How to grow your own vegetables

When you grow your own, you know exactly what’s in your veg.

Home-grown food is as healthy as it gets. “There’s nothing more important to our wellbeing than what we eat. When you grow your own, you know exactly what’s in and on your veg,” says Carol Klein in Grow Your Own Veg (Mitchell Beazley).

From soil to plate, it’s more nutritious, more rewarding than shop-bought, and scores you sustainability points. Now that’s healthy!

Choose something that’s easy to grow

Basil: Grows year-round and likes direct sunlight. Encourage growth by nipping off flower buds. For fuller flavour, let the soil dry between waterings.
Parsley: It’s best to grow it in a container as moles are quite partial to this herb. The plants last about two years.
Chives: Grows easily indoors or outdoors, year-round.
Lettuce: Grows fast, so it’s best to grow several in succession. Choose a partially shady spot, as these plants don’t like to get too hot.
Tomatoes: Can be grown year round in temperate climates. They are prone to cold though, and fungus when it’s very humid.
Tatsoi: These Asian greens like full sun, but do keep an eye out for aphids.

Benefits of home-grown:

Freshness: There’s no processing, storage time or transportation “food miles”. Fresher veg means a higher level of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants — and better and more intense flavour.
It’s green: No packaging wastage or utilisation of resources here.
It’s clean: No hormones, toxic emissions, harmful pesticides or chemical fertilisers in or near your food.
It feeds your soul too: As Klein says, “There’s great joy in planting your crops and watching them grow to harvest. It’s good for your soul.”

Planting 1–2–3

1. Line a pot bottom with pebbles for drainage, or turn the soil in a bed.
2. Fill with a mixture of soil and compost.
3. Plant your seedlings as per the spacing and depth instructions on the plant tray or packet. 4 Scatter fertiliser on the surface.
5. Water, and then cover the top surface with mulch.
6. Water each day. Add fertiliser monthly or as recommended on the instructions.
7. Control pests with organic sprays, if necessary.
8. Wait a few weeks before picking, and voila!

What you need

You don’t have to be a pro gardener, own a huge garden or have a shed full of tools. Just a few key elements will set you on the right (garden) path:

Soil: Choose good-quality organic potting soil for pots, or loamy soil for beds. If it’s sandy, you’ll need to add more compost. “Good quality soil is very important for veggies as they need fertile and well-drained soil to flourish and produce good-quality food,” says horticulturist Cindy Merrick.

Tools: Merrick recommends a small hand spade, a hand fork to loosen soil and a five-litre watering can that won’t damage seedlings.

Fertiliser: Try an organic range like Neutrog. It’s smelly but effective!

Pots: Herbs grow easily in pots on a sunny window sill. Larger veg also do well in containers. “Pots are great if you don’t have a lot of space. But they can dry out quicker, so they need more attention than beds. You can have a larger variety when you plant in a bed outside,” says Merrick.

Seedlings: Small plants with leaves will produce more quickly than seeds, but some plants like beans, squash and cucumbers don’t like to be transplanted and are best grown from seeds. “Use fresh seeds, soak overnight to soften, then plant them about 10mm under loose soil which has had fertiliser and compost added,” suggests Merrick.