FOOD GARDENING ON A SHOESTRING

As a gardener, I can't resist tips that promise to be budget beaters and I am probably not alone. With the cost of everything going up, the idea of gardening for free (almost) is enormously appealing.

- Alice Spenser-Higgs

It's possible, with some help from friends and neighbours, freecycling and being creative when reusing what's to hand.

Save with seed

When it comes to savings, a packet of seed will last two seasons or more. That beats a six pack of seedlings hands down. Even if you have a small garden and only want six tomatoes, there is no reason why they can't be started from seed.

Seed stored correctly can be viable for up to three years. Once a packet has been opened, it should be stored in a cool, dark place and kept closed (I use clothes pegs). A desk drawer is good, as long as you don't forget about them. Rather keep the packets in an airtight container or shoebox, and mark it as a seed box. You'll notice that all seed packets are date-stamped.

Vegetable Growing in South Africa by Charles W. Smith, is a very old garden manual, that sold for 10 shillings, which means it was probably printed in the 1950s. His advice is still sound. He writes, under General Rules: "It makes no difference how much fertiliser or water or care you give a crop grown from poor seed.

The result will be poor if the seed is poor. You may have to pay a little more for good seed but if the seed is good, it is worth the little more."

Freecycle - within your neighbourhood 

One person's waste can be another's treasure. Make use of your community's WhatsApp group or Facebook to appeal for bagged leaves (for mulch and compost), discarded plastic plant pots for potting up seeds or growing on veggies and other items like paving stones, bricks, old planks, and even tools that people might be clearing out. Once people know what you want, you might find yourself buried under bags of leaves.

3 WAYS TO USE PLASTIC BOTTLES

1. As seed germinator