ground I have them in is a little soft and they are moving side to side. I'm think I'll pound some rebar (DH can get it for free) into the ground deeper than the spirals are and attach them to the rebar. I may also get some little brackets to screw directly into the side of the box. They won't move!

:dancingpepper:

We need a dancing tomato smiley!!

        

Awesome!

Gwynn

boffer wrote:        

Oh boffer!! Have we ever told you how much we all love you?

That is awesome!!

Yeppers the gardening stuff is all out now at Dollarama! Even more kinds of supports than last year.

I bought some 3 ft spirals for some of my shorter vining summer squashes, as the 6fters were over kill last year.

I have seeds that I bought back in 2007 from Dollarama that still germinate great -- tomatoes, carrots, peppers, radishes, and broccoli. The onions and parsley had poor germinate rates last year and didn't grow at all this year but they aren't expected to last long anyway. 3 packs for $1 is still a deal; I have seen the same brands/packets for over a $1 each at other stores.