For this experiment I have to measure what I spend on seeds. Pretty straight forward you would have thought, after all, a packet of seeds costs somewhere between a pound and a fiver.
Well yes it does. But, I've found that each packet contains wildly different quantities of seed, depending, I suppose, on how expensive the seed is to collect. For example, my Swede (cost £1.45) came in a packet of 800 seeds. Yes, you read right, 800. I like Swede, a lot, but I think the family are going to complain if I serve it twice per day, every day, for the next year. Cucumber on the other hand cost £4.99 and came in a pack of just 4. Let's hope they all germinate.
I have given a few other examples below:
Price/Seed (Pence)
Cucumber 125
Courgette 13
Sweetcorn 7
Tomato 3
Leek 0.1
A cucumber seed is 1,250 times more expensive than a leek seed!
Given that seeds are one of my biggest input costs, the economic advantage of growing my own is going to vary significantly between different vegetables. So rather than simply add up the total cost of seeds, and the compare it with the total value of the food produced, I am also going to break it down by vegetable.
As well as finding whether grow your own really does save money, I also want to know which vegetable is the most advantageous to grow.
Well yes it does. But, I've found that each packet contains wildly different quantities of seed, depending, I suppose, on how expensive the seed is to collect. For example, my Swede (cost £1.45) came in a packet of 800 seeds. Yes, you read right, 800. I like Swede, a lot, but I think the family are going to complain if I serve it twice per day, every day, for the next year. Cucumber on the other hand cost £4.99 and came in a pack of just 4. Let's hope they all germinate.
I have given a few other examples below:
Price/Seed (Pence)
Cucumber 125
Courgette 13
Sweetcorn 7
Tomato 3
Leek 0.1
A cucumber seed is 1,250 times more expensive than a leek seed!
Given that seeds are one of my biggest input costs, the economic advantage of growing my own is going to vary significantly between different vegetables. So rather than simply add up the total cost of seeds, and the compare it with the total value of the food produced, I am also going to break it down by vegetable.
As well as finding whether grow your own really does save money, I also want to know which vegetable is the most advantageous to grow.
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