Great “Easy Lucrative Garden Crops” Hunt: What costly foods can you grow with ease?

Confuzzled

olly300 wrote: »

I've lived in a flat with no garden and limited space, and these where the easiest things to grow. With the herbs you don't even have to start them off as seeds as you can buy plants and repot them.

i can agree with this having done it many times myself, also having tried growing basil from seed this year and it being sooooo slow despite being in great growing conditions i'd definitely choose the store potted herbs meant for consumption over seed next time

don't forget to plant seeds meant for eating like mustard and coriander seeds i've had good luck with these, might try poppy and onion seeds next time, they tend to be much cheaper to buy as food than they are from seed catalogues... they 'won't come true' but they are so cheap that to me it doesn't matter if i can collect seeds from them next year that will be exactly as the plant i got that year so it all evens out

1jim

I would have thought so,,,you can eat the beetroot leaves in salad too

Confuzzled

brownfrog wrote: »

Money-saving alternative: if you use 'scrubby sponges' in your kitchen, then once the scrubby bit has worn away, don't just chuck them in the bin - store them somewhere until you're ready to plant up. Put a layer of them at the bottom of the pot, over the crocks/polystyrene you're using for drainage. They hold on to masses of water, and you're not adding to landfill. I've also heard of them being used to root cuttings, but I've never tried this myself.

i just have to say how pure dead brilliant that is!

i use those pretty much exclusively, i have always washed mine in the washing machine then when they are down to their last legs i've used them on something icky like the loo etc but i think i'll start saving them up for next years pots now!!!

buxtonrabbitgreen

1jim wrote: »

I would have thought so,,,you can eat the beetroot leaves in salad too

My beetroot are about a foot tall and have plenty of foliage, but I had a little poke around today and there is nothing but roots. Is it too early for them to develop or are they not going to?

Confuzzled

has anyone ever had any luck with sweet potatoes?

i've a huge sweet potato that has sprouted a LOT of gorgeous purplish green shoots with leaves now (my kitchen is very warm and well lit and i've just sorta left it there as an experiment )

i'm in scotland so whilst i've been able to grow tomatoes outside successfully because it's south facing and sheltered i know i've very little hope of having much success with sweet potatoes outside however, i've read in many places that the leaves are edible like spinach and have found many recipes for their use.

so i was thinking they might make a nice house plant and i could get some leaves throughout the year from them... anyway i was curious if anyone else has grown them and if you have any tips

ruthiejane

buxtonrabbitgreen wrote: »

My beetroot are about a foot tall and have plenty of foliage, but I had a little poke around today and there is nothing but roots. Is it too early for them to develop or are they not going to?

Are you feeding them? This sounds like you are using a feed which encourages leafy growth rather than root growth. Mine have roots about the size of golf balls at the moment, though my friend's are more like tennis ball sized.

Lotus-eater

buxtonrabbitgreen wrote: »

My beetroot are about a foot tall and have plenty of foliage, but I had a little poke around today and there is nothing but roots. Is it too early for them to develop or are they not going to?

They are supposed to be all roots I presume you mean the roots aren't swelling?
I think you may have them too close together, how far apart are they?

furndire

I've grown fennel (the bulb type, not just as a herb) - its dual purpose really, as you can use the ferny leaves as herbs eith fish - and had really good result. Definatley be growing it again next year.
Also growing Sweetcorn in a builders bag. There seems to be a lot of cobs growing on it now. So I will be growing that again next year as well.

Melonade

buxtonrabbitgreen, we've just picked our first beetroots 10 minutes ago. My son has took them for his Nan but I've saved a few for us :j The leaves were about a foot tall but the actual beetroots were tennis ball size and just smaller.

The leaves were quite tall for a while until the beetroots started to swell so maybe they need a bit longer.

lynneee

I have yet to pick my beetroot yet, will be doing it tomorrow, but some look big (the tops are just poking out of the soil,) and some look like they have done nothing at all. I think I must have planted them too closely together. For a first try i am quite pleased though!