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Your Money > Family Finances Articles > Does it pay...
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By Sarah Modlock
Never mind what the newspapers and television are telling us, we only have to go out and do a weekly shop to know just how much food prices are soaring. And in an era of cost-cutting, eco-awareness and food-saving, it makes sense to consider growing some of your own food. While sales of pretty plants and flowers fall, people are snapping up seeds to grow edible plants and herbs, say the Horticultural Trades Association. The increasing cost of living has prompted one in three us have become more self-sufficient by growing fruit and vegetables, according to a study by Miracle-Gro Organic Choice. And of those who are not growing their own food, two thirds plan to do so within two years instead of buying fruit and vegetables from supermarkets. Do you know how much you spend on your lunch each day? Based on an average spend of £4 per day, you will spend £20 each week, nearly £1000 each year and more than £38,000 on lunch during your working life - more than the average national salary per year in the UK. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) 'Grow Your Own Veg' 2008 campaign was launched earlier this year and aims to encourage the British public to get 'growing' Richard Hunt at the RHS said: "Getting people growing is at the heart of this campaign and we hope we are able to show that a space as small as a hanging basket or window box can reap rewards in terms of fresh tomatoes or lettuce leaves - which will save you money in the shops." To showcase the fact that you don't need a great estate or even an allotment to grow your own vegetables, the RHS is giving away around 10,000 lettuce pots over the coming months so members of the public can grow a lettuce at their desk or on their windowsill and save themselves some money this summer. The RHS book Grow Your Own Veg hit number two in the hardback non-fiction book charts earlier this year. It also has a very busy dedicated microsite full of information about the campaign, advice on growing your favourite veg and a monthly e-newsletter full of hints and tips is available at www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables. The RHS is also touring Britain with a 3m x 3m display garden showing what can be grown in a small area. How much money can you save? "Making a saving all depends on how large your plot is," says Charlotte Corner of the charity Garden Organic. "This is subject to how 'time rich' you are as opposed to how 'cash rich'. But you don't need a very large garden to make it pay. Garden Organic (www.gardenorganic.org.uk) believes a plot as small as 4ft x 4ft (1.2m x 1.2m) could supply vegetables all year round for as little as £50. If you've got a garden or can get your hands on an allotment, you can save a fortune in vegetables. A standard allotment can yield around a ton of vegetables. If you bought the same amount of organic potatoes, onions, carrots and parsnips in a year, it would cost you around £1,700 from Sainsbury's or a minimum of £1,227 from Asda - even more from organic veg specialists." You don't necessarily need to shell out on lots of equipment initially - start by looking at what you already have (old shovels and trowels in the shed or garage?) rather than buying everything new. You can also pick up second hand garden tools for a fraction of the price of new at boot sales. Trading in your gym membership for digging could be another saving. If you do buy new then shovels, forks and composters start from around £14.99 each in Homebase. You can build your own greenhouse with a base and glazing pack from Homebase for around £140. "For seeds in pots, you can just use your fingers and for digging your garden, raid the family garage or shed to see what has been forgotten and you can reclaim," says Guy Barter, head of horticultural advice for the Royal Horticultural Society. "Often older tools are better than today's equivalents - just because of the care and attention that was put into the making of them. Just remember to keep your tools clean and occasionally sharpen them and they will serve you well. You can choose to either buy packets of seeds to sow yourself, or you can opt for small plants that you put straight into a big pot on a windowsill or directly into the ground," he says. Seed sales and seed-swapping events are also becoming a popular way to buy seeds for less. Your local newspaper or gardening club should have details of any events near you. Starting your own compost will also save money. Of course you need to consider factors beyond your control such as the weather and hungry creatures such as slugs, birds and rabbits. It may be that you have a poor yield one year and a bumper crop the next. What can you grow? Many people choose to start with root vegetables because they are easy to grow. These crops require the least effort, are less likely to fail and can be easily stored. Many gardeners are branching out into all kinds of produce though. The most popular edible seeds (in a market now worth £40million a year) are peas and beans, herbs, salads and tomatoes. "In the old days it was all cabbage and potatoes,' Barter said. 'Now it's tomatoes, aubergines and beans of all different colours." But opting for more unusual crops can come at a price. "These plants are much more difficult to grow," he said. "It's fine if you have a nice hot summer but if not you can come a cropper." Do you need a big space? The government estimates one in three new homes are built on former gardens and as a result, many gardeners are having to resort to tubs and window boxes to make the most of available space. In the past year Tesco has seen an 18% rise in demand for edible plant seeds, with the biggest rises coming from sales of more unusual vegetables such as chillies, sorrel and garlic which can all be grown in pots on windowsills or tubs. The supermarket giant has also recorded a 27% rise in sales of window boxes. Potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, and herbs can be produced indoors on windowsills and under sinks. "Salad leaves, herbs, chillies, broad beans and beetroot will all grow indoors," says Barter. It also means your plants are less likely be attacked by a pest or disease. "The budget option would be to use old plastic bottles as pots, buckets, bins, or even an old pair of wellies," says Corner. "But if you have a little cash to spare then buying some planters, compost and seeds could cost as little as £30." Of course the smaller the space the less you can grow and the less you save. Allotments are seeing a surge in popularity. More than 1.5million of them helped see Brits through the two World Wars but in the last 30 years, more then 200,000 have been lost. The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners says applications have doubled in the last five years. But the revival in interest has led to long waiting lists in many parts of the country, and not just in cities: 'Two years ago at my allotment in Woking there were hundreds of vacant plots," says the RHS's Guy Barter. "Now we've got 60 people on the waiting list." Allotments can cost anywhere between £5 and over £100 a year to rent, and this may or may not include your water. But if you are renting from a local authority, it is your landlord's responsibility to at least provide access to a mains water supply, as well as to maintain hedges and gates and paths and hauling ways. Is it worth it? Financially? Perhaps but there are no guarantees. But what you do manage to grow will taste a whole lot better than anything you can buy in the shops. You can involve the whole family and demonstrate the source of food to children while getting plenty of fresh air and exercise. You will also have the satisfaction of eating the fruits (or veg) of your labour and knowing it is packaging-free and perhaps pesticide-free. If you have the time and the inclination and a little bit of space then you don't have much to lose. Useful links: |
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