Grow Vegetables on a Budget: Cheap Seeds That Actually Work
New Vegetable Seeds are always exciting to buy, but do they really need to be expensive? Many beginner gardeners assume that growing vegetables requires premium seed brands and lots of money.
In this year’s Veg Lab Experiment, I have decided to test that idea by growing a range of the cheapest vegetable seeds I could find.
My Goal is simple: to see whether budget vegetable seeds grow just as well as more expensive brands and to show that growing vegetables on a budget is completely possible for beginners.
If you have ever wondered whether cheap vegetable seeds are worth buying, my experiment might surprise you.
It’s a Myth that Vegetable Growing is expensive
With premium seed brands, shiny tools in the garden centre and Pinterest style gardens that look expensive, you could be forgiven for thinking growing your own vegetables is expensive.
A trip to the garden centre or viewing seed catalogues, is an easy trap to fall into and you’ll start thinking expensive seeds must be the best ones to grow because they promise better harvests, better germination and stronger plants.
A change of perspective is required here, just think about the next sentence for a moment: Does the price of a seed packet really make a difference once the seed is in the soil?
Before we look at the cheap vegetable seeds I’m testing, let’s clear up some common misconceptions.
Busting Myths – Growing Veg is not expensive
1.
MYTH = Cheap Seeds won’t germinate properly.
REALITY = Many budget seeds have the same germination standards as premium brands.
2.
MYTH = One packet of seed only grows a few plants.
REALITY = Yes in the case of cucumbers & pumpkins but the easy to grow vegetables like lettuce, radish, spring onions, carrots have lots of seeds, enough to sow for years.
3.
MYTH = You need to buy new seeds every year.
REALITY = Many seeds store well and can be used over several growing seasons.
4.
MYTH = Growing Vegetables requires lots of expensive products.
REALITY = Good quality soil, water, light and patience all come for free and are the most important ingredients.
When you start to look closer, it isn’t about spending more to grow vegetables, it’s about understanding how plants grow.
Growing well isn’t about buying more, it’s learning how to think like a grower.
A grower understands how plants grow, what seeds need to germinate and how to care for young seedlings.
“When you Think Like A Grower, you realise that plants do not know how much their seeds cost”
My Budget Seed Haul – Cheap Veg Seeds I bought to Test
Savings start in your pocket, just think, you’ll have extra money to ….. buy more plants !
Seeds, Potato Tubers & Onion Sets from BudgetSeeds.co.uk
What these Seeds Cost Compared to other Brands
How can the Cost of Seeds be so different?
This is controversial and I often ask myself the same question, how can the same variety of Cucumber – Mini Munch F1 be £4.99 with one seed supplier and only £1.50 with another?
This is a £3.50 difference in price from the most expensive to the cheapest vegetable seed!
It really doesn’t need to be this way.
Cheap Seeds Vs Expensive Seeds: Is there really a difference?
Seeds are regulated by the UK government. There are seed suppliers that supply other seed companies.
A seed company can choose how much they want to sell the same seed for online. It might be cheap, it might be expensive, it’s up to them.
Germination rates are tested on all seeds, so it doesn’t matter if they are cheap or expensive.
What Successful Growers Focus on instead of Price
When you Think Like a Grower, you start to ask different questions.
Instead of “How expensive are these seeds?” Try thinking “What do I need to grow this plant successfully?”
The answer is:
- Light – Enough light for the seed to germinate or the seedling to grow,
- Warmth – You’ll need warmth for a good start on the germination process from seed to seedling,
- Air – Good air, not too dry from central heating and good circulation to prevent green mold on the soil surface,
- Soil Moisture – If you are indoor sowing, try not to water too often as the soil won’t dry out as quick as if its outside,
- Correct sowing depth – this affects germination, if the seed is too deep, it can’t find the light to germinate.
A Grower knows that it is more important to understand how the seeds grow, than the price printed on a seed packet. Although the seed price does not need to be expensive. It’s definitely worth shopping around to get the cheapest seeds.
If you want to learn the skills that growers use every season, that’s exactly what I teach inside The Grow Veg Academy.
Learn As You Grow Veg with our online courses.
Discover what to Sow, how to care for what is Growing and when to Harvest in our Monthly Sow Grow & Harvest Hub.
Grab our Beginner Veg Grower Journal to get you started!
SowGrowHarvest.co.uk
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