Grow your own - Get started with fruit and veg

Now we’re spending a bit more time at home, you might be thinking about ways to be more self-sufficient. From doing DIY to making your own clothes, there are so many things we’re used to ‘outsourcing’ that actually aren’t hard to achieve at home, with your own two hands. And one of the easiest is growing your own food. 

 

Whether you’re lucky enough to have a sprawling back garden or just have about enough space for a window box, there are plenty of options when it comes to growing fruit and veg at home. Here are our top tips for getting started. 

 

Fruit and veg grows best in sunny, sheltered areas. Find a spot that gets the sun and isn’t in shade, then cut back any overhanging trees and set up wind breakers to protect your plants. 

 

Your soil should be neutral, light, airy and full of organic matter to feed your plants and help them grow. Head to your local garden centre to make sure you get the best soil for the job, and start a compost heap using food waste to mix in with it.
 

 

When just starting out, choose easy-to-grow fruit and veg that won’t take a lot of time and effort – a bumper crop of food is the perfect motivation to keep at it. Veggies like potatoes, tomatoes, radishes, peas, onions, salad leaves and broad beans are easy to care for, while fruit like strawberries and blueberries grow well in pots on a balcony or windowsill. 

 

When you’ve prepped your plot and chosen your seedlings, it’s time to get them in the ground. Make sure you group seasonal seeds together and do your research on crop rotation so you know your plants are getting the maximum nutritients from the soil. Seedlings will need to be covered with mesh to protect them as they emerge, and once bigger you’ll need bamboo canes to support vine plants like tomatoes, cucumbers and broad beans. You could also look into natural pest control methods to keep pesky visitors away!

 

When it comes to feeding and watering your fruit and veg, the soil, sun and rain will do most of the work. But a little extra help will ensure a healthier plant, so it’s worth tending to your patch whenever you can. Make sure you have the right type of plant food for your particular crops and give them a little boost with a watering can, especially during hot weather. 

 

There’s nothing quite like nurturing a veg plot or tending to fruit trees and then reaping the rewards – that first meal made with home-grown food is incredibly rewarding! If you find yourself with tons of tomatoes, a cool crop of cucumbers or just so many strawberries, box them up and deliver them to friends, family and neighbours – they make the best gifts!