Be healthy and save cash by growing your own vegetables

It is predicted that the cost of fruit and vegetables will rise up to eight per cent after Brexit, and with the UK becoming more health conscious and the launch of initiatives to tackle obesity, there is more emphasis on getting our daily greens than ever before.

Figures reveal that the average weekly food shop for someone in the UK is £54, and more than £7 of that is fresh fruit and vegetables. If you go for organic produce, the price in some cases could easily double.

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To encourage Brits to grow their own vegetables and to help them save money in the process, Anglian Home Improvements have put together a list of the most cost-effective vegetables you can grow from the comfort of your own home.

Curly Kale

Curly kale is always one of the top food trends due to its low calorie, high iron properties and the product’s versatility. It’s used in everything such as a stir fry to stews and even to make healthier versions of crisps. Kale enters the top spot as one of the most cost-effective vegetables to grow at home because a packet of seeds only costs £1, and the plant is one of the quickest to grow, going from germination to harvest in only six weeks. One bag of curly kale alone from a supermarket would cost you £1 per 100g, so any more you make would be a bonus.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a great plant for amateur horticulturists and are perfect for those with a small garden, as they require very little space. Tomato plants take 12 weeks until they are ready for harvest, but after this period they produce fresh tomatoes every day for up to six years. That’s a saving of £52 per year based on consumers buying one box of tomatoes each week!

Lettuce

A packet of lettuce can cost as much as £2 in supermarkets, whereas if you grow your own, you’ll have a five-month supply from just one seed packet, saving around £40.

Broccoli

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Last year broccoli was voted the UK’s favourite vegetable, and on average we eat 230g of broccoli per week. While the plant takes 8 - 12 weeks to harvest, eventually you’ll gain two pounds of broccoli per plant, which can be harvested two or three times in the space of three months.

Potatoes

Potatoes are a staple of many British meals, and as a nation we eat 429g per week. Each potato plant can grow nine potatoes, and an average seed pack contains five seeds, making 45 potatoes for as little as £1.50. An average pack of four potatoes costs £1, therefore you could be saving a minimum of £11 a year.

Asparagus

Growing asparagus is a longer-term investment, as it can take up to two years for the plant to fully germinate. However, after that time your plant will continue to produce asparagus for up to 20 years, saving you up to £16 per kg for more than two decades.