Grow your own vegetables | Make it and Mend it

Growing your own vegetables can save you money – and improve your diet. It’s also fun and rewarding and who knows? You could even win first prize in your next local marrow growing competition!Just follow our tips and you’ll be well on your way.

3 things you’ll need to make your garden

A soil plot, bed or containers
Good compost
Plenty of water

Find the right spot – or plot!

image of raised vegetable bed

Even the smallest garden can be used to grow vegetables – just find a sunny, well drained spot and avoid shade cast by trees or neighbouring properties. Make sure it’s near a water source, to save you carrying water to and from your plot.

If your garden is really tiny think about planting your vegetable crops in with your flowers. And not having a garden at all mustn’t deter you! Use containers on a patio or balcony.

The location of your plot, soil type, rainfall and how warm it is all affect what will grow well there. For example, Mediterranean vine plants (tomatoes, aubergines, peppers) need free-draining soil and plenty of sun and shelter – a greenhouse is great if you’ve got one, but you can also make or buy mini-greenhouses very cheaply.

Root vegetables don’t need nearly as much TLC. They are well adapted to northern climates and are pretty hardy.

Prepare the soil

image of salad vegetables growing

Use compost – make it yourself or buy it – and animal manures to improve nutrients and drainage. Dig the plot thoroughly, folding in the compost as you go, to aerate the soil – this will encourage earthworms.

The quality of your cultivated soil makes a huge difference in terms of taste and crop volume so this is probably the most important part of making your garden.

Divide your plot into orderly rows or square beds. Access is important, so separate them with brick paving, grass paths or shingle. If you have space to divide the site into beds, you can alternate crops between legumes, brassicas, roots and the onion family to reduce the risk of pests and diseases.

Most veg are harvested at the end of one year, but some are perennial, as are many fruit crops and herbs, so you may want to allocate a dedicated area for these.

Decide what to grow

If you’re a novice or first timer, think about these really rewarding crops:

Herbs Easy to grow in even the tiniest container. Plant dill and rosemary in flowerbeds. Mint is easy too (but keep it in a pot – even if you plant in a bed – it’s notoriously vigorous and can take over the whole bed!

image of tomato plant

Tomatoes Will do well against a sunny wall, and you can even put smaller varieties in hanging baskets. Tip: pinch out the growing tips to encourage flowering – more flowers = more tomatoes.

Runner Beans Erect canes to maximise the vertical space in your garden with a guaranteed good cropper. Also very striking looking with their tomato-red flowers. It also fixes nitrogen in the soil, which is great for next year’s crop.

Courgettes Need plenty of water, and if one gets overlooked you end up with a marrow! One courgette plant will provide you with enough courgettes for an average family use.

Strawberries Put at the front of your flowerbeds and give them plenty of manure to start off. They will need protecting from birds with some netting. Pack straw underneath to keep fruits off damp soil and reduce stop snails.

Plant your seeds

Packets of seeds are the cheapest, but don’t be tempted to plant them all in one go – you may end up with more than you have room for. First plant the seeds indoors, using potting, ideally on a sunny windowsill. Then transfer them outside once the last winter frost has passed and the temperature is over 7°C (normally the packet gives you a monthly indication as to when it’s best to plant outside).

If using packet seeds, you’ll need to thin the seedlings regularly to prevent overcrowding. If you only want to sow a couple of plants, or if you can’t be bothered with the hassle of seedlings, you might prefer to head to the local garden centre and buy your seedlings there.

Top Tip: if you grow lots of seedlings how about selling them at your local school or church summer fair or buddy up with a mate or mates, plant different seeds and then swap the seedlings

Water and nourish your garden

Your kitchen garden will need regular watering. If you have a dry spell, soak your plants every evening to ensure the moisture gets to the roots before it evaporates. Slow-drip irrigation hose systems really cut down the work in large plots. Water should suffice, but some produce, such as tomatoes, will benefit from supplementing a proprietary liquid feed. But if you prepared the soil well at the beginning of the season, the vegetables shouldn’t need too much extra feeding.

image of strawberry plants

Top Tip Keep ripening strawberries off the earth by covering the soil around them with black plastic liner (or use a bin liner)