Updated: 17 May 2023

Save money by growing your own veg

Save on your groceries bill with better tasting produce

Ceri Thomas

It's not just money you'll be saving by growing your own fruit and veg. Homegrown produce tastes so much better, as it can be cooked within minutes of harvesting, with no 'food miles' involved.

Our Best Buy varieties have all been rigorously tested by the Which? Gardening experts, so you can be sure you're growing those that taste best and give the highest yields.

You'll also be able to ensure that your food is grown with limited chemical inputs. Children love growing veg, and it's a great way to help them understand where their food comes from and to get them outdoors.

Make more of your garden - get our free Gardening newsletter for top tips from our experts

How much you could save by growing your own

Here are some examples of what you could save with your crops.

Vegetable/fruit	Good varieties	Typical purchase price	Expected yield	Cost of homegrown vegetable/fruit	Supermarket cost	Saving
Cucumber - snack-size	'Hopeline'	£4.50 for five seeds	40-50 fruits per plant	1.8p each	31p each	29p a cucumber
Tomatoes	'Shirley'	£2.50 for 10 seeds	6kg per plant	0.5p a kg	£3.20 a kg	£3.19 a kg
Courgettes	'Defender'	£3.50 for 20 seeds	3.4kg per plant	5p per kg	£2.90 per kg	£2.85 per kg
Strawberries	'Elsanta'	£1 per plant	2kg from six plants	£3 a kg	£5.75 a kg	£2.75 per kg
Raspberries	'Joan J'	£3 per plant	1.25 kg per plant each year	£2.40 per kg	£13 a kg	£10.60 per kg

Savings and prices are a guide only. We checked supermarket prices online in May 2023. Supermarket prices are for cheapest available products and from the standard range where possible. Prices of vegetables and fruit will vary according to the time of year. Yields are based on the best varieties in Which? Gardening trials or expert estimations

Which fruit and veg to grow

The best tip is to grow the types of fruit and veg your family actually eats and enjoys. There's nothing worse than feeling forced to eat a glut of something like turnips when no one in your family likes them.
You don’t need lots of space to grow vegetables. Most can be grown in containers, and it’s a very flexible way to grow. Containers filled with edible plants can even outshine ornamental displays if you choose varieties with coloured leaves or pretty flowers. Use a Best Buy compost for containers and mix in a Best Buy controlled-release feed.
Most fruit and veg does best in a sunny spot. If your garden is shady, for veg try runner beans; peas; kale; chard; and lettuce. For fruit, try blackberries; cooking apples; raspberries; rhubarb; and blackcurrant.
Some veg, such as cucumbers and tomatoes, likes warm conditions to produce big crops. If you don't have a greenhouse, try growing it in a sunny spot in the garden. Alternatively buy an inexpensive pop-up plastic greenhouse.
If you don't have tools, you can find inexpensive Best Buy garden tools or you could see if anyone is giving some away near you on Freecycle.