Allotment crunch

[caroline7758]

120 pounds on seed! That's scary- you've obviously got a lot more space than some of us! And once you start adding in petrol costs... I'm beginning to think this was no such a good idea! ;D

[caroline7758]

[nilly71]

I'm hoping it will be cheaper this year, especially as i did not start until late in the year.
It cost me well over £500, but the beds and shed should last for years and the 10 fruit trees and 6 fruit bushes will not cost anything else again.

I am so looking forward to my first year on the plot.

Neil

[Eristic]

£120 for seed is nothing. Nothing I tell you. Na fing.

Bear in mind that I do not have 30% spuds, 30% cabbage and the rest turnips like the other old codgers but I enjoy a wide variety of produce.

Bear in mind also that I save my own seed stock wherever possible and am self-sufficient with peas, broad bean, runner bean, radish, beetroot, parsnip, chard, jerusalem, oca, yacon, mirabilis, potato. tomato, pepper and a number of flowers. However there is always something new to try.

Petrol is a difficult cost to evaluate as I rarely go direct to the plot from home and usually divert from nearby work locations and would be lots cheaper than the bus. Bicycle is not a viable option until such time as the van is no longer required. Most of the running cost of a vehicle is the static costs of keeping it legal due to the low mileage so it might as well be used.

[Sparkly]

Last year was not cheap for us as we  bought a shed and greenhouse. I have probably spent £50 on seed, plus £40 on seed potatoes, onions and garlic.

[theothermarg]

My main seed bill was £16 ish discounted from Kings! will get 2/3 lots of seed potatoes ( bought blight busting ones last year from T/M but regretted it)
need to buy some new canes and perhaps netting if I see it cheap
what about pricing the veg that is harvested? this is getting complicated  isn't it ?
marg

[caroline7758]

I'd keep it simple-all the veg harvested is free, just trying to keep costs of production to a minimum. Must get better at skip raiding, although I suspect there will be less put in them this year. :(

[lewic]

I hate to think what I've spent in the last few months! Maybe

£500-ish on tools and other gardening stuff eg incinerator, wheelbarrow, weed fabric etc.
£60 on seeds/plants
£100 on clothes/shoes
£120 on the shed - timber treatment, roofing materials, glass

Im sure this isnt all! But it beats spending the weekend in the pub.

[Eristic]

You forgot the most important items. Gas ring and kettle. 8)

[caroline7758]

Well, paid my 20 quid allotment rent today, so with my 1.99 for postage for the T&M seeds, that's 21.99 so far.

[pippy]

I like your style!  I'm keeping the costs down this year too.

So far I've spent about £15 on seed and plan about another fiver.
Then I need potatoes and onions which I reckon on spending £10 on from local sources!
My rent is £30 - comes up end of March.

Then I will need  about a tenner for seed compost, multi compost and a couple of grow bags, a fiver of chicken manure pellets and £2 for a box of Blood fish and Bone.  Our wonderful local shop does a bag of lime for 35p so I will be patronising him again ... and a few new canes (say £3?).

I have lots of home made compost to dig in and will get a few trugs of manure for free from another local source.  Also I have spied out some abandoned timber to make a few raised beds in a neighbours garden so have asked nicely if I can remove it for them!  Looking forward to skip diving too, and I "reclaimed" some old secondary double glazing to make a top for an old cloche.  Quite cheap really!

The big question is .... when I get the compost etc. from the garden centre, will I manage not to be tempted by anything else???  ;D ;D ;D

[caroline7758]

The big question is .... when I get the compost etc. from the garden centre, will I manage not to be tempted by anything else???  ;D ;D ;D

Absolutely! Now I've started this thread i hope I'll have the motivation to resist! ;D

[cornykev]

So far only £3.15 on seeds, I get them in the sales all year round so have a good supply for the next two seasons, it pays to be a tight git sometimes,  ;) I only have to get some spuds and onions and thats the plant side sorted. I will do as Eristic does and mix a mound of topsoil with the compost in my daleks and I'm sure I have some sand in the shed. I aquired some wood from work, some blue piping from a neighbour, netting from a mate, caging from work, and all my canes are in good order. I haven't had my rent form sent to me yet but I caught the bloke from the council measuring the plots and reminded him that mine was much smaller then my neighbours because I'm on the end, he measured mine at 6.5 poles and he's at 9.0 poles so I expect a reduction this year, Borlotti have you had your bill sent to you yet.  ;D ;D ;D

[caroline7758]

Free Brussels seeds in the post today- thanks, northerner! :D

[Deb P]

Free Brussels seeds in the post today- thanks, northerner! :D

Seeds arrived from the tomato seed swap today..........do I have to count the postage?! ??? :-\

Otherwise doing quite well so far, have now got a little notebook split into 3 for the different plots/parts of, taking this very seriously! ;D Of course it will all go to pot at the Ryton Potato Day, Alan Romans will have a seed stall as well........oh no!

[caroline7758]

Be strong, Deb! ;D

[saddad]

Only two weeks to go Deb... start saving some pennies!!  ;D