Grow Food For Free: The sustainable, zero-cost, low-effort way to a bountiful harvest

By Huw Richards

Huw Richards set himself a challenge - to grow his own fruit and veg for free for a year. He succeeded and now wants to help you do the same.

Can't afford a raised bed? Try repurposing an old wooden pallet.
Don't want to spend money on buying plants? Look in the fridge and your kitchen cupboards for food that you can plant.
Need a particular tool? Barter or borrow from a neighbor.
Don't have a garden? See if someone in your area has an untended patch you can turn into a well-loved veg plot.

Huw's Grow Food for Free has the inspiration and practical advice you need to start, grow, love, propagate and harvest your own fruit and veg organically and at zero-cost. This is real sustainability!

• Language: English
• Publisher: DK
• Release date: Mar 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9780744052251

Book preview

CONTENTS

How to use this eBook

Contents

Introduction

The Power of Barter

SET UP YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH

What Your Space Needs

Tools to Share or Borrow

Use Somebody Else’s Garden

Grow Food on a Patio, Terrace, or Balcony

Establish a Water Supply

Work with Your Climate

Choose Your Setup

Create Your Own Containers

Cheap Raised-Bed Solutions

Create a Raised Bed for Free

Fill Your Raised Bed

Grow in the Ground

Starting Crops on the Windowsill

Organize Your Space

Make Your Own Tools

Make Your Own Watering Devices

PRODUCE YOUR OWN COMPOST

Soil and Compost: The Essentials

Using Homemade Compost

Your Compost Bin

Budget Compost Bin Solutions

Build a Compost Bin for Free

Compost Recipes

Source Free Compost Materials

Permaculture

Woodchip and Biochar

Make Your Own Liquid and Comfrey Feed

SOURCE SEEDS AND PLANTS FOR FREE

Annuals and Perennials

Planting from Your Kitchen Pantry

Swapping Seeds, Making Contacts

Plant Swaps

HOW TO GROW PERENNIALS

Perennial Crops

Herbs

Rhubarb

Jerusalem Artichokes

Blackberries and Hybrids

Strawberries

Fruit Bushes

HOW TO GROW ANNUALS

How to Sow

How and When to Water

How to Transplant

How to Weed

Harvesting and Storing

Save Your Own Seed

Peas and Beans

Brassicas

Root Vegetables

Salad Greens and Leaf Crops

Cucurbits

Tomatoes

Peppers and Chiles

Alliums

Keep Your Soil Healthy Forever

FIGHT PESTS AND DISEASES

Slugs and Snails

Common Pests

Common Diseases and Disorders

Crop Rotation

LOOKING AHEAD

Make an Investment

What to Sell

How to Sell

Setting Up a Seed or Plant Swap

When to Expand Your Growing Area

A Three-Year Plan

HUW’S JOURNAL

Resources

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Copyright

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INTRODUCTION

Imagine eating seasonal produce you’ve grown and harvested with your own hands as part of every meal. Imagine having unlimited access to your own produce stand 365 days a year. Imagine growing food that costs next to nothing.

These are not fantasies but realistic aims and objectives. And I can assure you they are achievable. How can I be so sure? Over the last 12 months, I challenged myself to grow food for free. Now I want to pass on what I learned on that journey, including strategies to deal with any issues that may arise. I also offer different growing options, depending on whether your space is small or large, in the country or in the city, so you can choose what works best for you. Everything in this book has been tried and tested, and I hope that the information it contains gives you the confidence to grow food that tastes just as good as you imagined.

WHY COST IS NO OBSTACLE

Over the years, I have heard a whole host of reasons why people are reluctant to start growing their own food, and one of the most common is that it is too expensive. I find it deeply saddening that this misconception persists in society and that, as a result, so many people are not only put off but also missing out on a fantastic opportunity. Fired up by a strong desire to set the record straight, I’ve written this book with the intention of passing on all the information you need to grow food for free in a single location.

Growing food for free involves basic gardening techniques, such as sowing and planting, but making a success of it requires you to look at things a little differently. Changing your mindset and seeing the value in what others might regard as trash is key. A broken pallet from a building site can be split and made into a compost bin, a box of empty milk cartons from a café will provide vital water storage, and a pile of cardboard outside a store entrance is the perfect material for suppressing weeds around your crops.

WHAT DOES FREE MEAN?

Before we get started on the growing journey, I feel it is important to set down my definition of free. To me, free means obtaining something without any money changing hands. A simple example would be exchanging seeds of a vegetable you don’t like for those of one you’d much rather grow. And in this book, free doesn’t mean for no effort because—and let’s get real here—it is impossible to grow food without putting in time and energy. Even foraging for wild food requires effort, as does buying food from a store. Of course, money may make some tasks easier and save time, but there are ways to avoid spending if you are resourceful and open to opportunity.

TAKING SMALL STEPS

Giving up too soon is the one thing that will prevent you from enjoying free food in abundance. To prevent this from happening and ensure successful outcomes, start slowly so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Always split bigger projects into smaller, attainable goals and write down these smaller tasks in the form of a to-do list. By carrying out lots of smaller tasks when time permits and crossing them off the list, you begin to think of yourself as highly efficient and productive. Having made lots of small steps, you will feel you’re constantly making great progress, and that will keep you motivated and on track. In the following pages, I’ll explain what I mean by bartering and how this useful skill is key to growing food for free.

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THE POWER OF BARTER

Now that I’ve explained my definition of free, I’d like to introduce you to what I believe is the best alternative out there to money—the skill of bartering.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines bartering as the exchange of goods or services for other goods or services without using money. What this straight-to-the point, objective definition can’t describe is how powerful bartering can be when used as a framework for social interaction. Before monetary systems were developed, people traded by bartering goods and services, and each exchange involved engaging with another person or group, which is what I love about it.

HOW AND WHAT TO BARTER

A key aspect of bartering is the lack of guidelines; there is no one size fits all system. Bartering, or swapping one useful thing for another, is a tool that anyone can use, and it has the key advantage of flexibility. You can offer different bartering items, depending on what is of most interest or value to the person you are trading with, or it can be as simple as doing someone a favor by taking away what they (but not you) consider waste.

You don’t even have to offer a physical item. Your time, your skills, and your knowledge in a particular area are also a form of currency. If, for example, someone is offering fence posts, but they are more interested in your guitar-playing skills than the items you’ve put up for exchange, you could offer them a guitar lesson instead.

BARTERING IS A TOOL THAT

ANYONE CAN USE, AND IT

HAS THE KEY ADVANTAGE

OF FLEXIBILITY

CONNECTING WITH OTHERS

It’s exciting when you take money out of the equation because every exchange is unique. The individuals or groups involved must negotiate the best agreement for all, and there can be quite a thrill to this exchange. If you have never bartered before, you will be pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of the process, the enthusiasm of those engaging in it, and the amazing range of things offered. Bartering is one of those things that can seem scary at first, but you very quickly ease into it.

This book features many examples of useful things you can obtain through bartering, such as composting materials and seed packets. And for me, one of the key benefits is making new connections with people. Over time, you will find that the people you barter with will start offering items without you even asking or put you in contact with other like-minded people. You then have the option of creating a small bartering group, which in turn makes it much easier to set up tool shares. You can do as little or as much bartering as you like, but I find it a much more rewarding form of exchange than handing over money.

GROW FOOD FOR FREE | THE POWER OF BARTER

I’m always collecting odd items from neighbors (top left). In exchange, I offer them produce I have grown (top right, bottom right) or seeds that I’ve collected from my crops (bottom left).

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SET UP YOUR

VEGETABLE PATCH

FINDING AND EVALUATING AN AREA TO GROW FOOD IN AND SOURCING THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO GET STARTED

GROW FOOD FOR FREE | SET UP YOUR VEG PATCH

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WHAT YOUR SPACE NEEDS

TOOLS TO SHARE OR BORROW

USE SOMEBODY ELSE’S GARDEN

GROW FOOD ON A PATIO, TERRACE, OR BALCONY

ESTABLISH A WATER SUPPLY

WORK WITH YOUR CLIMATE

CHOOSE YOUR SETUP

CREATE YOUR OWN CONTAINERS

CHEAP RAISED-BED SOLUTIONS

CREATE A RAISED BED FOR FREE

FILL YOUR RAISED BED

GROW IN THE GROUND

STARTING CROPS ON THE WINDOWSILL

ORGANIZE YOUR SPACE

MAKE YOUR OWN TOOLS

MAKE YOUR OWN WATERING DEVICES

< SET UP YOUR VEG PATCH | < CONTENTS

WHAT YOUR SPACE NEEDS

The first part of any gardening project should be to evaluate your (or even find an) outdoor space. I use the acronym SWAGA—size, water, aspect, ground, and access—when assessing an area’s potential for growing food.

QUICK CHECKLIST

Use this list to ensure your chosen site has the basic features needed to successfully grow food.

Space for a compost bin, water storage, and the crops you want to grow

Water access—from a roof or greywater

At least four hours of direct sunlight in spring and summer and shelter from strong winds

Ground covered by lawn or tiles, or a terrace

Access without going through a building (if possible)

SIZE

You don’t need as much space as you might think to grow a decent amount of produce. For example, an area of 3 x 6½ft (1 x 2m) is enough to supply a family of four with salad greens from midspring to late fall in areas where summers are mild. To put that into context, a standard parking space is around 10 x 13ft (3 x 4m). Incidentally, this is a great-sized plot for new fruit and vegetable growers to start with!

WATER

This precious commodity is vital for crops in spring and summer but is heavy and awkward to transport. A roof is the best source of free rainwater, which can be collected and stored during the wetter months and used when the sun is shining. Greywater (wastewater from sinks, showers, and baths) is perfectly fine to use on the garden and is a fantastic resource in periods of very low rainfall. Greywater regulations vary by state, so be sure to check the rules in your location.

ASPECT

The aspect determines how much direct sunlight an area receives each day. South-facing plots get the most sun, so allow for the widest range of plants; east-facing plots come second. Even spaces that get only four hours of direct sunlight a day are suitable for most crops. Plant leafy greens in areas of reduced sunlight—they don’t mind shade and will still be productive. Shelter from strong winds will help prevent plants from getting damaged or even blown over.

GROUND

A space covered by lawn offers the most options for growing crops, because you can dig a bed or place raised beds or containers on top. On hard surfaces, such as patios or terraces, raised beds and containers are your only options. If you are renting your home, speak to your landlord before establishing your setup, and certainly before you start digging. Don’t forget that you can take containers with you when you move.

ACCESS

In the excitement of acquiring a space in which to grow food, access is often overlooked and can cause problems later. Restricted access is common for small outside spaces, such as enclosed courtyards. If your space is accessible only via your house, consider whether you are prepared to carry large and/or heavy materials through your indoor living space. If you are planning on using a large area, you will want to have wheelbarrow access.

set up your veg patch | WHAT YOUR SPACE NEEDS

When evaluating the potential of a new space, I like to do a few quick drawings of how I could set up the area for growing.

TIP

If you’re planning on growing a wide variety of crops, consider using two locations—the closest dedicated to labor-intensive crops, such as salad greens, and the farthest for lower- maintenance ones.

< SET UP YOUR VEG PATCH | < CONTENTS

TOOLS TO SHARE OR BORROW

Less is more (and definitely cheaper) when it comes to garden tools—so much can be achieved using just your hands. However, there are some tools that are well worth having.

Your hands are vital for so many tasks that require dexterity, such as sowing seeds, thinning out and repotting seedlings, tying up peas and climbing beans, or testing soil moisture. I rarely wear gloves because it is important for me to be in direct contact with the soil to feel its texture and moisture levels.

KEY TOOLS

A few tools—a spade, rake, fork, trowel, hammer, knife, pruning shears, drill, and saw—are all you need to grow your own food. Although buying these new would be expensive, there are cheaper options (see tools below). Wheelbarrows are useful, but you can use large buckets instead, especially if you have only a small space.

set up your veg patch | TOOLS TO SHARE OR BORROW

a. Spade

For cutting turf, digging holes for transplanting directly into the ground, filling up large containers with compost or soil.

b. Rake

To prepare ground, sweeping up leaves or grass clippings. Use the end of the handle to create shallow trenches for sowing seed.

c. Fork

For turning soil, harvesting deep-rooted crops, and digging up cuttings to replant elsewhere.

d. Trowel or hand spade

To fill containers and modules with compost, for transplanting, and for removing large weeds.

e. Hammer

Very useful for building compost bins and raised beds and mashing up brassica stems before composting.

f. Knife

To cut string, to harvest produce, and for many other small tasks.

g. Pruning shears

For pruning perennials, for harvesting, and for preparing hardwood cuttings.

h. Drill

To securely screw together wood when building your own compost bins and raised beds.

i. Saw

For building structures, such as raised beds, and other garden projects.

SOURCING TOOLS FOR FREE

There are two quick and easy ways to source the tools you don’t have or exchange existing tools for others. The first option is to organize a tool share. Get together with friends or neighbors and ask everyone to make a list of their tools. Once you know what is available, you can arrange a mutually convenient time to borrow the tool you need. As long as everyone respects each other’s property and pays for breakages, the system works well.

Online or community swap shops are another excellent source of gardening tools. Every household has unloved items that someone else could put to good use, so why not exchange these for garden tools? No money needs to change hands, so I would define this as free. Used tools that once belonged to elderly gardeners may also be offered on online freecycle or swap sites. These are often good quality and well cared for.

set up your veg patch | TOOLS TO SHARE OR BORROW

Your hands are the only tool you need for a range of gardening tasks—including making holes when you transplant young plants.

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USE SOMEBODY ELSE’S GARDEN

If you don’t have your own outdoor space, don’t fret! Many people have neither the time nor the energy to look after their garden and would be delighted if you could breathe new life into their outdoor space in return for some fresh food.

Before you take on someone else’s space, I advise you to respect the owner’s wishes above everything else. If they want to keep the lawn intact, don’t dig up even a small area. Clear communication between yourself and the owner is vital, so always talk through ideas and projects with them to avoid any misunderstandings and, at worst, losing the space.

HANDY CHECKLIST

Make sure your expectations are realistic by running through the SWAGA checklist and asking yourself the following questions:

Is the space within walking/cycling distance of my home?

Do I get along well with the garden owner?

Are there many restrictions on the space?

Is the sole access through the owner’s house?

How regularly can I visit the space?

BE PREPARED TO SAY NO

Listen to your instincts, and if you are at all unsure, don’t take on that particular garden. Both you and the owner need to feel completely comfortable with the arrangement, as well as one another.

Many people are looking for someone to take care of their gardens—including one of my neighbors (right) and this lady (left), who was my London bed-and-breakfast hostess on a trip to visit my publisher. Sadly, I couldn’t help because I live in Wales.

OBTAINING SPACE TO GROW

Below are some suggestions of how and where to start your search for growing space.

LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS

The best groups are the swap shop types where people trade, sell, or look for recommendations. Using social media is the easiest and most effective way of reaching a large proportion of your local community. People can tag those offering space or put you in touch with others who aren’t in the group.

FLYERS

Decide how far you are