Growing Your Own Vegetables
When it comes to growing your own vegetables, it might well seem that there are as many things to consider as vegetables you can grow. Yet people up and down the country regularly engage in this most rewarding of activities. Our climate is well suited to a range of different vegetables, from lettuce to carrots to beetroot, and no matter what kind of home you have, it
With vegetable growing, space is probably the prime consideration. Many vegetable growers work from a plot in the garden, which can vary significantly in size, but you can also grow vegetables in greenhouses, containers and even in pots on your windowsill.
Beyond space, there’s also cost to consider. Many gardeners prefer to grow those vegetables which cost a bit more to buy from the supermarket – there are quite a few savings to be made in growing your own. An example here would be leeks, which are commonly grown because they tend to be a bit pricey when found on supermarket shelves, so why not save some money, and you’ll find that over time the saving becomes quite significant.
Freshness has also become one of the main reasons many are choosing to get a plot going. Wherever you buy vegetables, from the major supermarket chain right down to the organic farmer’s market, there’s always going to be some time involved between the vegetables being harvested and entering your kitchen after the drive home. With some vegetables this isn’t really a problem; but what about the spring onions or baby carrots which deteriorate in taste and texture with every hour beyond harvest time which they remain uneaten?
Ultimately, be it space, cost or freshness, there will be many factors behind your decision of what to grow (not least taste!) but it’s always important to establish this before you undertake your home growing endeavour. Produce too many perishable delights and the majority could wind up in the compost bin, overestimate the space involved and you might find you’re target harvest proves difficult to hit.But of course, vegetable growing is open to all, and seems to be as popular as it’s ever been. Read on for both general instructions and some handy vegetable-specific advice.
Soil Preparation
Regardless of what type of soil you ultimately use to grow your vegetables, there are certain preparation techniques which will always help to optimise quality ahead of sowing, not least choosing the correct location – aim for a spot that gets plenty of sunlight. Space is important, so be sure to bare this in mind if growing in window boxes or pots.
Digging in organic material as you prepare the soil is also a good idea, and more or less any organic material you can get in bulk will be suitable, be it well rotted manure such as Country Natural Stable Manure, bark or mulch. Digging in organic material will help lighter soils retain moisture and will improve the drainage of clay soils. If you’re growing in a container, a compost specifically designed for this purpose will happily suffice.

A good time to prepare your soil is the spring for lighter soils and the autumn for clayey ones: This gives it time to be further broken down ahead of sowing. However, if time is not so plentiful, preparing your soil just before you grow will also do the trick. The best method is to dig over the soil to a depth of about 37.5-45cm (15-18in) and incorporate your organic material as you go.
Applying feed just before sowing will help to give your vegetables the best start. Certain vegetables prefer different types of fertiliser but, generally speaking, any feed is likely to be suitable.

Sowing
The precise method of sowing will, of course, vary slightly from vegetable to vegetable. Some vegetables require sowing in seed beds before being transplanted to plots whilst others need to be sown indoors. There are however some simple principles to follow in all cases.
Be sure to sow thinly. You’re much more likely to harvest a steady supply of the vegetables if you sow smaller rows. If you need extra, sow additional rows in fortnightly intervals.
To sow, first dig a thin and shallow trench with the edge of a hoe (this is called a drill) and place each seed directly into the soil, ensuring regular and sufficient space. When this is done cover with a thin layer of soil and pat down. Water your seeds immediately after sowing.
For vegetables that have to be sown indoors, use a seed tray or propagator placed on a windowsill, which will see your seeds through until the germination stage.

Ongoing Care
Vegetables can be thirsty plants and will require regular watering. In the summer months especially, it’s a good idea to water your vegetables. The aim should be supply an even amount of water to the roots of plant, so be sure to get close to soil when watering.
Vegetables respond well to a top up of light liquid feed later in the year, so it’s good idea to apply this throughout the year.
When it comes to harvesting, there’s many ways of bringing your produce from the Earth to your kitchen: you could well find yourself cutting lettuce leaves, snapping off Brussels sprouts or easing out rhubarb. See below for some veg-specific advice.

Extra Tips for Specific Vegetables - Beetroot
Delicious pickled, boiled or roasted, this bright red crop should be sown little and often, allowing for a staggered harvest. Pull up every second beetroot when they get to the size of golf ball and allows the others to reach the size of a cricket ball before harvesting.

Lettuce
Another essential that comes in a staggering variety of shapes and flavours. You can harvest lettuce when it looks big enough for eating. It’s best to cut the leaves rather than pull up your lettuce.

Mangetout
Mangetout comes in familiar pods of delicious peas and can be used in an endless array of similarly delicious recipes. If you sow in small batches and pick the pods before they become stringy, you can be sure of a near endless supply.

Onions
Onions are a good contender for the most versatile vegetable around, and it’s not difficult to ensure a continuing supply. Onions respond well to a ripening period after harvesting, so, after you’ve pulled the bulbs from the ground, leave them to become papery and orange on a rack or shelf in the sun.

Peas
Peas lose their flavour so quickly, that’s there’s really no comparison between those you grow yourself and the supermarket varieties. Harvest the pods when they begin to bulge outwards with their delicious contents.

Radish
A delicious watery palate cleanser, it only takes around a month after sowing for radishes to reach full crunchy ripeness. Stagger your sowing to provide a steady supply from your plot.

Rocket
Rocket has an unmistakable flavour and, when it comes to harvest time, you can control just how it tastes by choosing when to pick the leaves. Young leaves offer a milder flavour, whilst the older taste wonderful when cooked.

Runner Beans
When growing this familiar crop, you’ll need a support for the plant to climb up as it progresses. Thankfully, a bamboo cane is all you need here. Make an A or X frame from these for your runner beans to grow on.

Spring Onions
A staple ingredient of Asian dishes, spring onions are easy to grow in this country as well. To harvest, simply pull from the ground but be sure to consume them soon as they will not keep for more than a few days.

Tomatoes
We know, technically not a vegetable but very certainly delicious and ubiquitous, tomatoes are a real gardeners’ favourite and used in too many dishes to mention. They can be grown indoors as well as out, but be sure to regularly repot if starting them off in the house.

So there you have it, one beginner’s guide to grown at least some of your own veg at home. If you follow our guide you’ll be off to a good start but we’re always on hand to help at each of our centre’s. Just pop along and any member of our team will be more than happy to help.

Useful Links
- Shop Online for Vegetable Seeds
- Shop Online for Grow Your Own products
- Growing Carrots from Seed to Harvest (Article)
- Growing Onions from Seed to Harvest (Article)
- Growing Potatoes from Planting to Harvest (Article)
- Growing Chillies from Seed to Harvest (Article)
- Guide to Growing Tomatoes in Pots (Article)
- Grow Your Own Herbs (Article)
- Grow Your Own Strawberries (Article)