Growing your own food is a fantastic way to cheaply supplement what you buy from the supermarket. Nothing beats the flavour of home-grown, and you can guarantee your food has been grown without chemicals. It is a brilliant way to fit gentle exercise into your everyday life and the mental health benefits are immense. But, if you have never grown your own food before, how do you decide what to grow? Start by asking yourself the following questions:
What Space Do I Have?
Most crops do well in a sheltered sunny spot. A little shade is useful for leafy crops, as excessive heat and drought can make some run to seed, which makes them very bitter. Good healthy crops need soil to be loose and full of organic matter. Fork your vegetable bed over, removing weeds, then add a bag of multi-purpose compost to enrich the soil. Don’t make a vegetable bed too wide, as you need to be able to reach the middle without walking on the soil. Many crops can also be grown successfully in pots and containers.
Which Herbs, Fruit and Vegetables Do My Family and I Like to Eat Lots Of?
Make an extensive list of the fruit, vegetables and herbs you eat regularly, thinking about meals throughout the year. Consider what you would enjoy harvesting for summer salads as well as the ingredients you would like for warming winter soups.
Which Items on Your List Are the Most Expensive to Buy, but Will Still Grow in the UK?
Some crops, such as potatoes, take up a lot of space but are inexpensive to buy from the supermarket. If your growing space is limited, focus on higher-value crops such as blueberries, strawberries and salad leaves, all of which also grow well in containers.
Sowing & Growing
Once you have chosen which vegetables to grow, decide whether to use seeds or plug plants. Seed packets are cheaper, but may require space to start them off in a greenhouse, cold frame or on an indoor windowsill.
Plug plants are a great option for beginners, if slugs or snails have eaten a batch of seedlings, or if you have missed the ideal sowing window
Vegetables that can be sown directly outdoors include:
- Salad and spinach (from April)
- Peas
- Beans
- Radish
- Carrots
- Beetroot
- Parsnips
- Brassicas
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Onions
- Chard
- Turnips
Some crops are best sown little and often. Salads and radishes, for example, can otherwise produce a large glut followed by weeks with nothing to harvest. Organise your seed packets by sowing month or note sowing dates in your diary.
When sowing smaller seeds, use a specialist seed compost or sieved general-purpose compost. Small seeds generally need only a light covering of compost. Larger seeds, such as beans, can be pushed into individual pots to your first knuckle. Flat seeds like courgettes and pumpkins are best pushed into the compost vertically on their edge to prevent water sitting on top and causing them to rot.
Watering correctly at sowing time is important. Either stand the seed tray in a larger tray half-filled with water until the compost surface darkens with moisture, then allow it to drain, or water the compost before sowing. Avoid watering from above immediately after sowing, as this can wash seeds out of position.
Always label seed trays, as many seedlings look identical at first. Cover trays with clear lids or clear plastic bags to retain moisture, removing them as soon as seedlings emerge. Keep seedlings lightly damp, as overwatering can cause damping off disease, which can wipe out the entire tray.
Pricking Out
The first leaves to appear are the seed leaves, usually two plain leaves opposite each other. Wait until the next set of leaves appears. These are the true leaves and resemble those of the mature plant. Only prick out seedlings once the true leaves have developed.
Prepare pots or modules before lifting the seedlings so their roots do not dry out. Use a spoon, dibber or similar tool to lift seedlings from underneath the roots. Only handle seedlings by a leaf, as the stems are very delicate and easily crushed. If the stem is damaged the seedling will die, whereas damaged leaves can often be replaced by new growth.
Transfer seedlings into their new pots, top up with compost and gently tap the pot to settle the soil. Avoid pressing the compost down firmly, as this can damage the delicate roots or stem.
After transplanting, water well and place the seedlings somewhere bright but sheltered. Keep them damp, but not soggy, until roots begin to appear through the bottom of the pot. At this stage, a well-established rootball should hold together and display healthy white roots.
Hardening Off
Young seedlings are very soft and vulnerable. A cool breeze can flatten them, and they may not recover. Hardening off allows plants to develop thicker leaves, stronger stems and a protective waxy coating that helps prevent them from drying out.
For seedlings growing indoors, gently waft them with a piece of paper or cardboard to create a light breeze. Do this regularly from the moment they emerge, taking care not to hit the seedlings.
Once all risk of frost has passed, move seedlings to an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. Open doors and vents during the day to prevent extreme temperature swings.
On a warm, still day with temperatures above 12°C, water the seedlings well before placing them outside in a warm but shaded position for one or two hours. Repeat this daily. During the following week they can remain outside throughout the day before being brought indoors at night. After this they can be planted outside.
Do not rush the process. Hardening off takes at least two to three weeks. If the weather is cold, wet or windy, wait a little longer before planting out.
For plants in a cold frame, gradually increase ventilation by raising the lid halfway during the day for the first week, fully during the day in the second week, and leaving it open both day and night during the third week.
Other ways to protect young plants include using cloches, horticultural fleece or small grow tunnels. Ideally, both daytime and night-time temperatures should remain above 12°C before planting tender vegetable plants outdoors.
Maintenance
- Keep weeds under control, as they compete with crops for nutrients.
- Water deeply at least once a week.
- Feed plants with a liquid fertiliser once a week, particularly those growing in containers.
- Protect crops from slugs, snails, white butterflies and aphids. Ladybird and hoverfly larvae are beneficial insects that feed on aphids, so leave them where they are if you spot them.
Growing the same crops in the same place year after year can deplete nutrients in the soil and encourage pests and diseases to build up. Rotate your vegetable crops to a different area each year to help keep plants healthy.
Continue your Gardening Journey
Need a little extra advice? Visit your local Tates of Sussex Garden Centre today, where our friendly knowledgeable, team will be happy to help you choose the right plants and offer expert guidance.
