What to grow from the sun and water in South Wales?

[Guest]

I think most people will tell you 'not' to grow veg as a money saving exercise. For a hobby, to socialise, for the taste, to do something with the garden - 'yes', to save money 'no'.

The other thing that hasn't been factored into your costings is loss and wastage (pests, diseases and disposal).

[Scarlet]

I think what I need to work out that is most important is whether I am able to enough food that costs the same as buying the food in store rather than the food costing more to grow and buy than the same food to buy in the store. How can I work that out? I know that I need to work out the price of the seeds and how many seeds I use. Then, I need to know the amount of compost you need to grow one seed or more. Next, the number of buckets with the price. Now, I work out how many potatoes I get from growing one seed. After that, I weigh all the potatoes from one seed to find the cost for the total number of potatoes. Going on, I compare my weight of potatoes with the cost and the weight of potatoes with the cost that you get from supermarkets to see whether my potatoes are cheaper or more expensive to grow.

You do that by doing a test run. In year one go and source your buckets, compost, seed spuds etc. Buy a few, test out for the year, see if you like it and work out how much return you got for your effort. Year 2 you expand if it's what you want.
Most peeps here grow for enjoyment, health benefits, food not sprayed or messed with etc rather than trying to do better than the supermarket - taste over quantity.

[Jungle Jane]

Could you dig out the grass & plant in the mud so you don't have to buy anything other than the seed potatoes & fertiliser? They wouldn't need watering as much in the ground because it isn't a contained space.

[polc1410]

I think what I need to work out that is most important is whether I am able to enough food that costs the same as buying the food in store rather than the food costing more to grow and buy than the same food to buy in the store. How can I work that out?

As I said before... take a look at what Fruit and Veg you buy over the year. What is the most expensive... You may be spending more on Potatoes than other things but is there something small and expensive.

Tomatoes - This little punnet of toms costs £1.70 http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/wcsstore...1822090_L.jpeg

I know there will be people who will say you can buy cheaper, that this price is the current price in winter and it may be cheaper in summer etc.

You won't be able to grow toms all year round. But if you buy 1 box a week of those you are currently spending £80 a year on them. If you could grow enough tomatoes for 8 weeks in summer you'd save £13 if the price holds. To do that you probably need 2 grow bags (£5), some canes (£1), some tomato feed (£1), some seed (£1).

Lettuce - a pack of seeds £1, growbag £2.50. Should get 6-8 weeks of lettuce for that. Again you might be spending £1-£2 a bag on that.

So it is possible to make savings.

**BUT** suddenly you might want slug pellets, fertilisers all sorts of things.

The grow bags would be OK to top up potatoes next year.

But if you already shop at Lidl... you may not price match with grow your own. BUT you may find yours tastes better. You will also know the carbon miles are near zero. You name it there could be loads of motivations for GYO, as others have said cost is rarely it.

Sweetcorn - seed more expensive and you get relatively few. But from a £2 pack of seed you would expect to get 8 decent plants, with 2-3 cobs each. So expect 16 cobs. But need probably 8 MFBs with 4 grow bags so costing £12, probably breaks even. But you will stop buying shop bought cobs once you discover what it is supposed to taste like!

[Greenleaves]

I keep asking myself two questions

Are you for real?
And why?

As mention above it's about the growing, taste and how its grown that matters to me, if it were based on cost savings i would have given up long ago

[johnjohn]

Hi Malooq, welcome to the forum. I see from your posts on other forums that you have a wide variety of interests:
Two wheel drive electric bike | Pedelecs - Electric Bike Community
https://youtu.be/xjhHlJwpkwk
I hope you find what you are looking for.

[Baldy]

This is all very interesting Malloq - I'm not sure of the rules here - you may need to post more before I can nominate you as MOM - but I'm sorely tempted

You've got people explaining why they grown veg. - reminding them why - you've got people questioning their sanity (and possibly yours).

Splendid - well done madam...

[Potstubsdustbins]

There is a difference between helpful, pleasant, nice, and Gullible. ......................

[veggiechicken]

I'm going to close this thread.
We seem to be going around in circles. There is no way of giving a categorical answer to "how much water, how many potatoes etc". There are too many variables - climate, location, natural rainfall and so forth.
If Malooq would like to ask about another crop that can be grown in his garden, please do so. My suggestion would to to cover the grassed area with squashes and pumpkins!
Maybe consider getting an allotment if you want to grow more vegetables.