Hi everyone, interested to know whether anyone grows much of their own produce at home, and if so what types are most successful? Really keen to try this, we do have a small amount of garden and a small pop up greenhouse. UK climate so not massively warm for most of the time. Trying to cut out ultra processed foods in my diet so feel like this would be a win-win in terms of health benefits as well as saving money.
Growing fruit and veg at home – what are the best options?
byu/stacey202 inFrugal
Posted by stacey202
9 Comments
It will not save money, btw.
Lettuce is a big money saver for me. I like fancy lettuce. Super easy to grow all year long. One package of lettuce (the fancy kind I like,) is 8$ one lettuce seed is like .000003 cents. (Not real math.)
I’m lucky enough to have a 40 ft geothermal greenhouse. So I grow a lot. But definitely herbs and lettuce are the easiest, with the biggest grocery savings for me. I also love to grow beans and lentils, which not only are nutritiously dense, but also have amazing shelf life.
Berries, bc they are expensive when bought in the store. Raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, black currant, red currant, etc.
Note that blackberries and raspberries need to be cut back on the regular or else they will take over everything, including your neighbors property. If you think you might not be able to keep on top of that in 10+ years or it could cause problems with your neighbors, maybe better not.
Yes! Go for it! First year, you probably won’t see the financial benefit (the famous 100$ tomato), but as you go, you’ll get more experience, what’s working for you, what’s not worth it and so on. Also, don’t spend money on gadget. Just the basic things like soil, shovel and something for water. Again, you’ll learn with years what you need.
Also, grow what you eat, eat what you grow. Don’t grow spinash is you don’t like it. But also learn to preserve things because too much zuchinni (courgette) is a real thing.
Cherry tomatoes produce a lot and many keep producing fruit for a long time but they take a fair amount of attention. Green beans, and snow peas also produce well and are fairly low maintenance. Initial setup may mean that it won’t save you money in the first year
think of it as a hobby with benefits, not a money hack
I’m in a zone with shortish, warm summers, and cold winters. I do mostly containers on the balcony, this year I did not opt for a ground plot at the community centre.
I do 2 bags of potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. I got a small green house this year for the seedlings and started a bunch with plans to sell a lot. I have common peppers and tomatoes along with exotic peppers and fancy tomatoes. I like peppers cause they live for multiple years, I bring them in over winter. I save the most with them because my teen eats them like apples.
I have beans and cucumber for climbers. I always try lettuces, with mixed success. I have a herb garden then hangs in the kitchen window, so I have them year round.
I’ve got strawberry plants for this year too, I have to build a cage for them though cause of the squirrels.
There should be a gardening group in your area probably associated with your community gardens (I forget what they are called in the uk, but they show up in murdered mysteries all the time). They’ll help you with what to grow in your area, mine distributes seeds both for the plots and for the community.
You can start seeds now in the green house, some soil in an old storage tote with a hole in the bottom is enough, get creative. Plants started in a greenhouse will need to be hardened before planting, which just means taking them outside in light wind and shade so they don’t blow over or get Sun bleached.
You can get seeds from grocery store produce, seed swaps, local libraries, or buy them.
There’s some upfront costs to starting a garden (and also you’re not always successful), so it’s not going to save you money at first. Possibly not ever. But the way I see it, it’s a hobby that pays for itself, helps me to “touch grass” and ground myself, gives me fresh food, and makes my patio a nicer place to be.
I would suggest seeing if there’s some social media groups/pages or YouTube channels for local gardeners in your area, so you can get a sense of what grows best where you are.
Where I live in the US gets hotter summers, and I think maybe colder winters, than you get in the UK, so what works for me might not work for you.
But some stuff that tends to be relatively easy to grow and can be direct sown (just planting the seeds in the ground): lettuce, bush beans, peas, kale, radishes, zucchini (I think you call it courgette?), and cucumbers. Cherry tomatoes and hot peppers are also easy, but they take a long time to grow from seed, so in temperate climates it’s common to either buy a seedling at a garden center or you can start it inside if you have a grow light.