Growing ur own fruit and veg, worth it?

Parsimonia

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Regarding toms and strawberries gardeners world have a couple of offers on.

I have ordered 24 strawberry plants delivered for £4.95 here:-
http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/GD14FEB/#.UwdBSIWl04h

and am considering this offer here:-
http://offers.gardenersworld.com/3220/T-M-Six-free-tomato-and-chilli-plants.html

where you get 3 tom and 3 chili plug plants delivered for £3.

Otherwise Lidl and Aldi usually get both plants in for not very much or go for seeds as there is still plenty of time-I will be growing some toms from seed that will be starting on the windowsill shortly. Apart from parsnip seeds keep really well although germination rates can go down so you can use the seeds from last year no problem.

Ali x

Ooooh, both of those offers look great! Would I need 24 pots for 24 strawberry runners, or would I put several in each pot???

I guess I'd better read my 'Crops in pots' book a bit more thorougly now that spring is on its way.....!!!

Parsimonia

silverwhistle wrote: »

Just a heads up that next Thursday (27th) Aldi have various gardening stuff: compost, manure, seeds, sieve, pots, etc. The 1m square raised bed at £6.99 looks reasonable value, now that I've used the scaffold boards some workmen left me..

As to the original question.. well, I tend to grow higher value or more perishable things. Living on my own both whole lettuce and salad bags incur wastage, but cut and come again salad wastes less, and of course, tastes a lot better. The same for toms and hot peppers: a few juicy peperoncini in decent olive oil with pasta makes a tasty and cheap lunch, and they dry well for the winter.

Mmmm aglio, olio e peperoncino - my all time favourite Italian pasta dish!!!

Parsimonia

OK. I've sorted through our stash of seeds left over from last year...

• Mr Fothergill's mixed red lettuce leaves for a container garden - sow by 2016 - unopened
  
• Suttons sweet basil - sow by June 2015 - opened
  
• Mr Fothergill's Spinach (Fiorano F1) for a container garden - sow by 2015 - opened
  
• Mr Fothergill's Pepper (Hot razzamatazz) for a container garden - sow by 2015 - unopened
  
• Johnsons Beetroot (Red Titan F1) - not specifically for container gardening - Sow by Nov 2015 - unopened
  
• Mr Fothergill's Rocket (Wild Grazia F1) for a container garden - sow by 2015 - unopened
  
• Mr Fothergill's Rocket (Sky Rocket) for a container garden - sow by 2015 - opened

So quite a good starting stash.....

Parsimonia

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Regarding toms and strawberries gardeners world have a couple of offers on.

I have ordered 24 strawberry plants delivered for £4.95 here:-
http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/GD14FEB/#.UwdBSIWl04h

and am considering this offer here:-
http://offers.gardenersworld.com/3220/T-M-Six-free-tomato-and-chilli-plants.html

where you get 3 tom and 3 chili plug plants delivered for £3.

Otherwise Lidl and Aldi usually get both plants in for not very much or go for seeds as there is still plenty of time-I will be growing some toms from seed that will be starting on the windowsill shortly. Apart from parsnip seeds keep really well although germination rates can go down so you can use the seeds from last year no problem.

Ali x

The second link (for the tomatoes and peppers) says 'Position: Indoors' - does this mean I'd have to grow them in a greenhouse? If so, I don't have one....

Parsimonia

Sorry, me again. I read a post on a container veg growing blog that suggested you can grow things in those bag-for-life type of bags that you can get for a small sum (£1?) in supermarkets like Sainsburys. You know the sort I mean, fabric handles topping a bag made of thick plastic with a sort of tarpaulin type texture.

Do you think that would work?

hubby suggested we should use rainbow trugs http://www.rainbowtrugs.com/acatalog/plastic-buckets.html but that could work out expensive...

We do have a lot of pots left over from last year - and our trug...can I just refill them with compost and reuse? I don't have to sterilise them in any way, do i???

silverwhistle

Parsimonia wrote: »

Mmmm aglio, olio e peperoncino - my all time favourite Italian pasta dish!!!

The aglio goes without saying which is why I forgot to mention it... I've planted some spare garlic cloves in a pot on my S facing window cill, we shall see..

trollopscarletwoman

Parsimonia wrote: »

The second link (for the tomatoes and peppers) says 'Position: Indoors' - does this mean I'd have to grow them in a greenhouse? If so, I don't have one....

Have you got room for a small plastic one?

Personally, I have little faith in growing toms, chillies, peppers outside without some kind of cover.