Where To Begin With Growing Your Own

Growing your own fruit and vegetables may seem a little daunting at first but with a little bit of research, some hands-on practise and learning what works well in your type of garden, you will soon be able to grow your own fruit and veg each and every year. Here are just a few tips to help you to begin with growing your own…

Location

Before you begin to sow your seeds or purchase your chosen plants, you’ll first need to decide on the best location for your new gardening venture. If you are fortunate enough to have an allotment then this is going to be ideal for growing a wide range of produce, however, don’t let not having access to one put you off, I promise you can grow your own even if you only have a tiny garden or a balcony.

If you have a garden, raised beds are a perfect spot for growing your own as they lift your plants away from pathways, from pests and pets as well as being great for drainage. The height of these is also beneficial if you struggle to bend down too low. If you don’t have the space for these, why not try making your own planter that can sit anywhere in the garden or perhaps even on the wall?

If you have a very small garden, balcony or paved garden then make use of hanging baskets, containers, pots and window boxes.

The key points you need to take on board when choosing your location are:

• Plenty of sun
• Good drainage
• Little wind
• Away from potential damage from garden visitors (pets, children etc)

Soil

The type of soil you choose to use for growing your own is very important. You will want nutrient rich soil which will feed and nourish your plants. If your current soil in your garden isn’t up to scratch or if you’ve noticed your flowers don’t ever do very well each year, it may be time to remove the top layers and replacing this with a better quality soil/compost. Your garden centre will have a variety of composts for you to choose from but if you are unsure, you can simply ask them for assistance. If you are already making your own compost, then this will be ideal for your new fruit and veg. If you’d like to give making your own compost a go I have lots of handy tips in this blog post here.

Sowing Your Seeds

If you want to grow from seeds rather than purchasing already established plants, then you will need to tend to these for a while prior to placing them in your garden. Your seeds will require a warm, sunny spot inside your home or inside a greenhouse with regular watering.

Once they have outgrown their pots, the roots are established and there is no more frost at night, they will be ready to move to their next home.

Growing Your Own

Once you have your seedlings out in the garden, you will want to plan where each will thrive within your chosen spot. Each fruit and vegetable will require a bit of research prior to planting in order to give them the best chance. Most will do very well planted in rows with plenty of spacing between them for room to grow. Make sure that once they are in the ground, you label each row so you know what you are growing and use netting on plants that are prone to pests or birds.

Essential top tips for growing your own:

• Checking your plants daily
• Laying down sand or eggshells as pest deterrers instead of using pellets or sprays
• Water regularly
• Do not dig the land whilst the growing is happening as this can release nutrients
• Cover your plants if you know there will be a frost
• Remove weeds as and when required
• Use nets to deter birds and butterflies

The more you experience, the more you will learn about growing your own and you will quickly learn what works well in your garden, what doesn’t so much, what you like growing, what conditions are required and so on.

If you are just about to begin with growing your own and have any questions or more tips just leave them in them in the comments below.

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