Do you think growing your own or forraging will become more popular now energy prices have risen so much?

[kirstyalslap]

It seems like the natural next step to me but want others thoughts on it? Forraging is completely free and things like nettles, dandelions, cleavers (sticky weed) and obviously blackberries, apples, plums, damsons, elderflower, elder Berry are all edible and easily identifiable.
Not to mention salad leaves can be grown all year round on a windowsill or kitchen side.
What does everyone think?

Only posting as several people (not connected) have spoken about being interested in it.

yabu - you personally are not interested in either
Yanbu - you personally are interested

Personally I am not interested in it.

It’s a nice idea, and it would be great if people with access to wild food picked it rather than let it go go waste; but foraging for nettles and herbs and hedge berries isn’t going to make much of a dent in the average family’s grocery bill, nor is growing some rocket on the windowsill.

Plus many of the people most likely to be affected my rising food and energy prices - disabled people, people in urban social housing, people working minimum wage jobs - are also the least likely to have the ability to forage and the least outdoor foraging and growing spaces accessible to them.

Foraging in the wild may increase with a few rural people but it's kind of limited for most. Especially since it is trendy now many places are over-foraged. Though there are some great programs in some places where people who have things like fruit trees but don't pick them can register them so others can make use of the fruit.

I think veg gardening will go up in popularity, it did after the big crash last time.

@ComtesseDeSpair see I would disagree, I think it's like an eye opening experience. and once you get stuck in (if you enjoy it or at least enjoy saving a bit of money) then you can delve deeper and deeper.

The saying look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves certainly applies here because lettuce and spinach literally cost 1000x the cost and effort of seeds and a pot (pot can ve free every thing is a pot) compost is biggest expense really.

@ComtesseDeSpair

Plus many of the people most likely to be affected my rising food and energy prices - disabled people, people in urban social housing, people working minimum wage jobs - are also the least likely to have the ability to forage and the least outdoor foraging and growing spaces accessible to them.

It's not only those people who are affected by rising prices though. Lots of middle class people live paycheck to paycheck.

The real trick is to garden cheaply, it isn't always cheap to get started if you are just learning especially.

I think people have the wrong idea about forraging. I live in a big built up city and you just need a bit of grass or hedge.

But I agree I don't think it'll be as big as I think it should be haven't bought jam in years

veg gardening seems to have boomed already. Neighbours growing stuff in a little plastic greenhouse last year.
More hanging baskets on balconies
people getting allotments and starting to get long waiting lists apparently.
I have noticed a massive shift in people since lockdown and think perhaps money worries will push it further

I hope so. It would be much better for the environment if more people grew plants and veg instead of the trend for sculptured designer gardens with fake lawns and no variety. I used to have an allotment but didn't have enough time when I went back to work full time last year so I turned a large part of my lawn into raised veg beds and now grow whatever takes my fancy.

I love a forage and the childish part of me gets very excited by being able to collect a free bag of blackberries, elder flowers, crab apples or pears from a local, public lane or friend with a fruit free etc. I'm not British, and looked into foraging groups/one-off classes etc to recognise local flora so I could pick and use more, but was shocked by the prices. £40 for a 1 hr forage tour etc!!!

@SantaClawsServiette it's cheaper than it was. Internet is FULL of tips for free gardening.
toilet roll tubes for biodegradable pots you plant out is probably the best tip I have had.

Pot noodle pots are more robust than shop bought.

Bath water to water plants in summer.

I'd just like to add that it's a real advantage of foraging that you can gather firewood and kindling as well, and this can be used to help keep warm.

I admire your enthusiasm OP. And agree that foraging and window box growing is a great supplementary activity. I just remain unconvinced that not having to buy jam again and being able to forage nettle tea is going to make a significant difference to the majority of people; and am also aware that things like foraging are fun and enjoyable when you’re doing them as a bonus, but far less so if you’re doing them because otherwise you’re not going to have any dinner.

@Hairyfriend

I love a forage and the childish part of me gets very excited by being able to collect a free bag of blackberries, elder flowers, crab apples or pears from a local, public lane or friend with a fruit free etc. I'm not British, and looked into foraging groups/one-off classes etc to recognise local flora so I could pick and use more, but was shocked by the prices. £40 for a 1 hr forage tour etc!!!

oh yes same prices here! perhaps we should join up and start a group!

@titsywoo have you heard of the group 'food not lawns'
very inspiring.

if enough people got into it we could all swap and share wouldn't it be lovely

Growing your own and running allotments have remained popular for the past few years, I think the veg planted urban flower beds in parks and so on for pick your own may be accessed by wider groups of people.

Growing your own is hard work, often with disappointing results. Last year, the tomato plants were badly affected by blight in a lot of gardens.
Slugs and snails will kill off young vegetables, carrot flies and caterpillars will account for a good proportion of the crop, too.

It's all very well saying "Grow your own", but it requires time and commitment that a lot of people nowadays simply don't have, even if they have gardens they can use and experience they can draw on.

It's like telling people to cook from scratch, or make their own clothes because it's cheaper. First of all, you need to buy the materials, ingredients, plants and seeds, compost to do it.

In reality, it can be much more expensive, especially if you don't know what you're doing. Not everyone has that money to waste in getting established.

I know a few people who grow tomatoes etc but noone who grows enough to save them money. I don't think the effort would make much difference as fruit and veg is generally quite cheap to buy and there's still a lot else to pay for.

@AuntyBumBum

I'd just like to add that it's a real advantage of foraging that you can gather firewood and kindling as well, and this can be used to help keep warm.

Oh yes and also for basket weaving. Not tried that yet but that's what I mean about opening your eyes. I can feed my children for nothing all summer and autumn long because I have noticed all the Hazel nuts, cherry, damson, apple and pear trees. Once you spot one the others follow!

@ComtesseDeSpair I actually started looking into forraging because I was hard up and the boost I got from saving money off My food shop was next level amazing.
I got hooked. And it tastes better.

Not nettle tea. Nettle soup. a whole meal for the cost of one onion and stock cube. I couldn't believe it when I found out you can eat nettles!

also wild garlic pesto. Another meal almost free, just a bag of pasta which can be less than 50p.

damson jam must be a winner though, I can't believe it isn't in the shops. Absolutely gorgeous!

I live in a very green city. The stuff that is next to the roads is going to be heavily polluted and/or covered in dogs piss. I don’t think it’s safe to eat.

I love growing my own veg but unless you’ve got a huge garden so can achieve economies of scale it’s not cheaper than Aldi. I grew 5 pumpkin plants last year, that took from March till September for approx 3 meals worth of pumpkin.

I've been veg gardening for 5 years. The time invested isn't really worth it, I would be better finding casual minimum wage work.

Maybe I'm a terrible gardener! But each year I have major fails and a few successes.

Fruit trees are good. Fairly cheap if you buy small and are patient. Potatoes too.
Slugs are evil. Broccoli lettuce and cabbage cleared by the buggers.
Tomatoe blight broke my heart last year despite having his amounts 3 years ago. Runner beans have been good but French beans get overrun by ants and aphids.

@ComtesseDeSpair

I admire your enthusiasm OP. And agree that foraging and window box growing is a great supplementary activity. I just remain unconvinced that not having to buy jam again and being able to forage nettle tea is going to make a significant difference to the majority of people; and am also aware that things like foraging are fun and enjoyable when you’re doing them as a bonus, but far less so if you’re doing them because otherwise you’re not going to have any dinner.

I agree , I Run an allotment, grow nearly year round and have for 9 years or so , it’s great to top up food shop as I have fairly low income but would struggle to feed the family on my harvests alone.

[quote kirstyalslap]@SantaClawsServiette it's cheaper than it was. Internet is FULL of tips for free gardening.
toilet roll tubes for biodegradable pots you plant out is probably the best tip I have had.

Pot noodle pots are more robust than shop bought.

Bath water to water plants in summer.[/quote]
They question is though does it save people money.

I have a big garden and have gardened for a long time, but in my experience very few newer gardeners save much money. What they may do is get some nicer fresh things than they would be able to afford otherwise and of course it's enjoyable. But a couple heads of hanging baskets isn't going to put much back into your bank account, it's a very inefficient way to grow food.

A more serious way to potentially grow real amounts is an allotment or community garden. Especially if there is scope for trading gluts and such with others.

Over time people can get much better at gardening and using a harvest but it often takes a few years.

@Xmasbaby11

I know a few people who grow tomatoes etc but noone who grows enough to save them money. I don't think the effort would make much difference as fruit and veg is generally quite cheap to buy and there's still a lot else to pay for.

No way fruit is easily the biggest expense food wise in our family. Especially soft fruits like berries. We never ever bought strawberries or raspberries and cherries. Cherries are so numerous in the UK as well. Stripey trees are so easy to spot! Also Hazel trees are distinctive. Once someone shows you it's like 'omg how did I not see this'

If the majority start to forage then there won't be much to take...... Where I live the small minority of birds and foragers strip the nut, cherries, damsons etc from trees each year. There certainly isnt an abundance that could sustain the town I live in.

What's the joke about the home grown tomato, by the end of the summer it costs twenty pounds?

The stuff that is next to the roads is going to be heavily polluted and/or covered in dogs piss. I don’t think it’s safe to eat

Absolutely this.

I mean you can wash it and boil it or something, but it is so unappetising.