Growing Your Own Vegetables – What You Should Know Before You Start
Growing your own vegetables and fruits is arguably one of the best ways to become self-sufficient. Or, at least helping you on the road to self-sufficiency. We all spend more money than we care to count when we pop into the supermarket to get all those fruits and vegetables to use for the week ahead. It’s sad, but that is the truth of it – especially with the skyrocketing cost of living and inflation being as high as it is.
However, what if you didn’t need to spend a hundred quid or more when you do your weekly shop? What if you could source half of what you buy from your own garden?
This might sound like a dream, but that dream can easily become a reality! You can grow lots of your own fruits and vegetables from your garden or a small plot – it just takes some work.
The idea of it can be very intimidating – we get it. But, if you have been thinking of growing your own vegetables, but aren’t sure where to start, we can help.
Growing Your Own Vegetables: What You Need to Know
Anyone who has ever done anything will tell you that there are things they wished they knew before starting. Gardening is a great example of this. Unfortunately, gardening is not always easy, but as soon as you know the basics, you will be in for a much easier time.
Here are some things that you should know before you start gardening – and things that plenty of people wished they knew before starting.
Growing Your Own Vegetables Doesn’t Have to Be Hard!
Yes, it can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be! The truth is, there are lots of vegetables and fruits out there that are surprisingly easy to grow. Not only that but if you take the time to plan things out and learn more before jumping into the deep end, you could have a much easier time than you could ever imagine.
As soon as you have an understanding of the plants you want to grow, the weather and climate in your area, and the time you have, growing your own vegetables can be easy. Take everything into account, and work from there.
You Can Grow Many Vegetables in Pots
Granted, this might not be the case for all vegetables, but it is certainly something that you can explore if you don’t want to dig up a garden. You can also use grow bags and sacks to grow your vegetables if you would like to!
These things really do make life a lot easier, and some plants thrive. Potatoes do great when grown in sacks, and tomatoes are fantastic for growing straight from a grow bag! Leafy vegetables like lettuce and other salad leaves can easily grow from pots (as can many herbs, but be careful with mint!).
Don’t worry, we will be dedicating a whole article to exploring which fruits and vegetables can be grown from pots, bags, and similar things!
Some Vegetables Are a Lot Easier Than Others
So, yes, some vegetables can be notoriously difficult, while others thrive no matter what. When it comes to growing your own vegetables (and fruits), there will be some that will make your life easy, and others will turn it into a living nightmare (if you don’t know how to handle them).
Some of the easiest plants to grow include things like bush tomatoes, courgettes, cabbage, and peas, but we will have a whole article dedicated to easy fruits and vegetables to grow at home.
Lighting and Placement are Important!
You should know from the get-go that different plants do well in different conditions. However, in general, the majority of plants will do the best in full sunshine. You should expect to give your plants at least six hours of sunlight, but between eight and 12 is perfect.
With that being said, you should also have shady spots for your plants, especially if you live in a hot climate. Many cool-season crops like radishes, cabbage, and spinach, however, do well when grown in part shade.
So, do your research for the particular plants that you would like to grow, and work from there.
Keep Things Visible
If you are the kind of person to forget everything in your life (same), it might be useful to plant your vegetables and fruits somewhere that is visible from the house. Say, if you are standing in the kitchen doing the dishes, you can see your plants from the window.
It can be easy to get overwhelmed by life, especially if you are busy. So, by keeping your plants within sight, you know that you will tend to them – because they will always be right there!
This might not be necessary for everyone, but you need to find something that works for you!
Don’t Forget to Nourish Your Soil
Compost, manure, you name it. You should try to add some kind of organic matter to your soil at least once a year. Doing something as simple as adding mulch will do the job, and gradually improve the structure of your soil.
You are more than welcome to use fertilisers, too, but these are better for boosting the soil short term. Aim to improve the soil long-term, and you will continue to get fantastic results when growing your own vegetables.
Just remember that manure should always be rotten down for a minimum of six months before you use it in your garden. Why? Fresh manure is full of nitrogen (which can burn plants), may have diseases, and will also contain seeds of weed plants!
Time Things Right
You might be eager to get a move on with everything, but take a breath and step back. You need to know when to plant your seeds, and when to wait. If you plant your seeds too early in the year, frost can kill them.
Make sure that you keep an eye on the weather, and have an understanding of the frost dates. Using some kind of garden planner can go a long way to helping with this issue. Plants have different growing seasons, and you should always do your research before planting the seeds.
Water Your Plants Well
Of course, we don’t mean “drown” your plants! However, you should not be afraid to water all your plants well when they need it. This will vary from one species to another, but most plants should be watered once a week.
With that being said, you might need to water your plants more frequently in the summer if you live in a hotter climate. Some plants might even need to be watered daily!
You can usually tell when your plants are in need of water when they start drooping. It’s best not to let this happen, but it isn’t the end of the world if it does.
Don’t Leave the Weeds
Weeds might not initially seem like a big deal, but they will fight with the plants you want for all the nutrients and water. Before long, weeds can essentially choke out the other plants and take over – don’t let this happen!
You should constantly be checking your garden for weeds and getting rid of the ones you find. You can also do some hoeing to help get rid of them, and hopefully, they will die off. One great way to prevent weeds from growing in the first place is to mulch the soil. This will prevent sunlight from getting to the plants, and it will choke them out while also helping out your soil.
Some Plants Need to Be Picked Frequently
Did you know that some plants should get picked frequently to promote growth? Things like courgettes, beans, and tomatoes will do even better if you pick the products that are ready. New growth will be encouraged, and the plant will yield even more.
When Growing Your Own Vegetables Always Record Your Successes…and Failings
It’s fun to record your successes, but your failings… not so much. However, gardening and growing your own vegetables is a learning process, and you learn best from your mistakes.
Make sure to take photos of your garden and your wins and losses. This will help you to be even better in the future.
You should also be sure to make notes of what you do in the garden and any issues you encounter. Using some kind of notebook, or even your phone or laptop will mean that you can refer back to your notes and discoveries down the line.
Too many people only wish that they did this, so do it from the start, and you might be surprised by how helpful it can be down the line!
Final Thoughts on Growing Your Own Vegetables
Growing your own vegetables and fruit really is not as hard as you might think it is. Yes, there is a lot to learn, but it’s all part of the fun!
Once you know the basics, and bear what we spoke about in mind, you can have a lot of sun and have some real success. Put the tips we discussed above into action, and you will already be a step ahead of many others.
It’s a small step to becoming more self-sufficient and one that is incredibly rewarding.
Want to find out more about self-sufficiency? Why not try making your own halloumi or mozzarella, and use the whey for gardening, too? You could also try making your own naan or curry!