Nike Ken Griffey Growing Your Own Vegetables With

Your new plot – starting with vegetables

There are many advantages to growing your own fruit and vegetables. Firstly, the taste of home grown produce is far superior to flavourless supermarket varieties. Secondly,Air Yeezy 2011, you can be assured that your food has not been treated with pesticides. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, you get to enjoy vegetables at their very freshest – when their nutritional value and flavour is at its best.

With a modest amount of labour and very little specialist equipment – a pair of hunter wellingtons and a spade will do most kitchen gardeners - you can create a kitchen garden which is both attractive and productive. Garden 4 Less have everything you could need in their online store to get started with home growing your own food. Hunter Wellies for those muddy days, Water Butts to collect your own water for gardening- essential in metered areas, and wheel barrows to make life easier when preparing soils and composts.

Plan ahead

Many first-time growers try to accomplish too much when they start out. Think about the sorts of vegetables you and your family eat regularly and grow only what you enjoy to eat. You may want to focus on staples such as potatoes and onions, or you might choose vegetables which are expensive in the supermarket,Nike Womens Dunk Heels, such as broad beans and fresh peas. Either way, your decision will influence the size and situation of your garden. If you already grow ornamentals, you are probably familiar with the limitations of your particular plot. Perhaps it doesn't get much sun, or maybe it has a large slug population. Take the conditions into consideration, and the crops grown will be more likely to succeed. If your plants are prone to slug attack, start them off indoors and plant out when established. For heavy clay soils add sand for drainage – this will prevent roots from becoming waterlogged. All soil types benefit from a generous application of well-rotted organic matter which serves to open-up the structure and add essential nutrients. Look after your soil and it will reward you with healthy, productive plants.

To build or not to build?

It is perfectly possible to sow direct into the prepared soil, but installing a raised bed system can make life easier in a small or medium-sized space. When performing routine tasks, it is difficult, if not impossible, to avoid stepping on some parts of the soil. As all planting and maintenance can be carried out from the adjacent path, raised beds provide a solution to the problem of compacted soil. As you don't need to leave space to step, it also means that more plants can be grown per square metre. In wet areas, a raised bed will allow water to drain away more easily. It is also possible to grow a wider variety of crops, since soil conditions can be easily varied in each of the beds. Of course, there are some disadvantages as raised beds can be somewhat labour-intensive to build and are not suitable for all crops.

First projects

Anyone can grow salad. Just a couple of containers will produce enough salad for your day-to-day needs. Rocket is an excellent choice, as it germinates quickly and grows reliably. The peppery, hot flavour is a pleasant antidote to bland, supermarket varieties. You can also treat most types of lettuce as a cut-and-come-again crop. This means that the individual leaves are harvested for salad before the plant has a chance to fully mature. It is usually possible to get at least three lots of leaves from one sowing.

Easy roots

Radishes are an excellent choice for novice gardeners. They are tolerant of most soil conditions, grow quickly and are not particularly demanding. It is best to dig over the soil approximately one month before sowing (wear your wellies!), although it is okay to dig and sow instantly if you are impatient to get started! Watering the soil beforehand is a good idea – radishes need moisture to germinate and advance watering avoids disturbing the newly-planted seed. With a rake, lightly break up the soil until it has a crumbly, fine surface. This is referred to as a 'tilth' and it provides the perfect surface for sowing. Next, use garden twine to mark a line – this will also act as a reminder that the patch is occupied. With a garden cane or your finger,Nike Ken Griffey, create a 'drill' – a small channel into which the seed can be dropped. Sow your seed thinly, and carefully fill in the drill. After just two weeks, your seedlings will have germinated. Thin out the weaker-looking specimens until you have a row of plants about 2.5cm apart. Weed regularly, and after about four to six weeks you'll have radishes for your plate,Nike Air Max Jr 2011!

Catch the bug!

It is important to note that you'll probably find yourself addicted to your own produce. As you grow in confidence,Nike Heels For Women, add more challenging vegetables to your repertoire. For more ideas, see our guide to growing garlic, peas and beans, tomatoes and propagation techniques.

Happy growing!
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