By Old Geezer
A question many ask is ‘why grow your own?’
I hear that time and time again on my travels around gardening groups.
The usual answer is ‘to save money’. Very laudable in these days of austerity.
Make no mistake, you can save a significant amount. But you can also spend a fortune and find it would have been cheaper to have bought your fruit and vegetables at the supermarket!
One way to make sure you’re saving money is to store your own seeds on plants like broad beans.
Another is to buy the tried and tested old favourite seeds, which are usually cheaper than exotic and fashionable hybrids.
You could also share plants with your friends, for instance the average packet of sprouting broccoli will provide enough seeds to plant up a field.
The other reason for growing your own is that it is very environmentally friendly. We all want to do our bit and by striving for better crops we can actually help out as a by-product.
Composting garden and kitchen waste will make a significant contribution to reducing the demand for landfill, not to mention saving the cost of a garden waste bin. My council charges extra for that, so it’s a good saving!
Digging waste in when it is rotten rather than using compost goes a long way to improving the soil condition. By using it in its rotten state you can break up even the toughest of clays. Rotten waste also retains water and thus nutrients, which are vital in times of drought.
Another less obvious environmental benefit is that during heavy rain cultivated ground allows less water to escape into the already overworked drainage system. Instead this extra water soaks into the ground and helps water supplies recover.
Of course, a single veggie patch has little effect, but collectively it makes a difference
One point raised the other evening was “at least I know what has gone onto my crops”.
Do you? Very few amateur gardeners understand chemicals, and I find it surprising how few read the instructions on containers.
Even those who do read them often admit to adding a bit extra just to be safe. All I can say is, don’t do it!
Better yet don’t use chemicals at all unless you have to. Why spray your broad beans for black fly?
Pinching out the tops as soon as you can see the first baby beans low down on the plant is just as effective.
This has the added advantage of helping the pods mature, as the plant puts all of its energy into the pods rather than into non-productive growth at the top.
As for weed killers – they’re probably worth using on paths, driveways and even patios, but a cheaper option might be a kettle of boiling water. That works a treat on the joints between slabs.
All of the above alternatives are cheaper than spraying chemicals, saving you more money.
Another reason often put forward for growing your own is that keeps you fit. Mind you, there’s a lot of gardeners out there with bad backs!
The reason for that is often that they don’t know how to dig. Digging properly is almost an art form, you should take nice, regular sized spade lengths. I’ve said this a few times before in this column – but digging is not an Olympic sport to see who can lift the biggest lump!
The other cause of a bad back from gardening is people trying to do too much in one go when they’re not used to physical work.
Now people grow their own vegetables for all sorts of reasons.
A lady amused me the other night when she told me a slightly more unusual reason.
Her husband is a retired sergeant major and he really likes the regimented order of the straight rows on his vegetable plot!
So why do I do it ? Well the answer will be on my plate shortly. There is no substitute for fresh veg.
That is really the difference but I also like the exercise and it saves us a small fortune.
Hope it can do the same for you too.
All the best, Old Geezer.
Old Geezer (Paul Rix) is the author of ‘Beyond the Potting Shed‘ a comprehensive guide to growing your own. Available from all good book shops or Amazon.
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