I've been looking to invest in a garden in order to save money buying vegetables and spices. I thought it would be a pretty good idea since I've taken up cooking as a hobby. If I'm able to grow some of my own ingredients, I'll be able to save a bunch of money to put towards other things (entertainment, rent, etc.). So, anyone have any tips for growing my own garden? Any recommendations on what seeds to buy and what planters to use? Thanks!
Do you have space in your backyard? If you do not have background in gardening, I suggest that you try growing simple vegetables first such as eggplants and tomatoes. You can also try growing herbs from cuttings or the part with the roots that you chop off when you buy vegetables. There are seed packs sold in stores that you can try growing. You can even try reading online sources about growing different kinds of vegetables and fruits. Good luck!
If you don't have space, or even if you do and don't have access to rototillers, you can grow an amazing amount of food in containers like the large rubbermaid storage container. I have a friend who does this but she is disabled and can't bend over to weed, etc. Since she has everything planted in containers she can roll her chair around to each container and tend the plants. As far as what seeds to buy, you can't go wrong with tomatoes and peppers for a first try. I would recommend consulting local garden stores to see what grows well. You can also buy seedlings. While this is somewhat more expensive than starting from seed, you will be getting well established healthy plants. Some things are easy enough to grow from seed, others very difficult (such as strawberries).
What you grow in your garden depends on space, climate, and your long-term goals. Most people who take to gardening in order to save money generally tend to plant the kind of vegetables which are expensive to buy. For small gardens though you should grow high-yielding crops that don't take up too much space. Some of them include: Lettuce. Peas. Tomatoes.
That's a great idea but not very practical if one lives in the city that's not conducive for growing crops and in an apartment with not enough space. If I own a townhouse though, I would definitely consider this option. Fruits and vegetable seeds should be your priority. Bean sprouts, onion and root crops are easy to grow. You may start with these.
Growing your own herbs is a great way to save some money while at the same time eating better quality ingredients. I don't have a backyard myself but I do keep some herbs in small pots in my kitchen, it's very handy when cooking.
Herbs are definitely a good idea. I was thinking about growing a small herb garden on the patio of my apartment. I would also suggest growing an Aloe plant. They're VERY handy when you get a burn in the kitchen. You can nick a leaf off of the plant and rub it on the burn to ease the pain nearly instantly.
