Man tackles cost of living crisis by growing food in plastic bottles and scaffolding

By Cameron Henderson via SWNS

A green-fingered man is tackling the "Vegxit" crisis by growing fruit and vegetables in innovative pots in his London garden.

Alessandro Vitale, 31, grows hundreds of varieties around the back of his East London home.

He houses the produce in plastic bottles, milk cartons and even reclaimed scaffolding - and watches it flourish.

Alessandro has been growing his own fruit and vegetables for seven years and says it gives him a constant supply of food.

So he's not worried about the current shortages - and is encouraging more people to try and live off the land.

Alessandro said: "Growing your own food is one of the best ways to be more self-sufficient, save money and build a community, no matter how much space you have.

“It’s definitely cheaper than buying from the supermarket and could really help during the cost of living crisis. What are people waiting for?"

Alessando is currently growing lettuce and spring onions in his greenhouse as well as herbs on his window inside.

A full-time content creator, he uploads videos of the amazing fruit and vegetables he produces to his Instagram, which focuses on gardening, foraging and zero waste cooking.

And, despite his garden being eight by five meters squared (26 by 16 feet), Alessandro can grow everything from lettuce and tomatoes to herbs and spice - and even melons.

He said: “From just a couple of plants, I grew four melons

"They were nothing like what you can find in a supermarket - it was like eating natural candy."

Alessandro says he has also inspired his neighbors to start growing their own food and is happy to share his knowledge and supplies with them.

"I produce extra plants from cuttings and give loads of them away," he said.

"There is a guy down the road growing tomatoes in his front yard now - the interaction with the community is really important.”

Alessandro says he believes space shouldn’t be a limiting factor for growing your own food.

He said: "I started out on balconies and terraces - it’s not a question of space.

“When I first saw my garden I thought I’d never be able to grow anything here.

"But there are many different ways to grow food. You can grow food vertically on a wall with layers on top of one another.

And it need not break the bank to get started.

According to Alessandro, soil, light and a supply of running water are all that is required.

He said: "People spend so much money on herbs at the supermarket. You can grow some really nutritious microgreens using old milk containers just on your window sill.”

Alessandro’s top tips for growing your own food are to plant seeds at the right time of year and to start indoors.

For junior gardeners, Alessandro recommends starting out by growing herbs, tomatoes and lettuce.

He said: “With the same money you spend on herbs at the supermarket, you can buy three plants. If you take care of them, they can last forever.

“Tomatoes are a super easy crop and give you a taste of what you can make in the garden.

"When you taste a real tomato you will never go back to watery supermarket ones.

“You can literally grow lettuce on your windowsill - you just need soil and some newspaper.

"It’s extremely easy, and it’s a constant production of lettuce if you only harvest the outer leaves.

“You can 100 percent have a constant supply of food from your garden.

“I think people rely too much on what’s ready and the comfort of going to the supermarket - they’ve totally lost their link with nature.

“By encouraging people to grow their own food, I want to inspire people to be more sustainable, bring people together and save some money in the process.”