Create A Vegetable Garden On A Budget
Having a vegetable garden used to be something everyone had. Growing your
own food used to be considered a necessity rather than something you did
by choice. However in these modern times of readily available food and
hectic lifestyles, the idea of growing your own food has dwindled.
However having a vegetable garden fits perfectly well into a frugal
lifestyle, as it provides good cheap food without the need for chemical
pesticides. Growing your own food doesn't require large acres of land,
in fact even if you only have a small area to plant i.e. a window box,
you can still grow some of your own food, Herbs for instance. All it
takes is a little time and imagination and you could soon have your
first crop on your plate.
First Steps in vegetable growing
 I
enjoy gardening but I am certainly no expert gardener, my secret weapon
in having a successful vegetable garden has been my local library. It
has provided me with so much information about how to actually "do
gardening"; I have never had to seek advice anywhere else. Plus
it has opened my eyes to many vegetables and fruits I have never come
across before, such as varieties of potatoes never found on the shelves
of the supermarket. Why limit yourself to just a few flavours, experimenting
with different varieties always gives me a thrill the first time I taste
them for myself.
The Humble Tomato
If you do not want to jump into the deep end with having a full-blown
vegetable garden of your own, why not try growing Tomatoes first. It
is said that it is almost impossible not to be able to grow a Tomato,
as they are very hardy given the right conditions. Tomatoes can be very
expensive to buy and most of the time they have little or no taste what
so ever, but a Tomato picked from your own vine will be full of flavour
and cost you pennies in comparison.
Simple steps in growing your own Tomatoes:
- Variety - read up on which variety of tomato is the most
hardy for your particular climate and that is disease resistant.
- Seeds - The cheapest way to grow Tomatoes is by planting
seeds rather than buying starter plants. A small packet of seeds will
cost hardly anything and give you a good crop. However seeds will
require a little more care and attention when you first plant them
and should be placed on a sunny widow sill. Old toilet roll tubes
are great to start your seedlings off in. When they grow their second
set of leaves they can then be transferred to larger containers, such
as old cartons and cut down bottles (make sure they have drainage
holes).
- Sunny spot - When the plants have out grown their containers
they should be transferred to a sunny place in the garden where they
should get at least six hours of full sunlight every day. Support
the plants with canes or up against a wire fence to enable them to
grow upwards, use old string or panty hose to secure them lightly.
 Planning
your vegetable garden the frugal way
Deciding what to grow and how you can save the most money is just a
matter of asking yourself these questions:
- What do I like eating?
- What fruit and vegetables are the most expensive to buy?
- What tastes best when picked fresh rather than shipped half way
round the world?
Once you have the answer to these questions it is simply a matter of
reading up on these items and making sure that your climate is suitable
for these plants to grow in.
Seeds the cheapest option
Growing from seed is the most cost effective way to start your vegetable
garden. Most seeds are available to buy from your local garden centre
but if you fancy trying to get them even cheaper, if not free, than
why not try these methods first.
Dollar and Pound shops - every discount shop has a small garden
section offering several varieties of seed packets. Check them out and
see what is available.
Online garden forums - If you already have some of your own
plants you may want to see if any of the online chat forums for gardeners
offer an exchange of seeds service. This is a great way to discover
new varieties and to build up some new helpful friends.
 Neighbours
- If you know other gardeners locally are growing their own vegetables
and fruits it is sometimes worthwhile asking about their crops. Lots
of gardeners love to be able to help new interested gardeners onto the
growing your own ladder and will sometimes offer to give you some seeds
for free.
Harvest them yourself - You may decide that you want to try
to grow your own fruits from seeds obtained from the actual fruits.
This small up front investment may mean you never have to buy that fruit
again once you have your own crop.
Grow your own Herbs
No good vegetable garden should be without a small area to grow your
own herbs in. Herbs are the cooks delight but cost so much to buy fresh
from the shops. I always used to find that if I bought some fresh basil
that I would end up wasting half of it, as it would wilt before I had
the chance to use it all. With your own fresh herbs all you have to
do is pick what you need.
Herbs are quite easy to grow and do not need a lot of pampering or
large areas to grow in. A good crop can be maintained in a small trough
of even placed between other plants in the garden. The main and most
commonly used herbs are:
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Mint
- Chives
Make sure you plant your herbs with lots of sunlight and water them
only when they are dry. The best flavours are obtained when you pick
the young shoots, which will help to keep the plant compact and will
encourage it to thrive.
Frugal organic pesticides for your vegetable garden
Growing your own fruits and vegetables does mean that you will have
to fend off various pests and bugs that will also enjoy nibbling on
your tasty crops. Unfortunately bought pesticides are not only harmful
to the environment but will also set you back a pretty penny as well.
Fear not my frugal friends, organic pesticides are easy to make and
are cheap on the purse.
Remember that not all bugs are harmful to your garden and are in fact
very beneficial, so when you do use any form of pesticide in your garden,
always bear in mind that you are not trying to kill every living thing
in your garden.
Simple organic pesticides:
Garlic - this is a versatile plant and can be used as spray
or as a plant. Growing garlic around fruit trees and other vegetables
will repel borers, Rabbits, mites and mosquitoes. To make a spray cook
one unpeeled garlic head and one unpeeled cut up onion in three pints
of water for about 30 minutes on a low heat. Allow to cool and then
use one tablespoon of the liquid to one pint of water to make the spray.
Lavender - planting lavender in the garden is great for attracting
butterflies to the garden but will also keep away mice, moths and ticks.
Mint - deters ants, mice and cabbage butterfly.
Slug traps - to keep slugs at bay bury old yoghurt cartons into
the ground with the top of the pot level with the ground. Pour a little
beer into the bottom of the pot. Slugs will fall into the pot when they
are attracted by the beer (they love beer) and will drown or become
too drunk to climb out. Check the pots daily and place captured slugs
into a tied bag and throw away. I know it sounds yuk but it works.
Enjoy and experiment with your frugal vegetable garden and I wish you
many tasty crops.
Top
of vegetable garden page
|
