Home Grown Veg
Growing Vegetables
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Growing Season
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Cucurbitaceae
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If you want to grow your own home grown vegetables or fruit, then the best time to get started is now.
You'll find useful tips and tricks here to get the most out of your vegetable and fruit crops.
Whether you're a beginner and just thinking about planting your first vegetables, or looking for advice on how to improve your existing vegetables, read on...
Growing your own Vegetables and Fruit :
Enjoy growing and eating fresh vegetables and fruit at home whenever you want it.
Find out how to grow your own veg
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Getting Started with your Home Grown Veg
Unless you have a large
vegetable plot or even an allotment it makes sense to plan what types of
vegetables you want to grow; gardens are generally too small and there's usually not enough time for most people to grow everything that they want/need.
So it makes sense to grow your favourite
vegetables and those where freshness is an important part of the appeal. Potatoes, onions and carrots are cheap to buy and potatoes and onions take up a lot of room, so it is often best to leave these to the supermarkets. But early potatoes, spring onions and baby carrots with their tops on are delicious and their flavour and texture deteriorates with every hour that passes after harvest.
Most
vegetables grow best in a sunny position. If you have a shady spot then you can still grow crops like endive, lettuce, radicchio, peas and spinach. Other
vegetables will grow, but probably not to their full potential - especially fruiting crops.
Shelter from cold and strong winds is beneficial - essential for crops like aubergines and peppers - and will also ensure better crops of
vegetables like peas and beans.
Try and choose a position away from large trees and hedges, as these will compete with your veg for water and nutrients, as well as casting shade.
Whether your
vegetable garden soil is light and sandy or heavy clay, digging in bulky organic matter - that is well-rotted manure, compost, leafmould, composted bark, mushroom compost, in fact, anything you can get in bulk - will help. In light soils it provides something to hold the moisture and nutrients; in clay soils it helps break up the large particles so the soil doesn't crack, drains better and is easier to work. Even good soils benefit from a dressing of organic matter.
Digging sharp sand into clay soil may improve the structure and make it easier to work, although on a very heavy clay soil, just stick to well-rotted organic matter, as adding sand can make the soil even harder.
The best time for soil preparation is in autumn for clay soils and spring for light, sandy soils. Autumn digging lets the soil be further broken down by frosts and rain. But do it whenever you can. Start by digging over the soil to a depth of 37.5-45cm (15-18in) and incorporating your organic material as you go.
Find out more about planning here
Find out more about planting position here
Find out more about soil types here
Find out more about soil preparation here