Growing veggies on a budget

(I wrote this for my very good friend Matt Churchill and my big sister who are writing a blog about living on a strict budget. At the time of writing they are living on £14 a week for food and sharing recipes and ideas as they go. You can check out their brilliant blog here... http://mannabudget.blogspot.co.uk/)

I have a confession to make, I'm obsessed with growing vegetables. Pretty sad isn't it? But I figure there are worse things to be obsessed with, especially when you consider it's an obsession that meant last year I didn't buy any veggies from the supermarket for about 4 months. If you're looking to live on a strict budget then growing your own vegetables is a practical, easy and fun way to shrink your grocery bills. There are all sorts of schemes out at the moment encouraging us to 'grow your own' but starting from scratch can be fairly daunting and it can be hard to know where to begin. So here's a few tips on how to grown some easy favourites; tomatoes, runner beans and courgettes.

Getting set up

Most veggies will happily grow in your flowerbeds, but if you don't to have a big enough garden, or you're a bit unsure, it's a safer bet to start off growing in pots. Unfortunately when looking to set yourself up to grow veg you will need to get your hands on some basic kit. Namely pots of various sizes, Bamboo canes and perhaps a watering can. This could be pricey, especially when garden centres charge a premium for basic kit and those on a tight budget will need to be a bit creative to make this as cost effective as possible. Why not ask around amongst friends and neighbours if they have any large pots going begging or a few bamboo canes that could be re-homed? If not you can usually pick up useful garden bits and bobs at the dump that they will either sell to you cheaply or let you take for free.

Buying seeds and starting them in small pots in early spring will always be the cheapest option. Packets of seed cost as little as £2-3 but some will stay in date for years so you won't need to buy more each year. You can buy healthy plants when they are already growing but they might cost as much as £3 per plant whereas a bag of seed might have 20 potential plants in it, so try and grow from seed if possible. Take a bit of time to choose your seed carefully. Don't bother growing anything fancy at first, instead go for varieties that promise lots of veg (aka a high yield), or that are easy to grow. Follow the instructions on the packet over any other advice, it's generally the best way to do it if you're unsure!

Back to basics

Once you've got your seeds you'll need to sow them in small pots of compost. Compost is lovely stuff as it has everything in it that your veg needs to grow up happy and healthy. Over the summer you will use a lot of it so it pays to be brave in early spring and fork out for three large bags of multi-purpose compost in a multi-deal for around £12-15. It can feel like spending out on mud but trust me you will get your money back later on when your fridge is bursting with delicious fresh produce!

Follow the sowing instructions on the back of the seed packet and leave the pots in a warm sunny location like a windowsill to germinate (start to grow). Don't forget to water them but don't drown them either, just enough water so it starts to leak out of the bottom of the pot is enough every other day. I challenge you not to get giddy with excitement when the little green heads first start peeking out of the compost!

Here is a tomato seedling with it's first
true leaf

First to appear are two fresh, round 'seed leaves' followed by the 'true leaves'. True leaves are basically proper leaves that mean the little seedling has started to put down some decent roots. Once you've got 4 or 5 true leaves it's time to move your plant outside into its permanent pot. Try to plant out when the weather is warm as a sudden change in temperature can shock the plant and it may die. You might want to open the window near the plants a few days before you plant them out so they get used to the elements a bit. Plant the seedling in the pot all the way up to the seed leaves even if that means burying several inches of the stem.

• For Courgettes choose a deep, wide pot as they like a lot of space for their roots. The plant will get very big with huge leaves so give it space and it will thank you for it. They are also very thirsty so do your best to remember to water them regularly.
• Tomatoes will do best in a warm sunny location and if you don't have the luxury of a greenhouse to use then grow seed that is happy to be grown outside (it should say so somewhere on the packet). Choose a medium-large pot and put a sturdy bamboo cane in deep next to the stem of the tomato plant. You will need to tie the plant to the cane as it grows or it might fall over with the weight of the fruit. Tomatoes are also fairly thirsty but not as much as courgettes. Give them a good drink when the compost at the top starts to look dry.
• Most runner beans need something to climb up to grow though you can get 'dwarf' varieties that grow in a small bush if you don't have the space or ability to let them climb. Beans will be happy planted into a bed but can also work in a large pot like the courgettes. Fill the pot with compost and plant 4 beans around the edge with a cane each. Tie the canes together at the top at a height you'll be able to easily pick them at, aim for about 1.5 meters. Then sit back and watch the little fellows climb!

Harvest!

Harvesting your own home grown vegetables is such a wonderful feeling! Knowing you've put in the time and effort to produce this marvellous creation and that it will be fresher and tastier than anything you could buy in the shops makes the process worthwhile. Before long you'll have more free veggies then you know what to do with. The three I've suggested are really versatile and can be added to most simple dishes to make them healthier, tastier and go further.

Finally, some golden rules...

Never be afraid to ask for help and advice from those with a bit of know-how. Practical and personal advice is priceless and will increase your chances of success a thousandfold!

Don't be afraid to fail. I hate failing but it can be the best way to learn if you can bring yourself to try again. In the first year you will most likely fail at something, I know I did! The key is to rejoice in your successes and laugh at and learn from your mistakes.

Lastly, don't forget we all have access to a brilliant garden encyclopedia crammed with free and (mostly) decent advice...it's called Google

Growing your own vegetables is easy, fun and addictive. The more you grow the more you'll want to grow! Go on, give it a go, what have you got to lose?