Give Grow your Own a Go!

Grow your own
Nothing beats home grown herbs, fruit and vegetables; they have better flavour, less of a carbon footprint and there is personal satisfaction in growing and eating the fruits of your labour! There has been a rise in interest in growing your own food in recent years, but for many people the problem is not knowing where to start.

First – you need to think about where you will grow your own food?
A plot in your garden
A window sill in your home
Containers
A greenhouse
A mix of all of these

Second – you will need to decide what you are going to plant
Grow what you like to eat!
Select herb varieties which you can use on a regular basis like Bay, Chives, Parsley, Rosemary and Thyme.
Mixed salad leaves, chillis, broad beans, herbs and carrots are easy to begin with
Tomatoes are visually appealing and homegrown ones smell and taste amazing
Plums, cherries and damson fruit trees can provide an abundant harvest without much work.
Strawberries and mint are easy to grow but watch out for the birds before you harvest
Weeds, pests and diseases can pose a threat to your crops. Be prepared to weed your plots or containers and keep an eye out for pests that can eat your delicious crops!

Third – you will need a few things to get growing!
Garden fork and trowel
Fruit or veg plants or seeds
A watering can
Plant feed
Compost and/or grow bags
A sunny area to grow your plants, particularly herbs, who thrive on sunny conditions

Fourth – the ground will need to be prepared
digging it over to aerate the soil and remove any weeds is important
adding compost or fertiliser to the soil will improve it and create good growing conditions

Fifth – time to plant your seeds
Plant your seeds and cover firmly with soil
When using containers make sure they are deep enough for the roots and veg to grow
Water your plants well
Some indoor containers may need daily watering and liquid fertiliser monthly
Keep an eye on your outdoor plants as they develop, water more in warm dry conditions
If it’s quite wet, make sure the soil is draining well, thy don’t like being stuck in water-logged soil.
Finally the best part of growing you own is harvesting what you have grown, nothing will taste better than food you have grown!.