There's nothing complicated about growing your own. Just decide what crops you'd like to grow, and get started...
Growing fruit and vegetables seems to have really caught the public imagination. I do hope this isn't just a fad and really becomes a practical, viable and rewarding way of life for millions of new gardeners.
That's one reason why we have launched the Gardeners' World 'Grow Your Own' Week - to give help and advise all those inspired to have a go at growing their own this year, but who lack knowledge and confidence.
There's nothing complicated about growing your own. Just decide what crops you'd like to grow, and get started. A greater range of young plants and seedlings are now available than ever before, providing a good alternative to anyone who thinks sowing seed is tricky. However, you certainly pay for the privilege of buying plants compared to the great value seeds offer.
Your creativity needn't be constrained by limited space. Crops can be grown in the tiniest area: in patio pots, baskets, window boxes, or even on a windowsill. The more space you have the more you can grow, and while few of us can be self-sufficient in the average garden, thousands of people have signed up for their own allotment that will allow them to grow far more.
So, what are the Golden Rules of growing your own? Of course you should only grow what you and your family want to eat, and do your research to choose the best fruit and vegetable varieties. Don't just buy the first packet of a veg seed that comes to hand as others may be available that produce bigger yields, have better flavour, or offer other benefits, such as natural pest or disease resistance.
The one rule that would be close to the top of my list is to make every effort to sow seeds at the right time. Often that means making time in your busy diary to prepare pots or soil so that you can actually sow the seeds (which only takes minutes). Delay sowing and you'll often either sow too late in the season to get a decent crop, or worse still, forget to sow altogether!
Keep a weekly diary of what needs to be done, tick off the jobs, and you'll be on the road to a productive year ahead.
Topical advice on just what crops to sow when, and how to care for them, can be found on this website and each month in Gardeners' World magazine.
'Grow Your Own' Week is just the start. We're here all year round to help you. You won't regret your decision to grow your own fruit, veg and herbs.
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