Thursday 7 March 2013

The Frugal Veg Garden

This year I am on an economy drive - trying to be as frugal as I can in all aspects of my life - and this includes the vegetable garden.  The fact is that I usually get a bit carried away with spending money on the garden and growing veg is supposed to help save money. 


Some might say that it is a false economy to buy cheap seeds but I have never had a problem with them - admittedly you can't get exotic choices in the cheaper ranges, but they still germinate well and taste just as good when they are harvested.  The Kale packet holds 150 seeds and has a two year shelf life - and let's face it I am certainly not going to grow 150 Kale plants.  So the 40p that it cost seems to me to be a good deal.  I have only bought a few packets of seed including carrots and parsnip - which don't keep very well from one year to the next - the rest are leftover seeds from last year and seed that I have saved. 

Most years I get through several bags of potting compost, more than I care to admit too - I have noticed over the last couple of gardening seasons that even if you buy good brand names the quality is nowhere near as good as it used to be - so I have opted for the Homebase own brand this year - four bags for the price of three - saving £5.49 plus a bag of John Innes Seed Compost for £2.50 and that's it - I won't be buying any more.  Once it has gone it has gone.  I am hoping to make it stretch a bit further by adding my own compost into the mix.

The other economy I shall be making is not to sprinkle seed willy-nilly over a seed tray, but using modules instead, with only two or three seeds per module, so much gets wasted the other way and when you only have limited space to grow - it is pointless sowing masses of stuff and then throwing it away.

If anyone has any frugal veg gardening tips I should love to hear about them - anything to help make my money go a bit further.

 

54 comments:

  1. I'm trying to 'rein in' as well Elaine. Hoping to do one shop for seed compost, we use B&Q, and leave it at that. Let's see.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I only use Homebase as we don't have a B & Q near to us and driving a dozen or so miles would defeat the object, what with the cost of petrol - but I expect their potting compost would be even cheaper still.

      Delete
  2. I spent a lot of money on seeds last year and still have plenty left. So this year I decided to see how well they have kept. So far so good - all the old Sungold toms and cucumber seed has germinated. It will save me a packet!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have found that seeds often keep longer than it says on the packet - it is certainly worth trying them.

      Delete
  3. I've never had problems with cheap seed either, I've often bought from Wilko's, but the majority of my seeds are purchased when The Garden Centre Group have their sale, they reduce all their seeds to 50p per packet and you can pick up some great bargains.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A couple of years ago I did the same thing some were even 75 per cent off but they didn't do it last year - they must have cottoned on.

      Delete
  4. I've started adding home made compost to bought multipurpose to make it go a little further too. And I got a big bag of coriander seed from the supermarket after I heard that this grows just as well, but is much cheaper than seed sold for the garden.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The coriander is a good idea but I can't say that I have seen any big bags of seed in my supermarket - maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

      Delete
    2. Try your local asian supermarket Elaine. Though the plants grown for seed opposed to leaf can be different?

      Delete
    3. Sadly we don't have an Asian supermarket in our little market town.

      Delete
  5. We didn't like B & Q's stuff (the one beginning with V, can't remember its name) so we get other cheap stuff and use that. We only grow a few potatoes in pots and last year for the first time, I sieved its compost after harvesting, added a little food, put it back into each of the 3 pots and sowed carrots, lettuce etc. Gave me another batch of good quality food.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did that too last year it seemed a shame to waste all that compost - I also grew salad leaves in the tomato growbags once the tomato plants had been removed.

      Delete
  6. You can save a lot of money by growing things in containers not originally designed for the garden, which you can often get from local shops (e.g. my wooden boxes from Majestic Wine), and many food-packaging items make good seed-trays.
    I agree with you about the decline in the quality of commercial compost. Are you anywhere near a Council-run recycling centre? They often sell compost there, made from the stuff that households put in the Green Recycling bins.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bought some compost from the re-cycling centre last year - it didn't smell very nice and was full of seeds - so don't think I'll bother again.

      Delete
  7. I do agree that compost is very disappointing now. Even two bags of the same brand can very considerably

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You get all sorts of bits in it as well. The one I used to get, Westland I think, was great, with added grit and water retaining granules - but it is totally different now (I suppose they think we wouldn't notice).

      Delete
  8. I do exactly the same. I've found seeds from lidl or poundstretcher work just as well as any I've bought from the seed catalogues and I've always used Homebase compost too - it's not always the best if you buy it early in the year because it tends to have grown mold where it's stored over the winter (in my experience)and I do find it too free draining but mix it with some garden soil and it's brilliant!
    I contacted our local council for some of that compost they make from our recycled goods and was basically told to naff off lmao. Must be good stuff if they covet it that much?

    Linda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tend to only use seed catalogues if I want a particular variety, like red sprouts, say. Not this year though - it's all going to be bog-standard.

      Delete
  9. I usually buy a homebrand compost.I have never had problems with it. Occasionally I will buy branded makes if they are on offer at our local garden centre.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I admire your restraint Elaine, I've twice caved in this year already on the seed front. I try and seed save where I can - last year I had onion seed, canadian wonder beans, broad beans and nasturtiums (all the usual suspects). I was going to mention municipal compost, as Mark has, as it's been quite good for me, once the twigs are taken out! I don't stint on the seed compost though and go for J Arthur Bowers with John Innes ... and I always sow in modules (from Poundstretcher!).
    PS Nothing wrong with cheap seeds! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some of my modules are a bit worse for wear now so a visit to Poundstretcher is on the cards.

      Delete
  11. One of the best ways to avoid wasting seed I've found is to sort it before taking it out into the garden or potting shed, and take out only what you are going to plant. That avoids getting the packets damp and grubby. I sit at the dry verandah table and tip a few seeds of each variety I plan to plant into a little container, make up a label, and take just that tray of little containers out to the potting shed. It's such a simple, obvious little strategy, but it took me years to think of it. And it means not only does my seed go a lot further, but also I avoid a lot of missed plantings because the seed failed to germinate.

    Another strategy is to get into seed saving - it's ridiculously easy to save your own seed of many things - beans and peas and tomatoes and lettuces and rocket and coriander for example.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey Elaine, great post. Doing a similar thing on my blog this year, trying not to spend more than a fiver a month on the plot.

    Not always managing to keep to it but giving yourself a budget really does make you think more about what you're doing.

    I'm trying to work out how to reduce my multipurpose compost use too. Been bagging up molehill soil to experiment mixing with my own compost for containers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Colin over at UK Veg Gardeners does exactly the same thing with great results - now all I have to do is wait for molehills to appear.

      Delete
  13. I've never had a problem with cheap seeds, but I discovered a good website called moreveg.co.uk (I think) where the seeds are about 50p but don't contain quite so many - usually fine, because what can you do with 1000 lobelia seeds anyway. Postage works out very cheap if you are buying a few packs and so it works for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tried Moreveg last year and still have a few seeds left - I had a bit of trouble with germination but maybe last year wasn't the best to say whether it was the seeds at fault or the weather.

      Delete
  14. Elaine, I have always bought B&Q cheapest compost, 125 l for £5.98 last time I bought it. It varies a bit in quality, sometimes it is a bit coarse - but perfectly fine. When I use it for plants that will grow quite tall I add 30 - 50% soil from the garden, making sure I save some whenever I do any planting. That makes the compost more substantial as my soil is quite heavy.

    I also buy bedding plants in Tesco and Asda, they are incredibly cheap and if you get there the day they have had delivery they are just as good quality as in a garden centre. I have done that for the last 10 years, never been disappointed, saved lots of money.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have never shopped at Tesco or Asda but maybe I will take a look later on and see what they have to offer. I usually get my plants from Homebase and check out the bargain shelves first, often neglected plants do okay after a bit of tlc.

      Delete
  15. I HAVE had bad experiences with cheepo seeds, and now only buy well known makes. Every year I say the same thing; I'm going to reduce the amount of stuff I grow, but making sure that what I do grow grows well. I'm also going to 'stagger' my sowings, so that everything doesn't come at once (some hope). Big bags of good compost are quite cheap here.

    My only tip (which I'm trying to follow myself) is to grow lots of leafy greens. Kale, Chard, Cavalo Nero, perpetual Spinach, etc. Meat's in the freezer, spuds are in storage, so it's always that fresh green veg that I'm after.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I try to remember to do successional sowing last year it proved invaluable as some of the earlier crops didn't do very well. I also try to grow as many leafy greens as I can shame the slugs like them as much as I do.

      Delete
  16. Well done, and good luck! Flighty xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It isn't easy trying to be frugal in the garden when there is so much temptation out there - but I will resist!

      Delete
  17. Great post. It really pays to shop around. I usually wait until things are on sale. I used to go to the local horticulture club plant sale every year and I still have lots of lovely plants that were very reasonably priced.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Garden centres are getting so expensive that they are pricing themselves out of my range - shopping around may take a bit more time but usually saves money.

      Delete
  18. I have tried to be more sparing with seeds and compost, it does all add up doesn't it. I buy cheap seeds as well and like you notice very little difference. Some of the prices are silly now, I spent a fortune on wild flower seeds recently so I really hop they do well.xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The first lot of wild flower seed I sowed last year did nothing I think they rotted with all that rain so I re-sowed in the greenhouse and got a lovely selection.

      Delete
  19. Very good post and certainly got us all thinking. I've not bought too much veg seed this year as I've still got quite a lot left from the last couple of years and I really need to try and save some seed from beans and peas etc this year. I've had success with Wilkos seeds and you get a reasonable choice of varieties, but I do like to try and few different things each year but stick to some old favourites.
    I do go through lots of compost too and it can get very expensive so was good to hear what other people do in the comments above.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gardening can become an expensive hobby if you let is - I must have spent thousands over the years.

      Delete
  20. I bought alot of my seeds in the Wilkinsons sale last October and they are fine. The only seeds I buy just before I sow them are parsnips as they need to be seeds from the previous years crop to germinate.

    Wilkinsons seeds are great as they are cheap and germinate well, though a friend of mine has had two pumpkin seed packets that were definately not pumpkins....but it was fun watching them grow and trying to decide what they were lol.

    Most seeds last for ages. Last year I finished a pack of cabbage seeds that were 8 years old and they germinated fine (brassicca seeds last ages.

    You are right about compost not being what it was. Unfortunately (or fortunately, which ever way you look at it) they are reducing the peat content in the compost and therefore replacing it with other things like wood shaving etc, so the compost isn't so fine any more....but the plants still grow, it's just not so nice for us as it's harder to sow seeds in it.

    Forgot to say, if you save your own seeds, make sure you don't save them from 'F1' varieties as your new plants won't be 'true to type', which basically means you won't know what you will get at the end.

    Love your blog Elaine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I once used the same lettuce seed for eight years before it ran out - but going past those stands full of seeds and brightly coloured packets seems to lure me in - a bit like being hynotised.

      Delete
    2. I certainly know that feeling lol

      Delete
  21. Compost buying is a total nightmare, and can be really expensive too. Not that paying more is any guarantee of success with germination. WHich? test compost every year and the peat free one I always used to buy is no loner a best buy at all, and they warn you off B&Q's peat free. I am hoping to combine my garden compost with leaf mold and grit to make my own from next year, though I will probably still buy some specialist seed sowing compost for perennials. So far as being frugal goes, I make plant labels from cutting up milk bottles, and use the bottoms as seed trays. We get milk in plastic 4 pinters so they are the right size for small numbers of seeds, which helps save on wastage, and I am trying to learn to sow more thinly...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Like you I use all sorts of things as seed trays but I am trying to cure myself of oversowing as a just in case measure.

      Delete
  22. I haven't had chance to get to Wilkos this year yet but having bought quite a few of the seeds in the past I've always found them to be good value and quality, in fact some of the seeds from the so called expert garden supplier haven't been as good. Lidles have got a good range of cheap gardening products in stock at the moment, and Poundland are selling seed trays and also pots with bell cloche tops at the moment. Happy sowing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had poor germination with some expensive seed last year. Thanks for the Lidl tip

      Delete
  23. Hi Elaine, this is illuminating to a relatively new gardener like me. I have to say I have been sucked into the expensive brand thing, partly by being dazzled by the photos in the Sarah Raven catalogue and also by my dad who at age 79 says he will only ever buy a Thompson and Morgan seed and nothing else. I will be open to experimenting with other brands from now on.

    I didn't realise about how variable compost is either. I have a David Austin rose potted in up B&Q peat free compost, if it was warmer I would scurry out and replant it right now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Claire - thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment - it is hard not to be lured in by beautiful photos on seed packets and catalogues - don't worry it happens to us all at one time or another.

      Delete
  24. It's interesting to see how many people here use cheaper seeds. I bought some B&Q branded beetroot (Bolthardy) last year and they grew just fine.

    One cost-saving tip that I've learned recently is that the use-by date on seeds is usually wrong. Seeds, if kept in a dark and dry environment, will last years beyond what we're told. We have a print-out that we share around the seed swap event I help organise that basically tells you to not throw out your seeds...keep using them until they're gone. The germination rate might be affected over the years but some of them will grow.

    I also grow seeds direct in modules and have found that it's one of the easiest ways of growing many plants including beetroot, chard, peas, beans, and even lettuce. It also saves time in transplanting them from trays.

    Good luck with your cost saving adventure Elaine :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Being a bit of a cheapskate I do this with seeds anyway - some last better than others - but it is always worth a go.

      Delete
  25. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  27. You may make some money by selling surplus to a local grocer. One year I had some gorgeous volunteer dill that was far more than I needed. I called three local grocers. One wanted the dill. I sold a 12" diameter bunch about 4 feet tall for $36. That covers my garden needs for a long time as I buy cheap seeds and save seeds too. Last year I had a lesser amount of dill but sold it for $30. He wants more next year (which is now this year!) I'm in Canada so you can convert that # to your own currency.
    Your starts look wonderful. We had a very late winter so just getting started here.

    ReplyDelete

If you have enjoyed reading this post why not leave a comment - I would love to hear from you.

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...