WHATS IT REALLY COST [NO NOT CHRISTMAS

This coming season will be keeping check on all money spent on my plot then check all produce against market prices,not supermarkets.Just curious after seeing reports that a full size allotment plot can save you up to £1000 a year.No mention of rents,buying seed ,plants compost etc.Seems optimistic to say the least,at the end of the day I am not bothered whether I make money ,lose money or break even I love growing veg and know the taste and freshness is superior to shop bought veg.

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Permalink Reply by David Ford on December 29, 2012 at 13:09

Agree Tony, presume they mean 10 rods when they say full size but£1000 a year saving?, not on my plot I run mine with a healthy deficit but I choose to do it that way for the enjoyment derived, in fact thinking about it I don`t know anybody with an allotment who has it to save money.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen Shirley on December 29, 2012 at 20:25

£1000 is under £20 a week. I genuinely think this is more than possible - particularly if you have areas for 'boutique' crops such as Asparagus and Artichokes. But that said if you buy a bag of pre cut salad leaves per week how much is that? (easy to grow)

A plot full of spuds will not save you £1k a year - but if you grow accordingly AND grow the 'expensive' treats it is possible.

An on a side note, home grown veg tastes so much better it is worth more than £1k a year!

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Permalink Reply by Colin Robinson on December 29, 2012 at 21:13

For quite a few years I kept a record of how much I spent and how much the food my garden produced would have cost in the shops. I always ended up well into the black and with the added benefit of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Now that I'm more or less self-sufficient in compost and plant food I spend very little apart from a few quid on seeds and a good seed compost. As Stephen and David say, it's not about saving money but it's nice if you can. If you look at the ingredients list in most packaged/processed food you'll find a lot of compelling reasons to grow your own.