The crops that will save you £££s

There are plenty of crops you can grow for a steal that are really costly to buy – here are some of our favourites!

Saffron
The saffron crocus is well worth adding to your growing space, for a number of reasons. Luckily, the bulbs are relatively easy to come across, being available from most seed companies – either via their catalogues or online. These bulbs can then be planted in moist but free-draining soil in the summer months. They will do best in a warm, sunny spot. To give them space to grow on, the bulbs should be set approximately 15cm apart from each other. Water them well once you’ve got them into the ground. You will be rewarded in the autumn time with beautiful purple flowers. The saffron is the long, red-coloured stigmas coming from the centre of the blooms. These can be harvested by carefully pulling them free with tweezers. These little strands can be dried out by laying them on a paper towel for a few days. Store them in an airtight container for use in a number of dishes.

Coffee
These plants can be grown either in your undercover spots, like greenhouses and polytunnels, or can make an attractive addition to your houseplant collection, too. The growing environment will need to be monitored, which is why it can be a good idea to grow them at home. 15–27°C is the ideal temperature for these plants – and try not to let night-time temperatures drop below 7°C. Monitor soil condition, and water a couple of times a week. Don’t allow the plants to become waterlogged or to dry out completely. You won’t need to add fertiliser often – every six weeks should be adequate. You won’t be able to harvest beans for around six years, so they are something of an investment time-wise, but as they are attractive and fragrant plants, you can still enjoy them before the time comes to take your harvests.

Vanilla
Not something suitable for the faint-hearted – or for the beginner gardener – these little pods require you to try and create their natural environment, which is tropical! Because of this, an undercover space such as a polytunnel or greenhouse is the best choice. Temperatures will need to be closely monitored, with vanilla orchids thriving best in daytime temperatures of 27°C and night-time temperatures of 18°C. Another challenge is you will need to keep the humidity at a whopping 85 percent – you can add a humidifier if this isn’t possible in your greenhouse or polytunnel. The plant will need a trellis to climb and will need weekly feeds for a little boost. This is something of a long-term project, as you won’t expect pods for some years, but they are pretty plants and offer a real sense of achievement when you eventually harvest your own vanilla.

Chilli peppers
Although there are some peppers you can find relatively easily and cheaply in the shops, growing your own gives you far more choice and allows you to experiment with some of the super-hot types you can often only get in specialist greengrocers, and which usually carry a higher price tag. Chillies can be started off indoors in small pots or modules, any time from late winter through to early spring. Fill a tray with a good-quality seed compost and sow the seeds thinly on the surface, then cover with a fine layer of compost. Water the soil and keep the pot in a warm place. Germination should occur within three weeks. Once the seedlings appear, they should be moved to a bright space such as a windowsill, so they can continue their growth. Once the plants get to 5cm in height, it will be time to transplant them into their own individual 7cm pots. Pot on again when you see roots poking through the bottom of your containers – remember to water well each time you do this to help them settle in. Harvest when the chillies are fully coloured up. Regular pickings will encourage the plant to produce more fruits.

Nuts
With the right amount of space and a little bit of care, there are a number of types of nut you can grow in your garden or on your allotment. Hazelnuts, cobnuts, filberts, and almonds are all treats you could enjoy, with walnuts and sweet chestnuts also possible (but often too large for a conventional domestic setting). Nut trees will all need protection from birds and squirrels who will strip your tree before you know it, but are really worthwhile investments in the garden. Different types will have different spacing and pollination requirements, so we recommend doing some research into whichever types particularly appeal to you – nurseries will often have plenty of advice and can point you in the right direction for the varieties best suited to your environment.

Lemongrass
This delightful and fragrant ingredient can either be propagated from seed in the spring, or can even be grown on from supermarket stems. It’s incredibly easy to do – just place your lemongrass in a glass of water on a warm, sunny windowsill and change the water every few days until your stems have started to root. When that happens, put them carefully into some potting compost and keep them inside as a houseplant till the thermostat rises later in spring. They can overwinter successfully in a sheltered spot but it’s safer to keep them pot-bound so they can be moved inside during the colder months of the year. Having your own supply by way of an attractive edible houseplant is incredibly rewarding, and the stem and leaves can also be used to make a delicious and refreshing tea.

Turmeric
This is another crop that is a little trickier to grow, but well worth the effort involved, as fresh turmeric root is worth its weight in gold in the kitchen. Most Asian supermarkets sell stored turmeric root and this is what you’ll need to get started. Simply plant a stem in a pot of peat-free compost with any eyes protruding slightly. The key then is to keep them warm and wet to encourage new growth. If you have a sunny windowsill and a warm home, then a covering of plastic should work. Alternatively, it’s worth using a propagator at this time of year to coax them into new life, which could take a number of weeks. Once they are established, and with a long growing season under cover, you should then be able to harvest these super healthy roots at the end of the season.

Blueberries
As soft fruit fans can attest, keeping a family of berry lovers happy can be quite the expense on the weekly food shop. However, these generous bushes can give you years of harvests from just the initial outlay for the bushes and compost. These bushes require ericaceous compost, so are perfectly suited for growing in pots – those approximately 30cm in diameter for younger plants, and 45–50cm once the plant has developed are perfect. You can plant bushes (you will need two for generous fruiting) any time throughout the year in containers. Fill the pot with soil, then place the blueberry plant in the pot, before filling around any remaining space with your compost. Blueberries are a straightforward crop to care for – with just a few things to keep in mind. When watering, use rainwater where possible. This is because using tap water will affect the pH of the soil. Be mindful not to overwater the bush – the compost should be moist, but it is also vital that the soil doesn’t become dry. Plants won’t need pruning for several years, but once they do, the best time to do so is from the end of February to March. Remove dead growth and some of the old and woody matter – this will help stimulate efficient fruit development every year afterwards.