Growing on a budget

We are all looking for ways to tighten our belts during these tough times but your growing year does not have to suffer. There are lots of things that can be done to save money and still ensure a bountiful harvest.

Your kitchen contains all sorts of useful vessels that can be used in place of flower pots. As well as saving money it’s also about reusing your waste. Toilet roll inners make great deep pots especially good for peas, beans and sweet peas, promoting a more extensive root system. Stack them together in a growing tray and fill with compost; the beauty of this is that when the time is ready to plant them on you can just sink the whole loo roll into the soil and it will break down.

Yoghurt pots, milk cartons and plastic fruit trays also serve the same purpose, but make sure that you put some holes in the bottom for drainage if necessary. These can all be reused multiple times.

If space is an issue for you try growing potatoes in old compost bags or old style dustbins on your patio; as long as they are deep.

Buying seeds can be costly and add up quite quickly so why not share seeds with friends; plan what you would like to grow between you all. You may be able to find seed swapping groups online which could be worth a look. Some seeds will keep for a couple of years but parsnips are notorious for being unsuccessful after year one so in this case it would be better to invest in new seeds each year.

Look out for special offers on seeds with seed suppliers or garden centres which are often reduced towards the end of the growing year. Try saving your own seeds from tomatoes, beans and annual flowers. Don’t discard those old sprouting potatoes at the back of the cupboard, give them a chance and plant them, what have you got to lose? Try selecting varieties of vegetables that “cut and come again”, cabbages, lettuce, chard, kale; you can just take the outer leaves as you need them and they’ll continue to produce all season long.

Don’t buy expensive plant supports, if you have a buddleia bush or any that produces good growth each year that needs annual pruning, keep the sturdiest sticks and use them for beans or peas instead of buying bamboo canes, unless you are fortunate to have your own supply of bamboo from your own garden.

Some crops will need protection throughout the season whether against pests, cold or sun. Make use of old clear plastic bottles, cut off the bottom to make a cloche; polythene stretched over homemade hoops, or recycled glass doors and windows can make a cold frame.

Make your own fertiliser, if you have access to nettles, these make a great liquid feed. Steep the leaves in a bucket of water and leave for a couple of weeks, remove any solids and add them to your compost bin if you have one. Dilute the liquid approximately one part to 10 parts water and use fortnightly throughout the growing season. Save your old coffee grounds as this will be beneficial to acid loving plants like blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas; on the opposite end crushed egg shells will help lower the acidity in your soil.

Prune winter flowering shrubs when they have finished flowering Deadhead your daffodils to stop them going to seed which weakens the bulb for next year

By Suzi M, plotter